Bugsy Siegel is his family today. Bugsy Siegel: biography, parents and family, criminal career, films about the life of a gangster, photo. The birth
He was one of five children of Russian Jews who lived in a poor neighborhood of Brooklyn, populated by many emigrants.
Bugsy Siegel (Bugsy Siegel, real name - Benjamin Siegelbaum) was born in 1906 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York (Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York), USA. He was one of five children of Russian Jews who lived in a poor neighborhood of Brooklyn, populated by many emigrants. His father, Max Siegel (Max Siegel) and mother, Jenny Goldstein (Jennie Goldstein), preferred not to notice that their son from childhood brought the company with a street gang, almost openly traded in theft. A little later, Bugsy started business with Mo Sidway (Mo Sedway); together they set up a real racket for street vendors - who did not pay the designated fee - one dollar - they simply burned the goods. By the way, his nickname "Bugsy" was given to the young head for his unbridled temper and incredibly quick-tempered character (from the English "go bugs" - "fly off the coils"). They say that Ben himself could not stand it when they called him "Bugsy", but they did not call him otherwise behind his back.
With Meyer Lansky, Bugsy began working later - as he grew older, his "cases" became more serious - now the young criminal traded in extortion, gambling and car theft. It was rumored that these two had already acted as accomplices before, becoming hired killers, but direct evidence
there was no such thing. In 1918, the Lansky gang, along with Bugsy, managed to rob a bank.
In 1930, Bugsy and Lansky teamed up with Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Frank Costello, future bosses of the Genovese crime family.
In 1937, Bugsy was sent to California (California); Siegel was officially believed to earn his living through legal gambling. Along with him came his friend Moe Sidway, as well as his family, who knew little about the true state of Bugsy's "work". His wife, Esta Krakower, Siegel's childhood love, gave birth to two daughters by that time - Millicent and Barbara. It is known that the Californian period of Bugsy's life was very, very cheerful - he lived in a big way, rotated in Hollywood circles, had affairs with starlets and actresses. Siegel was handsome man, knew how to impress ladies of all ages and classes, and therefore Californian women simply doted on the charming gangster.
In November 1939, Bugsy, his son-in-law Whitey Krakower and two other members of the group "removed" their comrade Harry Greenberg (Harry "Big Greenie" Greenberg),
seeing him in the fact that he "knocks" the police. On suspicion of murder, Bugsy was arrested. They say, however, that his stay in prison was more than comfortable - he ate well, had an uninterrupted supply of alcohol and even hosted charming visitors. The gangster was never charged - two possible witnesses(including son-in-law Siegel) did not live to see the trial due to a strange coincidence; the case was closed.
In general, like any self-respecting criminal, Siegel wanted to "tie up." So, his dream in the 40s was to turn Las Vegas (Las Vegas) into the capital of gambling, while acting strictly within the law. In the mid-40s, one way or another, Siegel acquired a plot of land in Las Vegas, on which it was planned to build a luxurious casino with the name "Flamingo" (Flamingo). Lansky, Luciano, and other "colleagues" of Siegel, including mafia bosses, invested in this grandiose construction. However, despite the huge investments, the project continued to demand money. The general discontent eventually turned against Bugsy - the gangsters decided that it was he who appropriated their money. It was, though unspoken, but still a verdict. The last chance was left to Bugsy to open the avenue.
project, in case good work he was able to pay off his dangerous depositors. However, the casino began to make a profit far from the very opening. So, an unsuccessful start required further investment from Bugsy; his bosses were simply tired of waiting by that time.
June 20, 1947, in Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills), where he usually met with his constant mistress Virginia Hill (Virginia Hill), Bugsy Siegel was killed; at the time of his death he was 41 years old. Several bullets fired from an M1 carbine by an unknown hitman left Bugsy with no chance. Naturally, this murder remained unsolved. It is known that only relatives buried Ben Siegel - none of his former "colleagues" and friends dared to "shine" at the ceremony.
Biography of Ben "Bugsy" Siegel formed the basis of the film called "Bugsy" (Bugsy) directed by Barry Levinson (Barry Levinson). The role of the gangster was played by Warren Beatty. In general, the personality of the eminent gangster Bugsy became very popular in cinema - several heroes of other gangster projects were written off from his image - "The Godfather" (The Godfather), "The Sopranos" (The Sopranos), "Once Upon a Time in America" (Once Upon a Time in America) and several others
Quotes
When you lose trust in a person, you lose the person himself.
