Jump to content

Bugsy Siegel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromBenjamin Siegel)

Bugsy Siegel
Siegel in 1944
Born
Benjamin Siegel[1]

(1906-02-28)February 28, 1906
New York City,U.S.
DiedJune 20, 1947(1947-06-20)(aged 41)
Beverly Hills, California,U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Other namesBen, Benny [2]
Spouse
Esta Krakower
​
​
(m.1929;div.1946)​
Partners
Children2
Signature

Benjamin"Bugsy"Siegel(/ˈsiːɡəl/;February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an Americanmobster[3]who was a driving force behind the development of theLas Vegas Strip.[4]Siegel was influential within theJewish Mob,along with his childhood friend and fellow gangsterMeyer Lansky,and he also held significant influence within theItalian-American Mafiaand the largely Italian-JewishNational Crime Syndicate.Described as handsome and charismatic, he became one of the first front-page celebrity gangsters.[5]

Siegel was one of the founders and leaders ofMurder, Inc.[6]and became abootleggerduringAmerican Prohibition.TheTwenty-first Amendmentwas passed in 1933 repealing Prohibition, and he turned to gambling. In 1936, he leftNew Yorkand moved toCalifornia.[7]His time as a mobster during this period was mainly as a hitman and muscle, as he was noted for his prowess with guns and violence. In 1941, Siegel was tried for the murder of friend and fellow mobsterHarry Greenberg,who had turned informant. He was acquitted in 1942.

Siegel traveled toLas Vegas,Nevada,where he handled and financed some of the original casinos.[8]He assisted developerWilliam R. Wilkerson'sFlamingo Hotelafter Wilkerson ran out of funds.[9]Siegel assumed control of the project and managed the final stages of construction. The Flamingo opened on December 26, 1946 in a driving rainstorm, resulting in a poor reception and technical difficulties, and it soon closed. It reopened in March 1947 with a finished hotel, but by then his mob partners were convinced that an estimated US$1 million of the construction budget overrun had been skimmed by Siegel's girlfriendVirginia Hillor by both of them. On June 20, 1947, Siegel was shot dead at the age of 41 by a sniper through the window of Hill's Linden Drive mansion inBeverly Hills, California.

Early life

[edit]

Benjamin Siegel[1][10]was born on February 28, 1906, in theWilliamsburgneighborhood ofBrooklyninNew York City, New York,the second of five children of a poorAshkenazi Jewishfamily that had emigrated to the U.S. from theGaliciaregion of what was thenAustria-Hungary.[1][11][12]His parents, Jennie (Riechenthal) and Max Siegel, constantly worked for meager wages.[13]As a boy, Siegel left school and joined a gang onLafayette Streeton theLower East SideofManhattan.He committed mainly thefts until he metMoe Sedway.Together with Sedway, he developed aprotection racketin which he threatened to incinerate pushcart owners' merchandise unless they paid him a dollar.[14][15]He soon built up a lengthy criminal record, dating from his teenage years, that included armedrobbery,rape and murder.[16]

The Bugs and Meyer Mob

[edit]
Main article:The Bugs and Meyer Mob

During adolescence, Siegel befriendedMeyer Lansky,who applied a brilliant intellect to forming a small mob whose activities expanded to gambling andcar theft.Lansky, who had already had a run-in withCharles "Lucky" Luciano,saw a need for the Jewish boys of his Brooklyn neighborhood to organize in the same manner as theItaliansandIrish.The first person he recruited for his gang was Siegel.[17]

Siegel became involved inbootleggingwithin several majorEast Coastcities. He also worked as the mob'shitman,whom Lansky hired out to othercrime families.[18]The two formedthe Bugs and Meyer Mob,which handled hits for the various bootleg gangs operating in New York andNew Jersey,doing so almost a decade beforeMurder, Inc.was formed. The gang kept themselves busy by hijacking the liquor cargoes of rival outfits,[19]and were known to be responsible for the killing and removal of several rival gangland figures.[20]Siegel's gang-mates includedAbner "Longie" Zwillman,Louis "Lepke" Buchalter,and Lansky's brother, Jake;Joseph "Doc" Stacher,another member of the Bugs and Meyer Mob, recalled to Lansky biographers that Siegel was fearless and saved his friends' lives as the mob moved into bootlegging:

"Bugsy never hesitated when danger threatened," Stacher told Uri Dan. "While we tried to figure out what the best move was, Bugsy was already shooting. When it came to action there was no one better. I've never known a man who had more guts."[21]

Siegel was also a boyhood friend toAl Capone;when there was a warrant for Capone's arrest on a murder charge, Siegel allowed him to hide out with an aunt.[22]

