Bugsy Siegel

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American gangster, popularly thought to be the impetus behind large-scale development of Las Vegas. He hated the nickname, Bugsy, and wouldn't allow anyone to call him that to his face.

Cultural references

• In 1991, the life of Bugsy Siegel was the subject of the highly fictionalized motion picture Bugsy, with Warren Beatty in the title role.
• Also in 1991, a there was film Mobsters about the early years of Bugsy Segal, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Frank Costello starring Christian Slater as Lucky and with Richard Grieco as Bugsy.
• The character of Moe Green in The Godfather was based on Siegel.
• Siegel was also portayed by Harvey Keitel (who himself appeared in the Bugsy film as Mickey Cohen), in the 1973 TV movie The Virginia Hill Story and by Armand Assante in the 1991 film The Marrying Man.
• The title of the song Mr. Siegal by Tom Waits refers to Bugsy Siegel.
• Tim Powers imagined Siegel as a modern-day Fisher King in his award-winning novel Last Call (novel).