We were the only agency in the world that regulated fair play.
We are more than U.S. Steel. We are higher than the law.
You can do anything. Most importantly, pay your taxes on time.
After Big Al recognized the superiority of Luciano-Lansky, he once said to Lucky Luciano about his associate: “It took me a long time to realize that this Mayer understands Italians better than I do. I already told him, perhaps a Jewess gave birth to him, but it was like a Sicilian who brought him up.
Movie incarnations
"The Godfather 2" 1974 Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. A prototype character named Hyman Roth, played by Lee Strasberg.
"Gangsters" 1991 Directed by Michael Karbelnikoff. Lansky is played by Patrick Dempsey.
Lansky 1999 Directed by John McNaughton. The role of Lansky was played by Richard Dreyfuss.
"Underground Empire" 2010. Series. The role of Lansky is played by Anatol Jozef.
Bugsy Siegel
(1906–1947)
Benjamin Siegelbaum, better known as Bugsy Siegel (1906–1947) – famous in the 1930s–1940s american gangster Jewish origin. He was killed on the orders of criminal bosses. Just like Lansky, not born Italian, Siegel has always moved in circles. Italian mafia, and therefore referred to the section of Italian gangsters.
Finance
Bugsy Siegel is the man who built Las Vegas. At one point he was one of the richest people America, but at the end of his life went bankrupt.
Data
Bugsy Siegel's parents were from Russia.
Bugsy's name was actually Benjamin Siegelbaum. The term 'Bugsy' means 'out of his mind', which he rightly earned for his inadequacy. Siegel hated his nickname, and no one ever dared to say "Bugsy" in his presence.
Legend has it that Bugsy was passing through Las Vegas in the early 1940s, but back then it was a small town near railway. But there is one caveat - gambling is allowed in Nevada. Bugsy has a crazy idea: to turn this desert oasis into a new Monte Carlo. It wasn't supposed to be an ordinary gambling club, but the most fucking hotel in the world with a casino, a nightclub, a spa, a golf club and other pleasures. Real luxury. The casino was named "Flamingo" after the nickname of Bugsy's mistress Virginia Hill, who had unusually slender and long legs.
"Flamingo" was the third hotel in Las Vegas and the only one that has survived to this day. Today it is the oldest hotel-casino in the city.
The mafia does not forgive thieves. Bugsy's best friends Mayer Lansky and Lucky Luciano allowed Siegel to finish his life's work, the legendary Flamingo Casino. As soon as the casino began to generate income, it was decided to kill Siegel.
On the evening of June 20, 1947, Siegel returned from the barbershop to his home in Hollywood. He was sitting peacefully on the couch reading a newspaper when Eddie Cannizaro, a mafia hitman, shot Bugsy with an M-1 carbine through open window. The funeral was attended by only 5 people - blood relatives of Bugsy Siegel. None of the gangsters honored the memory of their colleague, and his mistress immediately fled the country.
The opening of Flamingo gave impetus to the development of the entire city. Seeing that huge luxury casino hotels are profitable, the mafia opened a whole chain, including Sahara, Sands, Riviera, Tropicana, Binion's Horseshoe and others.
Quotes
Don't worry, we only kill each other.
Everyone deserves a second chance from time to time.
A man becomes gradually. It's a long process and no one has been able to do it without help yet.
Las Vegas turns women into men and men into idiots.
“We always analyzed everything before making a decision. Bugsy acted without hesitation. That is why he was so good. He always acted impulsively.” (Lucky Luciano)
Movie incarnations
The Godfather 1970 Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The prototype of the character named Moe Green, played by Alex Rocco.
"History of Virginia Hill". 1974. Directed by Joel Schumacher. Siegel is played by Harvey Keitel.
"Gangster Chronicles" 1981 Mini-series. Siegel is played by Joe Penny.
"Once Upon a Time in America" 1984 Directed by Sergio Leone. A prototype character named Joe Minaldi, played by Burt Young.
"Gangsters" 1991 Directed by Michael Karbelnikoff. Siegel is played by Richard Greco.
"Bugsy" 1991 Directed by Barry Levinson. Siegel is played by Warren Beatty.
"The Sopranos" 1999 Series. A prototype character named Brandon Philon, played by Anthony DeSande.
Lansky 1999 Directed by John McNaughton. Siegel is played by Eric Roberts.
"The habit of marrying" 1999 Directed by Richard Rees. The role of Siegel was played by Armand Assante.
"Underground Empire" 2010 Series. Siegel is played by Michael Zegen.