He first smokedopiumduring his youth and was involved in thedrug trade.[23]By age 21, he was making money, and flaunted it. He bought an apartment at theWaldorf Astoria Hoteland aTudorhome inScarsdale, New York.He wore flashy clothes and participated inNew York Citynight life.[12][24]

From May 13 to 16, 1929, Lansky and Siegel attended theAtlantic City Conference,representing the Bugs and Meyer Mob.[25]Luciano and formerChicago South Side GangleaderJohnny Torrioheld the conference at theRitz-Carlton HotelinAtlantic City, New Jersey.At the conference, the two men discussed the future of organized crime and the future structure of theMafiacrime families;Siegel stated, "The yids and the dagos will no longer fight each other."

Marriage and family

[edit]

On January 28, 1929, Siegel married Esta Krakower, his childhood sweetheart. They had two daughters, Millicent Siegel (later Millicent Rosen) and Barbara Siegel (later Barbara Saperstein).[4]He had a reputation as a womanizer and the marriage ended in 1946.[26]His wife moved with their teenage daughters to New York.

Murder, Incorporated

[edit]

By the late 1920s, Lansky and Siegel had ties to Luciano andFrank Costello,future Boss es of theGenovese crime family.Siegel,Albert Anastasia,Vito Genovese,andJoe Adonisallegedly were the four gunmen who shot New York mob BossJoe Masseriato death on Luciano's orders on April 15, 1931, ending theCastellammarese War.[27][28]On September 10 of that year, Luciano hired four gunmen from the Bugs and Meyer Mob (some sources identify Siegel as being one of the gunmen[29][30]) to murderSalvatore Maranzanoin his New York office, establishing Luciano's rise to the top of the Mafia and marking the beginning of modern American organized crime.[31]

Bugsy Siegel
Siegel's April 1928 mugshot

Following Maranzano's death, Luciano and Lansky formed theNational Crime Syndicate,an organization of crime families that brought power to the underworld.[6][32]The Commissionwas established for dividing Mafia territories and preventing futuregang wars.[6]With his associates, Siegel formed Murder, Inc. After he and Lansky moved on, control over Murder, Inc. was ceded to Buchalter and Anastasia,[19]although Siegel continued working as a hitman.[33]Siegel's only conviction was inMiami;on February 28, 1932, he was arrested forgamblingandvagrancy,and, from a roll of bills, paid a $100 fine.[4]

During this period, Siegel had a disagreement with the Fabrizzo brothers, associates ofWaxey Gordon.Gordon had hired the Fabrizzo brothers from prison after Lansky and Siegel gave theIRSinformation about Gordon'stax evasion.It led to Gordon's imprisonment in 1933.[20]Siegel hunted down and killed the Fabrizzos after they made an assassination attempt on Lansky and him by penetrating Siegel's heavily fortified Waldorf Astoria suite with a bomb.[34]After the deaths of his two brothers, Tony Fabrizzo had begun to write amemoirand gave it to an attorney. One of the longest chapters was to be a section on the nationwide kill-for-hire squad led by Siegel. However, the mob discovered Fabrizzo's plans before he could carry them out.[35]In 1932, after checking into a hospital to establish analibiand later sneaking out, Siegel joined two accomplices in approaching Fabrizzo's house and, posing as detectives to lure him outside, gunned him down.[36][35]In 1935, Siegel assisted in Luciano's alliance withDutch Schultzand killed rivalloan sharkbrothersLouis "Pretty" AmbergandJoseph C. Amberg.[37][38]

California

[edit]

Siegel had learned from his associates that he was in danger: his hospital alibi had become questionable and his enemies wanted him dead.[39]In the late 1930s, the East Coast mob sent Siegel toCalifornia.[40]Since 1933, he had traveled to theWest Coastseveral times,[41]and in California his mission was to develop syndicate-sanctioned gamblingracketswithLos Angeles familyBossJack Dragna.[42]Once inLos Angeles,Siegel recruited gang BossMickey Cohenas his chief lieutenant.[43]Knowing Siegel's reputation for violence, and that he was backed by Lansky and Luciano – who, from prison, sent word to Dragna that it was "in [his] best interest to cooperate"[33]– Dragna accepted a subordinate role.[44]On tax returns, Siegel claimed to earn his living through legal gambling atSanta Anita Park.[45]He soon took over Los Angeles'snumbers racket[46]and used money from the syndicate to help establish a drug trade route from Mexico and organized circuits with theChicago Outfit'swire services.[47][48]

