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.

The beginning

Benjamin Hymen Siegelbaum was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a poor Russian Jewish family, one of five children. As a boy, Siegel joined a street gang on Lafayette Street in the Lower East Side and committed first mainly thefts, until, with another youth named Moe Sedway, he devised his own protection racket; he forced pushcart merchants to pay him five dollars or he would incinerate their merchandise on the spot.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn, New York - Lower East Side - Theft - Protection racket

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As a teenager, Siegel befriended Meyer Lansky, forming a small gang with him that expanded to gambling and car theft. Reputedly Siegel also worked as the gang's hitman whom Lansky would sometimes hire out to other gang bosses. In 1926 Siegel was arrested for raping a woman who had turned down his advances in a speakeasy, but Lansky coerced the victim not to testify.

Related Topics:
Meyer Lansky - Gambling - Car theft - Hitman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1930 Lansky and Siegel joined forces with Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Siegel became a bootlegger and was also associated with Albert Anastasia. Siegel was used for bootlegging operations in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. During the so-called Castellammarese War in 1930-1931, they fought the gang of Joe Masseria; Siegel reputedly had a hand in Masseria's 1931 murder in Coney Island and later had a part in the formation of Murder, Inc. In 1932 he was arrested for gambling and bootlegging but got away with a fine. Lansky and Siegel were briefly allied with Dutch Schultz and killed rival loan sharks Louis and Joseph Amberg in 1935.

Related Topics:
Charles "Lucky" Luciano - Bootlegger - Albert Anastasia - New York - New Jersey - Philadelphia - Castellammarese War - Joe Masseria - 1931 - Coney Island - Murder, Inc. - Dutch Schultz - Loan shark - Louis - Joseph Amberg - 1935

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~