"City of gangsters" 2013 Series. Siegel is played by Edward Burns.
Frank Costello
Prime Minister of the Underworld
(1891–1973)
Frank Costello is an American mobster of Italian origin. For a long time he headed the "Luciano family", later called the Genovese family. The future king of gambling and a great businessman. He loved good food and was known as a true lover of gourmet cuisine. In the early 1930s, he literally flooded the United States with "one-armed bandits." There were about 5,000 of them across the country, each of which brought in $ 50,000 in profit per week.
Data
Entered the elite of the mafia, becoming famous thanks to gambling business, as well as his ability to organize major frauds and scams.
For 20 years he led the Genovese clan, from year to year increasing the welfare of the family, and at the same time his authority.
Costello retained his influence in the Mafia even after his "retirement" and met regularly with Carlo Gambino and Thomas Lucchese.
Outcome
Like many emigrants of the early twentieth century, he did not wait for mercy from the government and began to decide his own fate, but, unlike many, he managed to rise to the highest level in the mafia hierarchy. He has risen above the government.
Quotes
I ordinary person, an old businessman, tired of the damned life.
Once he was asked: "Mr. Costello, what have you done for this country?" Frank replied: "Paid taxes!". This was doubly remarkable considering that he was soon accused of tax evasion.
Too bad icebergs can't be bribed...
Once upon a time, our support was the church, although it would be more accurate to say that we relied on each other.
I want wealth, power and influence. And what I do is take away wealth, power and influence from those who already have them.
I'm the only one who can do what I do. All the rest died. Do you really want to be me?
On a summer evening in 1947, Benjamin Siegel, a citizen of the United States of America, also known as Handsome Bugsy, was killed with six shots from a machine gun in a private apartment located in the Hollywood quarter of Beverly Hills. And although the police guessed who exactly he could cross the road to, the killer was never found ...
Accidents are very often the reason for the birth of a new fascinating story. It is to the category of such accidents that the discovery of the valley, which became the site of the world's largest "entertainment empire", can be attributed.
On Christmas Eve 1829, a Mexican merchant caravan headed for Los Angeles, Antonio Armillo, accidentally deviated from its usual route. Having set up a marching camp, the caravaneers equipped in search of water small detachment. Among the scouts was the Mexican Rafael Rivera, who, having lost sight of his companions, went far to the side and accidentally stumbled upon a source, and at the same time immortalized his name, becoming the first white man to set foot on the lands of the Indians. The discovery of a powerful artesian spring, which occurred during the era of the "gold rush", allowed adventurers to significantly shorten the path to California.
A quarter of a century later, Mormons came to these places in order to protect the Los Angeles-Salt Lake City mail route. They reacted very thoroughly to the resettlement, apparently wanting to "stake out" these lands forever. Here the Mormons built a fort, then pitched on its territory orchards and vegetable gardens, which soon began to bring very good harvests. In the mountains of Potosi, missionaries organized the extraction of coal necessary for casting bullets. But all these innovations did not help the Mormons to establish themselves on Indian soil. The endless sorties and raids of the natives so tired the settlers that 1858 became last year their stay in the fertile valley. Now only the remains of the “Mormon Fort” preserved in the historical part of the city remind of those times.
And then ... The desperate resistance of the Indians did not dampen the desire of the "whites" to master these lands. Three decades later, a railroad was laid across the valley and a tent city was built for passengers to rest during train stops. It was from this time that Las Vegas, which means “meadows” in Spanish, first appeared on geographical maps New World.
In a very short time, this small settlement turned into a well-organized city with workshops, hotels, shops, cigar shops and, of course, saloons. The general passion for gambling, and even burdened with immeasurable libations, created an atmosphere close to criminal in the saloons: disputes, conflicts were resolved there only with the help of Colts and Winchesters. The worried public forced the legalists to ban gambling in Nevada, as the state where Vegas was located was called. Even the dashing Western custom of tossing a coin into the air when paying for a drink was banned. In October 1910, a local newspaper with undisguised enthusiasm commented on this epoch-making event: “The roulette wheel, the clatter of bones and the rustle of cards are forever stopped!”
But this "forever" was not destined to last even one month. When passions subsided, underground gambling halls began to open in Las Vegas. Illegal business was fought in vain for almost 20 years. At the same time, only small businessmen went bankrupt, but the fortune of those who knew how to find a common "dollar" language with the rulers of order multiplied many times over. Everything is not without sin...