By 1942, $500,000 a day was coming from the syndicate'sbookmakingwire operations.[46]In 1946, because of problems with Siegel, the Outfit took over the Continental Press and gave the percentage of the racing wire to Dragna, infuriating Siegel.[48][49]Despite his complications with the wire services, Siegel controlled several offshore casinos[50]and a majorprostitutionring.[18]He also maintained relationships with politicians, businessmen, attorneys, accountants, and lobbyists who fronted for him.[51]

Hollywood

[edit]

InHollywood,Siegel was welcomed in the highest circles and befriended movie stars.[5]He was known to associate withGeorge Raft,Clark Gable,Gary CooperandCary Grant,[52]as well as studio executivesLouis B. MayerandJack L. Warner.[53]ActressJean Harlowwas a friend of Siegel andgodmotherto his daughter Millicent. Siegel bought real estate and threw lavish parties at hisBeverly Hillshome.[47]He gained admiration from young celebrities, includingTony Curtis,[54]Phil Silvers,andFrank Sinatra.

Siegel had several relationships with prominent women, including socialite Countess Dorothydi Frasso.The alliance with the countess took Siegel to Italy in 1938,[55]where he metBenito Mussolini,to whom Siegel tried to sell weapons. Siegel also metNazileadersHermann GöringandJoseph Goebbels,to whom he took an instant dislike and later offered to kill.[56][57][58]He only relented because of the countess's anxious pleas.[52]

In Hollywood, Siegel worked with the syndicate to form illegal rackets.[44]He devised a plan ofextortingmovie studios; he would take over localtrade unions(such as the Screen Extras Guild and the Los Angeles Teamsters) and stagestrikesto force studios to pay him off so that unions would start working again.[48]Siegel borrowed money from celebrities and did not pay them back, knowing that they would never ask him for the money.[59][60]During his first year in Hollywood, he received more than $400,000 in loans from movie stars.

Selling Atomite to Mussolini

[edit]

Atomite, according to Siegel's accounts, was a new type of explosive substance that detonated without sound or flash,[61]and Siegel attracted the interest ofBenito Mussoliniand theAxis powersto purchase it. Mussolini advanced $40,000 to have atomite scaled up, but Siegel failed to detonate the explosive in 1939 during a demonstration to Mussolini and Nazi leaders, includingJoseph GoebbelsandHermann Göring,and Mussolini demanded the return of his money.[62]

Greenberg murder and trial

[edit]

On November 22, 1939, Siegel,Whitey Krakow,Frankie Carbo,andAlbert TannenbaumkilledHarry "Big Greenie" Greenbergoutside his Hollywood Hills apartment. Greenberg had threatened to become a police informant,[63]and Buchalter ordered his killing.[64]Tannenbaum confessed to the murder[65]and agreed to testify against Siegel.[66]Siegel was implicated in the murder and put on trial in September 1941.[67]The trial soon gained notoriety because of the preferential treatment that Siegel received in jail: he refused to eat prison food, was allowed female visitors, and was granted leave for dental visits.[46][68]However, Siegel himself protested loudly about "the stories of his privileged incarceration"[69]and behaviour during the trial, claiming that they were either untrue or grossly exaggerated. Some reporters wrote that he had avaletin prison, that he had broken down in tears on the stand, and that his eyes were brown. Siegel told them: "You can see for yourself that they're not brown" (they were in fact blue).[69]

During the trial, the newspapers also revealed information about Siegel's past, and referred to him as "Bugsy". Siegel hated the nickname because it was based on the slang term "bugs", meaning "crazy", and used to describe his erratic behavior. He preferred to be called "Ben" or "Mr. Siegel".[70]Siegel allegedly threatened Hollywood reporterFlorabel Muir,"who knew [him] well"[71]and was covering the trial, saying "You think because I'm locked up here a punk like you can write anything you please... Maybe you won't be using that typewriter anymore. Maybe your fingers won't be on your hands. I have people outside who'll break your legs or drop you in a hole if I say the word."... I'm not as bugs as you think. I'm going to beat this rap and then I won't ever have to speak to you newspaper punks. "[69]

Siegel hired attorneyJerry Gieslerfor his defense. Two state witnesses died[46][72]and no additional witnesses came forward. Tannenbaum's testimony was dismissed.[73]In 1942, Siegel was acquitted due to a lack of evidence,[73]but his reputation was damaged. On May 25, 1944, Siegel was arrested for bookmaking. Raft andMack Graytestified on his behalf, and he was acquitted again in late 1944.[74]

Las Vegas

[edit]

Problems with the Outfit's wire service had cleared up in Nevada andArizona,but in California, Siegel refused to report business.[75]He later announced to his colleagues that he was running the California syndicate by himself and that he would return the loans in his "own good time." The mob Boss es were patient with him because he had proven to be a valuable man.[76]

