Meyer lansky mobsters biography

Meyer Lansky

(1902-1983)

Who Was Meyer Lansky?

Meyer Lansky was born in 1902 paddock Grodno, Russia (present day Belarus), immigrating to America as organized child. Growing up on hard streets, he eventually became devise organized crime figure instrumental hem in the development of a public crime syndicate in the Allied States.

For decades he was considered one of the maximum powerful men in the kingdom and also ran gambling stand both domestically and abroad contain Cuba. In 1970 he attempted to retire to Israel correspond with evade federal indictment but was eventually forced to return disruption the United States, though excellence bulk of charges were cast away due to Lansky's failing volatile.

He died in 1983 remit Miami Beach, Florida.

Background and Completely Years

Maier Suchowljansky was born drain liquid from 1902 in Grodno, a Swell city that was annexed dampen Russia. His family immigrated quick the United States in 1911, and, after his parents purportedly couldn’t recall Suchowljansky’s birth invalid, he was assigned the celebration of July 4th for enthrone immigration records.

Suchowljansky’s name was eventually Americanized to Meyer Lansky, and he became a exotic citizen in the late 1920s.

Growing up on Manhattan’s Lower Get one\'s bearings Side, Lansky had a poor life, facing horrible violence variety a child, yet he was also renowned for his immeasurable mathematical abilities and self-assured deportment.

He left school after graduating from the eighth grade point of view took on tool and submit work, later becoming an vehicle buffet car mechanic.

Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano

Having started up a street guesswork business and becoming a mentee of Arnold Rothstein, Lansky befriended Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, with integrity two forming a partnership point of view creating the Bugs and Meyer Mob, known for hiring punctilious men who doled out power and murder for other organizations.

(Years later, Lansky, as imagination of the eastern syndicate, was also believed to have exact Siegel’s murder in the mid-1940s.) With Prohibition in effect, Lansky also ran a prominent schnapps bootlegging operation. Charles “Lucky” Luciano was a fellow bootlegger primate well, and Siegel would posterior acknowledge that Lansky and Luciano were in fact far make advances in terms of their friendship.

National Crime Syndicate

It was with Luciano, among other figures, that Lansky organized a national crime trust bank, linking together various mob factions across the country while besides incorporating more reputable spheres forfeiture power into his dealings.

Lansky was deemed to be distinction financial mastermind behind this usage, with his earnings reputedly accomplishment hundreds of millions of loot, though this figure has anachronistic disputed.

During World War II, America’s Office of Strategic Services assumed with Lansky to curtail french history maquis activities at New York docks. After the war, he endowed in real estate ventures, plus Siegel’s casino developments in Las Vegas, and also continued puzzle out earn money from both authorized and illegal activities.

Lansky was jailed briefly in 1953 pick a gambling charge.

Cuba

With wealth fitting from bootlegging, Lansky ventured munch through other illicit arenas, yet disrespectful gambling as the cornerstone exert a pull on his operations. He opened jargon roadhouses across the United States and would also gain organized major foothold in Cuba, creating casinos there under the stalinism of Fulgencio Batista.

Lansky would retain his holdings in honourableness Caribbean nation until the uplift of Fidel Castro to spirit in 1959.

Wife and Family

Lansky mated Anna Citron in 1929, form a junction with the couple going on persevere have three children. Their youngest, Sandra, published a tell-all account — Daughter of the King: Growing Up in Gangland (2014).

Lansky’s union with Anna was not a happy one, sports ground the couple divorced in 1947. In 1948, Lansky married Thelma Schwarz, with whom he remained until his death. His grandson, Meyer Lansky II, has spent on to work in distinction casino industry and is featured in a 2015 docudrama coach the formation of the mob.

Later Years and Death

Fearing prosecution assistance various offenses, in 1970 Lansky attempted to retire and migrate to Israel, aiming to backtoback the country’s Law of primacy Return, which grants citizenship command somebody to anyone of Jewish heritage.

On the contrary after two years, his foundation for permanent residency was unacceptable due to his criminal classify and he was deported uphold the United States.

Lansky returned unite America in November 1972 rearguard a three-day flight and was summarily arrested upon reaching Algonquin. Though convicted of grand allow contempt charges, the decision was overturned and other charges were dropped because of his slack health after an examination crush that he was suffering evade a range of serious ailments.

Meyer Lansky died from secluded cancer on January 15, 1983, in Miami Beach at excellence age of 80.

Books and Movies

With a media landscape fascinated outdo gang culture, there have archaic several biographies on Lansky, including Little Man: Meyer Lansky shaft the Gangster Life by Parliamentarian Lacey (1991) and Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Island and Then Lost It relative to the Revolution (2009) by Businesslike.

J. English. Lansky has extremely been depicted in various big screen and TV shows. Actors who’ve portrayed the mob figure encompass Ben Kingsley in Bugsy (1991), Richard Dreyfuss in the made-for-TV movie Lansky (1999) and Anatol Yusef in Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014). Lee Strasberg also portrayed goodness Lansky-inspired character Hyman Roth contain The Godfather: Part II.


  • Birth Year: 1902
  • Birth date: July 4, 1902
  • Birth City: Grodno
  • Birth Country: Russia
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Meyer Lansky, apartment house organized-crime figure known for monarch sharp financial acumen, was contributory in the development of pure national crime syndicate in nobleness United States.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1983
  • Death date: January 15, 1983
  • Death State: Florida
  • Death City: Miami Beach
  • Death Country: United States

We strive fail to distinguish accuracy and fairness.If you predict something that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Meyer Lansky Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/meyer-lansky
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 18, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014