Realizing that it is unlikely to be able to eradicate this evil, legislatures The state of Nevada in 1931 found it much more expedient to legalize this extremely profitable business, however, imposing huge taxes on it. The motivation of the authorities was more than humane. Funds received by the treasury were intended for the opening of public schools. I must say that even today 43% of the state's financial revenues are taxes from gambling establishments, and 34% of them go to support education.
The stagnation and economic difficulties of the Great Depression, which swept the whole country, bypassed Las Vegas. In this "oasis" there were both work and money. Thousands of people were employed by Union Pacific to build the Hoover Dam railroad and dam near the city in Black Canyon on the Colorado River. Yes, and gambling establishments were not empty.
The Second World War somewhat suspended the growth of the city, but its future was already predetermined. And although at that time there were no more than five thousand inhabitants in it, the El Rancho, Last Frontier and Club Bingo casino hotels that appeared on the Las Vegas-Los Angeles highway finally cemented its fame as a haven of excitement. And then another accident occurred in his story, which appeared in the person of Benjamin Siegel, widely known in not too narrow criminal circles under the nickname Bugsy.
This handsome, well-mannered New Yorker from a very young age was involved in theft, extortion, and heroin dealing. Such "outstanding abilities" did not go unnoticed. When he turned 20, he was accepted into the Meyer Lansky criminal gang. Most of all, Benjamin fell in love with smuggling liquor. Further more. After uniting with the young, but also already "well-established" gangster Lucky Luciano, the trio created the largest crime syndicate in America, which, by the way, lasted more than 20 years. And all thanks to the fact that, having once divided the spheres of influence, the partners never violated the declared rules of the game. Siegel, who became the head of a gang of contract killers, had a very large clientele among mafia bosses and enjoyed well-deserved authority in the widest New York circles. And then one day, apparently, he decided to change his role.
His attention was drawn to Las Vegas. Being a gambler who loves to walk along the edge of the abyss, Bugsy bought a huge plot of land in the vicinity of Vegas and set out to build a magnificent casino there with at least 105 rooms (by the way, the previous largest casino hotel, called El Rancho, could boast only 63 numbers). He also came up with a name for him himself and immediately began to translate his dream into reality.
"Flamingo" was supposed to be unsurpassed among the hotels-casinos that already existed at that time in Vegas, besides, there were also great shows. Siegel's fantasy knew no bounds. On the territory of the casino, it was planned to improve sandy wastelands, bring land, plant trees, dig ponds and launch pink flamingos into them. But when the architects called original cost project, estimated at a million dollars, he fell into confusion. Siegel did not have such an amount, but what can you do to make your cherished dream come true! Not only did he persuade his “brothers” in the syndicate to become his partners, he also had to swindle several “serious” people with his inherent artistry. But Siegel was so blinded by the anticipation of fabulous profits that he did not feel the danger ...
At Christmas, the coveted Flamingo, the construction of which cost the owner 6 (!) Million, was solemnly opened with a huge crowd of people. All those present were simply dumbfounded by the magnificence and unprecedented luxury of the dream come true of the handsome Bugsy. But not everyone was happy with this success. Were among the guests and mortally offended.
Subsequently, Flamingo changed owners more than once. It is now owned by the Hilton Hotel Group and is known as the Flamingo Las Vegas. In 1993, the new owners, who started rebuilding and renovating the hotel-casino, destroyed both the office and Siegel's residence, and also changed the layout of the halls.
In the 50s, the construction of casino hotels in Las Vegas took on a rampant character, finally and irrevocably making this city a real "world of excitement". Hacienda, Tropicana, Fremont, Desert Inn and many, many others are absolutely not similar friend casino hotel buildings have changed the Vegas Valley beyond recognition. "Riviera" became the first 9-storey building in the city, on the site of the old "Club Bingo" a luxurious "Sahara" has grown. The success of the Stardust casino was brought by the show program copied from the Parisian Lido. Casino "Dunes" was the first to step over the border of what was permitted by starting a topless show. In 1955, heavyweight black boxing champion Joe Louis, despite the ban on visiting such establishments in Las Vegas by "colored" people, opened the doors of the Moulin Rouge casino to everyone.
In those years in Las Vegas, the key word was "no." No to minimum rates, no to speed limits, no to tedious waiting for marriage registration, no to sales and income taxes, no to uniform gambling rules.