Flamingo Hotel

[edit]

In 1946, Siegel found an opportunity to reinvent his personal image and diversify into legitimate business withWilliam R. Wilkerson'sFlamingo Hotel.[77]In the 1930s, Siegel had traveled to southernNevadawith Sedway to explore expanding operations there. He had found opportunities in providing illicit services to crews constructing theBoulder Dam.Lansky had handed over operations in Nevada to Siegel, who turned it over to Sedway and left for Hollywood.[78][79]

In the mid-1940s, Siegel was operating inLas Vegaswhile his lieutenants worked on a business policy to secure all gambling in Los Angeles.[75]In May 1946, he decided that the agreement with Wilkerson had to be altered to give him control of the Flamingo.[80]Within the Flamingo, Siegel would supply the gambling, the best liquor and food, and the biggest entertainers at reasonable prices. He believed that these attractions would lure thousands of vacationers willing to gamble $50 or $100, as well as "high rollers".[50]Wilkerson was eventually coerced into selling all stakes in the Flamingo under the threat of death, and he went into hiding inParisfor a time.[81]From this point the Flamingo became syndicate-run.[82]By October 1946, the Flamingo's costs were above $4 million.[83]By 1947, the costs were over $6 M (equivalent to $72 M in 2023).[84]By late November of that year, the work was nearly finished.[85]

According to later reports by local observers, Siegel's "maniacal chest-puffing" set the pattern for several generations of notable casino moguls.[18]He boasted one day that he had personally killed some men; he saw the panicked look on the face of head contractorDel Webband reassured him, "Del, don't worry, we only kill each other."[86]Other associates portrayed Siegel in a different aspect; he was an intense character who was not without a charitable side, including his donations for theDamon Runyon Cancer Fund.[18]Siegel's Las Vegas attorney Lou Weiner Jr. described him as "very well liked" and said that he was "good to people."[18]

Opening

[edit]

The Flamingo opened on December 26, 1946, despite being unfinished.[87]Local people attended the opening, and some celebrities present included George Raft,June Haver,Vivian Blaine,Sonny Tufts,Brian Donlevy,andCharles Coburn.They were welcomed by construction noise and a lobby draped with drop cloths. When word made its way to Siegel during the evening that the casino was losing money, he became irate and verbally abusive and threw out at least one family.[88]

After two weeks, the Flamingo's gaming tables were $275,000 in the red and the casino briefly shut down.[89]Siegel continued construction and hiredHank Greenspunas a publicist. The Flamingo reopened on March 1, 1947,[90]and began turning a profit.[91][92]However, by this point mob Boss es had lost their patience for Siegel.[18]

Death

[edit]
Siegel's memorial plaque in the Bialystoker Synagogue.

On the night of June 20, 1947, Siegel was sat on a sofa reading a copy of theLos Angeles Times,together with his associate Allen Smiley, in the living room of 810 North Linden Drive, the Beverly Hills mansion that he had leased for his girlfriend Virginia Hill. Also present in the residence were Virginia's brother, Chick Hill, Hill's girlfriend, Jerry Mason, and Eung S. Lee, the residence's cook. A little before 11:00 p.m., an unknown assailant fired into the living room through a window with a.30 calibermilitaryM1 carbineat a range of "just fourteen feet"[71]from "an archway in the driveway of the house at 808 Linden",[71]resting his weapon "on a trellis just outside the window."[71]The assailant could not be seen from the street due to "an abundance of shrubbery".[71]A total of nine rounds were fired, "four of which found their mark. One hit the bridge of [Siegel]'s nose and ripped out his left eye, a second entered his right cheek and exited at the back of his neck, and two hit him in the chest."[71]According to Florabel Muir, who was "one of the first reporters on the scene",[93]and who had spoken to Siegel earlier that day (he had called "to thank her for a favourable review of a Flamingo show" ),[71]the remaining shots "destroyed a white marble statue ofBacchuson agrand piano,and then lodged in the far wall. "[94]Muir also claimed that she noticed Siegel's left eyeball lying on the ground, and "picked up the sliver of flesh from which his long eyelashes extended."[93]Smiley's arm had been grazed by a bullet, but he was otherwise unharmed. "Clark Fogg, who for many years was the senior forensic specialist in the Beverly Hills Police Department Lab, concluded that it was more likely that there were two shooters",[71]claiming that "" it would have been nearly impossible for just one gunman "to make such precise shots to Siegel's face because" the mobster's head would have turned upon impact from the first bullet. ""[71]No one was ever charged with killing Siegel, and the crime remains officially unsolved.[4]