Today, by limiting the demands of fast riders and introducing strict gambling rules and tough taxes, the federal government of Nevada still treats lovers favorably and does not torment them with a long wait for a wedding. The mechanical slot machines that filled the gaming halls several decades ago and were nicknamed "one-armed bandits" have become a rarity and a collector's item. They were replaced by computers.
Modern Las Vegas is already a whole casino empire. It has about 500 gambling establishments. According to statistics, today every second resident of Vegas is a professional croupier. BUT caring parents, who care about a trouble-free future for their beloved child, from the very “diaper age” take him a place in the queue, consisting of those who want to get a prestigious job in one of the local casinos.
Timothy Varnavsky
Probably the most handsome and charming gangster in New York. The happy owner of an ideal Hollywood appearance, the creator of the legendary Las Vegas. Who did not please the enterprising businessman and is it true that love ruined him?
Origin, early years
Amazingly, Bugsy can almost be called our compatriot. His parents were Jewish immigrants from the town of Letichev, which was part of the Russian Empire (now it is the territory of Ukraine). The future gangster was born in 1906. At birth, the boy was named Benjamin Siegelbaum. It is then that he Americanizes his own surname for easier pronunciation (as did his boss Lucky Luciano). Bugsy is generally a nickname he received back in adolescence due to the extremely unstable, explosive and aggressive character. In translation, "bugsy" means something like "crazy", "flying off the coils." It is clear that Benjamin himself did not like such a nickname, and no one dared to call him that in person. The guy preferred to be called Ben, but he went down in history under the nickname.
There were five children in the Sigelbaum family - and, of course, the ends were barely making ends meet. Max and Jenny were not up to raising children - just to feed them and put them on their feet. But even with that there were problems, so Benny with early childhood joined a street gang of older boys, and with them robbed local small shops with pleasure.
As a teenager, the guy, along with his friend Mo Sidway, who was twelve years older, had already moved on to more serious matters - he began to engage in petty racketeering. Accomplices threatened street vendors to pay tribute to them.
Acquaintance with Meer Lansky
In 1917, a truly fateful meeting for Bugsy took place - with the Jew Meer Lansky. He was four years older and already ran a small gang of boys. Ben and Meer's acquaintance is very similar to Lansky's meeting with Luciano (who later became his close friend). Two boyish groups simply quarreled, but at the same time, desperate Benny was not afraid to oppose an older guy. By the way, Meer, like Siegel's parents, was a native of the Russian Empire. Soon the young men decided to work together.
Friends began to engage in extortion, stealing cars. They also loved to gamble - this passion of Bugsy will subsequently determine his whole fate. Even then, at a minor age, there was also a second path of the legendary gangster - namely, killerism.
Just in 1917, Meer's friend Lucky Luciano was released from prison after serving a one and a half year term. He got there for the distribution of drugs and was sure that someone set him up. Lansky and Siegel undertook to find out who it was, and went to the son of an Irish policeman. Nobody heard anything more about the guy, and his body was never found ... In 1918, the teenagers committed the first major robbery - they took out eight thousand dollars from the local bank branch.
Career development. bootlegging
After such a big success, seasoned gangsters paid attention to juvenile delinquents. Once they were attacked by people they did not know, who, after beating them, said that they had been sent by the "Big Boss" Giuseppe Masseria and asked to be told: profits should be shared. But Bugsy was not at all going to give up: at the meeting, he, along with his accomplices, defeated the opponent, who was numerically superior to them. Soon the police arrived and detained the buddies for violating public order, but the guys got off with only a minor fine.
In the new business, Bugsy was responsible for the supply of alcohol and was not at all shy about intercepting supplies from competitors, including Masseria.
In 1928, an assassination attempt was made on Ben and Meyer Lansky, during which Bugsy Siegel again demonstrated his inherent courage and courage. The killers threw them through the open window of the room where the friends were, hand grenade. It seemed the end was inevitable. However, the brave guy managed to rush in a second and throw her back into the street. Explosion
took place outside the walls of the house. Benny, of course, was seriously injured, and spent some time in the hospital and, having gone out, dealt with the executor of the order.
During the gang wars of 1930-1931, Siegel, on the orders of Luciano, participated in the elimination of his old enemy. When the vacated place of the "boss of bosses" was taken by another authority - Salvatore Maranzano - it was soon decided to remove him as well. After that, the highest rank was not awarded to anyone in order to avoid showdowns, massacres and struggle for power.
Moving to California. Personal life
In 1937, Benjamin changed his place of residence - he moved to the west coast, to the state of California. The young man knew how to make friends - and therefore moved his childhood friend Mo Sigway there, with whom they once started a gangster career together. Relocated with Bugsy and his family, whose members did not even know what their husband and father were doing. Yes, Ben had children - two daughters from his marriage to a childhood friend, Este Krakow.
However, of course, such a spectacular man as Siegel must have been wildly popular with women. He did. His appearance allowed him not only to change mistresses like gloves, but even to penetrate the world of Hollywood. It is known that among his lovers were starlet actresses Wendy Barry and Marie MacDonald. The sex symbol of the time, Jean Harlow, had a close friendship with him (she even became the godmother for one of Bugsy's daughters). The handsome gangster also knew Loretta Young.
In Hollywood, the enterprising Ben also lost no time and quickly took control of the extras. Thanks to this, he got the opportunity to influence even the biggest Hollywood bosses.
It was in California that Bugsy met the love of his life, which would become fatal for him. Virginia Hill is a bright brunette, well known in the underworld as a smuggler and "black cash" carrier, as well as the mistress of many influential mafiosos. Her favorite pastime was to blackmail members of the Hollywood elite - she lured them into her mansion, spent the night with them, and then threatened to publish incriminating information.
In the union of Ben and Hill, not everything went smoothly - the lovers constantly quarreled, then parted, then converged again ... But one thing was clear - Siegel clearly loved Virginia more, he was ready for absolutely everything for her - he even became a bigamist: without divorcing Este, signed with his beloved in Mexico. Subsequently, the gangster will name the hotel he opened in Las Vegas after her. But Virginia herself rather allowed herself to be loved. She was accustomed only to use men who went crazy from her beauty.
Las Vegas
In the 1940s, Las Vegas is just a small provincial town lost in the desert. But it was located in the state of Nevada, where gambling was officially allowed. One day, when Bugsy drove past this place, he had an idea: what if we build a whole gambling empire here? Moreover, the mafioso already had some experience in managing a casino, and this topic was extremely close to him, gambling and risky.
In 1945, Siegel bought the luxury casino hotel building from bankrupt entrepreneur Billy Wilkerson. He renamed the establishment "Flamingo" - that was the nickname of his beloved Virginia (she had beautiful long legs). By the way, this hotel in Las Vegas still exists under that name, although, of course, the building was completely rebuilt.
Bugsy decided to take money for business development from his bosses, Luciano and Lansky. Those at first very generously invested in the cause of a friend and ally - the total amount increased from the initial one and a half to as much as six million dollars.
Unfortunately, the eccentric and gambling Siegel was completely unable to conduct business. Many suppliers sold him building materials and other necessary things literally several times. Benny himself, by the way, was also imperfect - sometimes he allowed himself to run his hand into the money lent to him - basically the gangster did this for the sake of his beloved, who dreamed of a sweet and luxurious life. The stolen funds were immediately transferred to Virginia's Swiss bank account.
As you know, the mafia does not forgive such miscalculations ... In December 1946, the authorities devoted a whole meeting to this problem and jointly issued a verdict that Bugsy was clearly embezzling their money. In fact, he was signed to death. Meer Lansky tried to stand up for an old friend and persuaded the mafiosi to postpone punishment until the opening of a gambling hotel. Business will go, and Bugsy will return everything, with interest, he urged. In the end, the bosses gave in to his requests.
Meer advised his friend to open as soon as possible - and the casino opened its doors in the same December. The decoration of the premises has not yet been completed, which did not please the guests of the hotel at all. As a result, customers sat, sat for a while at the tables, and went to spend the night in other establishments. Then Siegel decided to close the casino again in order to finally finish it. The Flamingo finally opened in March 1947.
Tragic death
After the second opening, the institution still began to make a profit, but it was too late. The mafia did not forgive the gangster for embezzling his own money. Now the issue of eliminating Bugsy has become a matter of time, despite Lansky's repeated attempts to intervene.
On June 20, 1947, Benny was sitting in his Las Vegas villa reading a newspaper. Virginia had left for Europe a couple of days before after yet another quarrel. It was rumored that she left for a reason: the girl knew about the upcoming massacre and even told the bandits the exact location
your lover. In exchange for this, they did not touch her - Virginia managed to get out of the water dry.
Bugsy Siegel was killed with several shots to the head. One bullet hit the bridge of his nose and exploded, gouging out both of his eyes. The second hit on the cheek. The legendary gangster - a handsome man and a favorite of women, who always lived to the fullest - died instantly. He was only 41 years old. Only a few relatives attended the funeral.