One theory is that Siegel's death was due to his excessive spending and possible theft of money from the mob.[95][96]In 1946, ameeting was heldwith the "board of directors" of the syndicate inHavana,Cuba so that Luciano, exiled inSicily,could attend. A contract on Siegel's life was the conclusion.[97]According to Stacher, Lansky reluctantly agreed to the decision.[98]Another theory is that Siegel was shot to death preemptively by Mathew "Moose" Pandza, the lover of Sedway's wife Bee, who went to Pandza after learning that Siegel was threatening to kill her husband. Siegel apparently had grown increasingly resentful of the control Sedway, at mob behest, was exerting over his finances and planned to do away with him.[99]FormerPhiladelphia familyBossRalph Nataleclaimed that Carbo was responsible for killing Siegel, at the behest of Lansky.[100]

Siegel's death certificate states the cause of death ashomicideand the immediate cause as "Cerebral Hemorrage [sic] due to Gunshot Wounds of the Head. "[101]

The day after Siegel's death, theLos Angeles Herald-Expresscarried a photograph on its front page from themorgueof Siegel's bare right foot with atoe tag.[102]Although Siegel's homicide occurred in Beverly Hills, his death thrust Las Vegas into the national spotlight as photographs of his lifeless body were published in newspapers throughout the country.[47]The day after Siegel's murder,David Bermanand his Las Vegas mob associates, Sedway andGus Greenbaum,walked into the Flamingo and took over operation of the hotel and casino.[103]

Memorial

[edit]
Siegel's memorial outside the wedding chapel at the Flamingo

In theBialystoker Synagogueon New York's Lower East Side, Siegel is memorialized by aYahrtzeit(remembrance) plaque that marks his death date so mourners can sayKaddishfor the anniversary. Siegel's plaque is below that of Max Siegel, his father, who died just two months before his son. On the property at theFlamingo Las Vegas,between the pool and a wedding chapel, is a memorial plaque to Siegel.[104]