Virginia Hill didn't come to see Ben off. But fate took revenge on her for her cruelty to the man who loved her so much. In 1966, she was found dead in a forest in a suburb of Salzburg, Austria. According to the official version, she committed suicide by swallowing sleeping pills. However, perhaps she was forced to do this by the henchmen of one of the influential mafiosos, because life taught Virginia nothing, and she, knowing many secrets of the mafia world, decided to continue blackmailing. But the mafia is not Hollywood actors, gangsters of the old school did not forgive such tricks ...
Memory
Bugsy Siegel is undoubtedly one of the brightest figures among American mafiosos. Dazzlingly handsome, very lucky and tragically killed because of the betrayal of his beloved - this image subsequently attracted many filmmakers. For example, the scene of the murder of one of the characters in " Godfather” exactly repeats what happened to Benjamin. In 1991, the film "Bugsy" was filmed, completely dedicated to the famous gangster. And in Tel Aviv, in the historical ancestral home of Sigelbaum, there is a restaurant of the same name.
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel walked through a dusty construction site at the future of the posh Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to meet William Wilkerson. They shook hands. William wondered what could have brought this inhabitant of Hollywood here, to the desert land abandoned by God.
"I'm your new partner," Siegel said.
His ice Blue eyes looked at Wilkerson, who, to his horror, only now realized that he had made a million-dollar deal with gangsters. Moreover, now he is shaking hands with the most famous of them - a notorious killer, whose face does not leave a smile.
Ice and fire
Bugsy Siegel was an attractive blue-eyed brunette - a descendant of Russian Jewish immigrants - with hair the color of motor oil in the crankcase of cars he stole. His smile would be enough to light up an entire area of Las Vegas. By the age of 21, he had his own room at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
It is said that Siegel was a fearless, aggressive and ruthless criminal who did not care about anything. human life. He was not afraid of death and was a cold-blooded thug. All these qualities attracted the attention of Meyer Lansky, who hired Bugsy as a contract killer and driving force newly established Jewish criminal group, later called The Bugs and Meyer Mob.
Bugsy Siegel
During Prohibition, the gang operated truck rentals in New York City while selling stolen trucks to bootleggers along with drivers. Lansky was so adept at doing business that he brought in no less income than legal car rental centers. In addition, they carried out assassination orders from other New York gangs. Things were going uphill.
“In moments of danger, Bugsy never hesitated,” recalled Joseph Stacher, a member of The Bugs and Meyer Mob. - While we were choosing how best to proceed, Bugsy was already shooting. This was a man of action. I have never met a more determined and courageous guy.”
In the late 1920s, longtime foes Joe "The Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano broke out real war(known as the "Castellammarese War" - a bloody conflict for control of the Italian-American mafia - approx. Per.). Siegel and Lansky's partner Charles "Lucky" Luciano was on Joe Masseria's side. He got his nickname a few years earlier, when the people of Salvatore Maranzano hung him by his feet from a tree on one of the deserted roads and burned his face with burning cigars until they were sure that he was dead, after which they left. In the hospital, Luciano received 55 stitches, but he survived. However, in the current confrontation between Masseria and Maranzano, the advantage was clearly on the side of the latter.
Luciano did not miss his chance and offered the Maranzano clan a deal, promising to bring the head of Joe Masseria. On April 15, 1931, everything was done. Siegel took a direct part in the murder. He was only 25.
Five months later, Lucky Luciano, along with Siegel, completed his evil plan, leaving Salvatore Maranzano to bleed to death on the floor of his office in Manhattan.
On the remains of two warring factions, Luciano created the famous "National Crime Syndicate", in which Benjamin Siegel headed the homicide department. commercial director and Meyer Lansky became an accountant.
But Siegel didn't stay in New York. Suspected denunciator Tony Frabrazzo was killed on the doorstep of his parents' house, who saw Siegel pull the trigger. But he had an alibi - at that time he was allegedly in the hospital. Within a few months, the picture of the murder began to clear up, and Benjamin was rushed to southern California.
In California, Siegel joined various unions, starting as a Hollywood extra. He provoked strikes by actors and forced studios and directors to pay him to maintain the workflow. Wasting no time, he became a celebrity favorite, seducing young actresses and cleaning out the pockets of movie stars from whom he borrowed money and then simply refused to return it.
pink dream
William Wilkerson, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter and owner of several clubs in Los Angeles, was born in 1890. The game was his passion - there was not a day that he did not bet on the racetrack, did not play poker or craps - as a result of which he found himself on the verge of bankruptcy several times.