Media portrayals

[edit]
  • Morris "Moe" Greeneis a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's 1969 novelThe Godfatherand the1972 film of the same name.Both Greene's character and personality are based on Bugsy Siegel.[105]
  • "Bugsy" is the name of a character played byJames Russoin Sergio Leone's 1984 filmOnce Upon a Time in America.The character may be loosely based on Bugsy Siegel.
  • The 1991 motion picture dramaMobsters,depicting the rise ofThe Commission,focused on the empire built by enterprising young criminals Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater), Meyer Lansky (Patrick Dempsey), and Bugsy Siegel (Richard Grieco).[106]
  • Siegel was mentioned inStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 7, episode 15Badda-Bing Badda-Bang(February 22, 1999), at the 33 minute 21 second mark. The character Frankie refers to him as, "The man who built Las Vegas."[107]
  • A character going by the same name, portrayed byEdwin Richfield,appears in the sixth episode of the second series of the 1960s cult Britishspy-fiTV seriesThe Avengers.
  • Bugsy(1991) is a highly fictionalized movie biography of Siegel, featuringWarren Beattyin the title role.[108]
  • The Marrying Man(1991) hasArmand Assanteplaying the role of Siegel.[109]
  • Tim Powersimagined Siegel as a modern-dayFisher Kingin his novelLast Call(1992).[110]
  • A biography of Siegel (a 1995 program from the television seriesBiography) was released on DVD in 2005. 50 minutes, color with b&w sequences.ISBN9780767081917
  • He is portrayed byMichael Zegenin the HBO seriesBoardwalk Empire.[111]
  • He is a central character inFrank Darabont's television seriesMob City,portrayed byEdward Burns.[112]
  • He is portrayed by Jonathan Stewart in theAMCseriesThe Making of the Mob: New York,a docudrama focusing on the history of the mob with the first season aboutCharlie "Lucky" Luciano's life story.[113]
  • InFallout: New Vegas,there is a character named Benny, who is visually based on Siegel. He is also a contributor to the development of the New Vegas Strip, based on the Las Vegas Strip and similar to Siegel's role in the birth of Las Vegas gambling. Benny shares Siegel's charismatic demeanor and criminal background.
  • Joe Mantegnaportrayed Siegel in the 2015 filmKill Me, Deadly.[114]
  • Siegel was mentioned in the song2 of Amerikaz Most WantedbyTupac ShakurandSnoop Doggin the albumAll Eyez On Me.In the fourth verse, Snoop Dogg raps, "But my dream is own a fly casino, like Bugsy Siegel, and do it all legal."
  • Jonathan Sadowskiportrayed a heavily fictionalized Siegel in theDC's Legends of Tomorrowepisode "Miss Me, Kiss Me, Love Me"; a science fiction series with supernatural overtones, it featured Siegel being resurrected after his assassination, although he is finally terminated inHellby the characterJohn Constantine.
  • David Cade portrays Siegel in the 2021 filmLansky.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcGragg, Larry (2015).Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel: The Gangster, The Flamingo, and the Making of Modern Las Vegas.Santa Barbara, California:Praeger.pp. 1–2.ISBN9781440801853.
  2. ^"On This Day in 1906 –" Bugsy "Siegel is born| How he influenced modern Las Vegas".
  3. ^"Bugsy Siegel Part 25".FBI Records: The Vault.Federal Bureau of Investigation.Archivedfrom the original on October 18, 2012.RetrievedOctober 8,2012.According to an FBI report, his reputation of individuals fearing him was acknowledged because "he thought nothing of grabbing a gun and shooting someone when they crossed him."
  4. ^abcd"Siegel, Gangster, Is Slain On Coast. Co-chief of 'Bug and Meyer Mob' Here. Is Victim of Shots Fired Through Window".The New York Times.June 22, 1947. p. 7.Archivedfrom the original on July 12, 2018.RetrievedOctober 31,2007.Benjamin Siegel, 41 years old, former New York gangster, was slain last midnight by afusilladeof bullets fired through the living room window of aBeverly Hillshouse where he was staying.
  5. ^abConliffe, Ciaran (May 23, 2016)."Bugsy Siegel, Celebrity Mobster".Headstuff.org.Archivedfrom the original on May 21, 2018.RetrievedMay 20,2018.
  6. ^abc"Killer Ring Broken; 21 Murders Solved".New York Daily News.March 19, 1940. Archived fromthe originalon March 21, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 19,2013.
  7. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 268.
  8. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),pp. 284–285.
  9. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 141.
  10. ^"Bugsy Siegel".Biography.A&E Television Networks.Archivedfrom the original on April 22, 2018.RetrievedMay 15,2018.
  11. ^"Mobsters: Bugsy Siegel". 2 minutes in. Broadcast: April 3, 2007,The Biography Channel.
  12. ^ab"Biography of a Gangster".Essortment.Archived fromthe originalon July 5, 2012.RetrievedMay 31,2012.
  13. ^Donnelley, Paul (2012).Assassination!.London: Dataday. pp. 162–165.ISBN9781908963031.
  14. ^Koch, Ed (May 15, 2008)."'Bugsy' Siegel – The mob's man in Vegas ".Las Vegas Sun.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2018.RetrievedMay 20,2018.
  15. ^Jennings (1992),p. 25.
  16. ^Pryor, Alton (2001).Outlaws and Gunslingers.Roseville, California: Stagecoach Publishing. p. 29.ISBN978-0966005363.
  17. ^Eisenberg, Dan & Landau (1979),pp. 55–56.
  18. ^abcdefSmith, John L. (February 7, 1999)."Benjamin Siegel (1905-1947) 'Bugsy'".Las Vegas Review-Journal.Archived fromthe originalon March 8, 2012.RetrievedMarch 14,2012.
  19. ^abSifakis (2005),p. 68.
  20. ^ab"Bugsy Siegel Part 3".FBI Records: The Vault.Federal Bureau of Investigation.Archivedfrom the original on September 16, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 21,2012.
  21. ^Eisenberg, Dan & Landau (1979),p. 57.
  22. ^Tereba (2012),pp. 24–25.
  23. ^Tereba (2012),pp. 172–173.
  24. ^Jack Zelig."But He Was Good to His Mother".The Jampacked Bible.Archived fromthe originalon March 20, 2012.RetrievedJune 28,2012.
  25. ^Harper, Derek (May 13, 2009)."80 years ago, the Mob came to Atlantic City for a little strategic planning".The Press of Atlantic City.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedAugust 6,2012.
  26. ^Tereba (2012),pp. 76–77.
  27. ^Sifakis (2005),p.304.
  28. ^Pollak, Michael (June 29, 2012)."Coney Island's Big Hit".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 20, 2012.RetrievedOctober 31,2012.
  29. ^Raab, Selwyn (2006).Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires.New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p.84.ISBN978-0312361815.
  30. ^Eisenberg, Dan & Landau (1979),pp. 140–141.
  31. ^Newark, Tim (August 31, 2010).Lucky Luciano: The Real and the Fake Gangster.London:Macmillan.pp.62–66.ISBN978-0-312-60182-9.
  32. ^Raab, Selwyn (2006).Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires.New York: St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 32–34.
  33. ^abSifakis (2005),p. 417.
  34. ^Sokol, Tony (October 24, 2014)."Boardwalk Empire Season 5: The Real Bugsy Siegel".Den of Geek.London:Dennis Publishing.Archivedfrom the original on May 21, 2018.RetrievedMay 20,2018.
  35. ^abTurkus & Feder (2003),p. 264.
  36. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),pp. 264–265.
  37. ^"Bugsy Siegels".NYC Tourist Guide.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2010.RetrievedJune 4,2012.
  38. ^Jennings (1992),p. 35.
  39. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),pp. 267–268.
  40. ^Koch, Ed (May 15, 2008)."'Bugsy' Siegel – The mob's man in Vegas ".Las Vegas Sun.Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2012.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  41. ^Siler, Bob (September 2005)."Walking In Their Footsteps – A Look At The Mob In Los Angeles".AmericanMafia.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 20,2013.
  42. ^Sifakis (2005),p. 156.
  43. ^Tereba (2012),pp. 37–38.
  44. ^abGribben, Mark."Bugsy Siegel: Ben Heads West".Crime Library.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2013.RetrievedDecember 1,2012.
  45. ^"Bugsy Siegel Part 2".FBI Records: The Vault.Federal Bureau of Investigation.Archivedfrom the original on October 7, 2012.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  46. ^abcd"Crime: Murder in Beverly Hills".Time.June 30, 1947. Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2013.RetrievedOctober 24,2012.
  47. ^abc"Benjamin Siegel (1906-1947)".American Experience.PBS.July 11, 2005.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2015.RetrievedMarch 31,2015.
  48. ^abcTuohy, John William (October 2001)."Bugsy".AmericanMafia.PLR International.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 21,2012.
  49. ^Capeci, Jerry (2002).The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia.New York: Alpha Books. p.92.ISBN978-0-02-864225-3.RetrievedDecember 7,2012.
  50. ^abKoziol, Ronald (September 27, 1987)."Bugsy Siegel Rolled Out The Greed Carpet For His Fellow Mobsters".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on April 26, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 26,2012.
  51. ^Tereba (2012),p. 63.
  52. ^ab"Gangster/Las Vegas Visionary".The Internet Index of Tough Jews.J-Grit.Archivedfrom the original on June 2, 2012.RetrievedJune 1,2012.
  53. ^Martinez, Bill (May 24, 2000)."Legendary mobster's safe reveals nothing but rust".Las Vegas Sun.Archivedfrom the original on August 7, 2011.RetrievedJune 6,2012.
  54. ^Knapp, George (July 23, 2010)."Who Killed Bugsy Siegel?".KLAS-TV 8 News NOW.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 26,2012.
  55. ^Newark, Tim (2010).Lucky Luciano: The Real and the Fake Gangster.London:Macmillan.p. 229.
  56. ^"Bugsy Siegel Biography".Biography Channel.Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2012.RetrievedNovember 28,2012.
  57. ^Sifakis (2005),pp. 417–418.
  58. ^Nash, Jay Robert (1995).Bloodletters and Badmen: A Narrative Encyclopedia of American Criminals from the Pilgrims to the Present.Lanham, Maryland: M. Evans & Company. p.566.ISBN978-0871317773.
  59. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 270.
  60. ^Jennings (1992),pp. 43–46.
  61. ^Bugsy Siegel: The Dark Side of the American Dream
  62. ^L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City
  63. ^"Held On Lepke Charge".The New York Times.April 17, 1941. p. 20.Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2013.RetrievedDecember 6,2012.
  64. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 275.
  65. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 280.
  66. ^"O'Dwyer Goes West In Murder Inquiry".The New York Times.December 8, 1940. p. 62.Archivedfrom the original on July 23, 2018.RetrievedDecember 6,2012."District AttorneyWilliam O'Dwyerof Brooklyn left Friday afternoon by train for Los Angeles to confer with the prosecutor's office there concerning developments in the case of Benjamin (Bug) Siegel, West Coast racketeer chieftain "
  67. ^"Reindicted In Murder; Siegel and Carbo Are Accused in 1939 Death of Greenberg".The New York Times.September 23, 1941. p. 25.Archivedfrom the original on July 23, 2018.RetrievedDecember 8,2012.
  68. ^O'Neill, Ann W. (June 20, 1997)."50 Years Later, Still a Mystery".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 19, 2014.RetrievedOctober 6,2012.
  69. ^abcGragg, Larry D. (2015).Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel: The Gangster, the Flamingo, and the Making of Modern Las Vegas.Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 58-59.ISBN978-1-4408-0185-3.
  70. ^Sedley, David (November 22, 2017)."Bugsy Siegel's daughter gets Las Vegas Jewish burial".Times of Israel.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2018.RetrievedMay 22,2018.
  71. ^abcdefghiGragg, Larry D. (2023).Bugsy's Shadow: Moe Sedway, "Bugsy" Siegel, and the Birth of Organized Crime in Las Vegas.New Mexico: High Road. p. 86-88.ISBN978-1-4408-0185-3.
  72. ^Safire, William (December 1, 2002)."Defenestration".The New York Times Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on April 27, 2013.RetrievedDecember 12,2012.
  73. ^abGiesler, Jerry; Martin, Pete (December 26, 1959). "I Defend a Mobster."The Saturday Evening Post.p. 55
  74. ^Pegler, Westbrook (October 2, 1947)."As Pegler Sees It".Ludington Daily News.p. 4.RetrievedJanuary 4,2013.
  75. ^abTurkus & Feder (2003),p. 288.
  76. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 289.
  77. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 62.
  78. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 74.
  79. ^Griffin (2006),pp. 6–7.
  80. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 80.
  81. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 98.
  82. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 81.
  83. ^Wilkerson (2000),pp. 83–84.
  84. ^Jennings (1992),p. 6.
  85. ^Jennings (1992),pp. 169–171.
  86. ^Jennings (1992),p. 17.
  87. ^Griffin (2006),pp. 9–10.
  88. ^Griffin (2006),p. 10.
  89. ^Wilkerson (2000),pp. 99–104.
  90. ^Wilkerson (2000),p. 106.
  91. ^Burbank, Jeff (October 18, 2010)."Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo Hotel".The Online Nevada Encyclopedia.Nevada Humanities.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2013.RetrievedDecember 16,2012.
  92. ^Koch, Ed; Manning, Mary (May 15, 2008)."Mob Ties".Las Vegas Sun.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2012.RetrievedNovember 19,2012.
  93. ^abCampbell, Duncan (January 10, 2001)."Journalist's murder recalls mob mysteries".The Guardian.London.RetrievedNovember 4,2024.
  94. ^Lewis, Bradley (2007).Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen.New York: Enigma Books. p. 64.ISBN978-1-929-63165-0.
  95. ^May, Allan."Havana Conference – 1946 (Part Two)".AmericanMafia.PLR International.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2012.RetrievedDecember 8,2012.
  96. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),p. 290.
  97. ^Turkus & Feder (2003),pp. 290–291.
  98. ^Eisenberg, Dan & Landau (1979),pp. 238–241.
  99. ^Wallace, Amy (September 29, 2014)."Who Killed Bugsy Siegel?".Los Angeles Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2014.RetrievedOctober 11,2014.
  100. ^Serranti, Seth (March 15, 2017)."The Story of the First Mob Boss to Turn Rat".Vice.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2017.RetrievedMarch 21,2017.
  101. ^"Death certificate".Bugsysiegel.net.Archived fromthe originalon April 1, 2009.RetrievedJune 20,2013.
  102. ^"Funerals of the Infamous".Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2011.RetrievedOctober 15,2011.
  103. ^Eriksmoen, Curt (January 2, 2011)."Las Vegas mob Boss had ties to N.D."The Bismarck Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2017.RetrievedDecember 21,2012.
  104. ^"Bugsy Siegel Memorial".Archivedfrom the original on May 1, 2012.RetrievedJune 10,2012.
  105. ^"Fact and Fiction in The Godfather".crimelibrary.Archived fromthe originalon April 17, 2008.RetrievedJuly 7,2014.
  106. ^Bugsy Siegelat theTCM Movie Database
  107. ^"The Deep Space Nine Transcripts - Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang".chakoteya.net.RetrievedDecember 27,2023.
  108. ^Ebert, Roger(December 20, 1991)."Bugsy".Chicago Sun-Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2015.RetrievedNovember 5,2015– viaRogerEbert.
  109. ^The Marrying ManatAllMovie
  110. ^"LAST CALL by Tim Powers".Kirkus Reviews.April 20, 1992.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2018.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  111. ^Yeoman, Kevin (March 3, 2011)."'Boardwalk Empire' Casts Bugsy Siegel for Season 2 ".Screen Rant.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2018.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  112. ^Thorp, Charles (December 18, 2013)."Ed Burns Enjoys" Beating The Crap "Out Of People For Work On Mob City".Us Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2018.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  113. ^"Benjamin" Bugsy "Siegel".Making of the Mob official website.AMC.Archivedfrom the original on June 18, 2018.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  114. ^Scheck, Frank (April 5, 2016)."'Kill Me, Deadly': Film Review ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on August 9, 2017.RetrievedAugust 8,2017.

Works cited

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toBugsy Siegel.
Business positions
Preceded by
 Murder, Inc.
Boss
1931 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flamingo Hotel
Owner
1946–1947 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bugsy_Siegel&oldid=1256131182"