This short man big head owned several of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, but preferred to eat canned sardines and sandwiches. He smoked one after another, drank 15-20 cans of cola a day and hardly slept. For 33 years, from the very first issue of The Hollywood Reporter in 1930, he wrote a daily column for the magazine.
On Sundays and Thursdays, he could be found at the poker table in the homes of film producers Samuel Goldwyn or Irving Thalbergs. They played with $20,000 chips, and more often than not, Wilkerson came home empty-handed. According to the New York Times, in one such game, Goldwyn won the right to cast Betty Davis in his films from Jack Warner. Jack billed her to pay off a $425,000 debt.
Because of his addiction to the game, Wilkerson has repeatedly threatened his Hollywood empire. In the past, according to the same scenario, his father went bankrupt. William often flew to play in Las Vegas, he never parted with a pair of dice and a deck of cards. And he kept on losing.
After another big loss, a friend told him: “If you like to play so much, build yourself a casino. Don't place bets, take them."
Wilkerson agreed and in 1944 bought a 33-acre site for $84,000 on the site of an old ranch a few miles south of downtown Las Vegas. He hated the dirty gambling establishments of Vegas with wooden floors and dreamed of a real air-conditioned resort that would attract the attention of not only the Hollywood public, but also people from all over America. William planned to build a luxurious institution, which at that time simply did not exist in Las Vegas.
From the very beginning, the main element of the complex was to be a casino that cannot be bypassed. No clocks or windows. Bars, nightclubs, shops and spas. As well as a golf course, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a shooting range, a stable and a squash court.
Wilkerson named his brainchild Flamingo because he adored these birds. Another common version that Bugsy named the casino in honor of his beloved Virginia Hill about the nickname "Flamingo" is not true.
Construction began in 1945. Wilkerson had planned to hit $1.2 million, but he didn't factor in the spike in prices after the end of World War II. By December, he had nothing left.
Banks refused to give Wilkerson a loan, despite the fact that a third of the complex was built. Maybe Wilkerson shouldn't have borrowed $200,000 from the budget to pay off his gambling debt. The fact that he could not find investors among his acquaintances in the film industry once again speaks of their attitude towards him and his ambitious project.
William Wilkerson
Rumors about the casino under construction reached Meyer Lansky, and he decided that Flamingo would be a good investment. Lansky contacted Wilkerson through his lawyer, who told William that he represented businessmen from east coast heard of his financial difficulties.
Wilkerson asked for a million dollars to complete construction, as well as a third of the profits and a voting say in the management of the project. East Coast investors were supposed to remain passive companions. By the end of February 1946, Lansky and several other members of the syndicate had transferred the money to Wilkerson.
But when their money is at stake, gangsters get nervous. They needed an observer who would monitor the movement of funds. In March, Siegel introduced himself to Wilkerson as a partner.
Just a few weeks later joint work psychopath Siegel is fed up with his role. He felt like an errand boy and was not going to put up with it. Bugsy began showing up at the construction site more often and making changes to plans that had been approved a year before he knew about the project. He also began to say that he now makes all the decisions.
By April, Siegel and Wilkerson were working independently, sharing suppliers and budgets. In May, Bugsy squandered his entire stake and demanded money from Wilkerson. He refused.
In June, Siegel founded the Nevada Project Corporation of California, named himself its president, and bought enough shares to gain control of Flamingo. Wilkerson accepted a five percent stake in exchange for creative control and left Vegas.
Flamingo has passed into the hands of gangsters.
Siegel promptly fired all of Wilkerson's workers, redrawn the building plan, and began to realize his own dream of Vegas, ironically very similar to Wilkerson's own dream.
Bugsy was not a good manager. Construction costs soared into the stratosphere, and Siegel completely lost control of himself. He began to threaten the workers with physical violence, and then apologized: "Don't worry, we will only kill you."
"He had a terrible temper," Siegel's daughter said in a television interview. - When he was angry, it was impossible to hide from him. But usually he behaved very calmly.
In August, Bugsy traded the land for another five percent, and Wilkerson regained control of the project. He dreamed of getting rid of Siegel and knew that if East Coast investors found out how he was spending their money, they would immediately take action.
Wilkerson began publishing construction estimates in his journal. Upon learning of this, Bugsy went berserk.
At the December shareholder meeting, Siegel demanded that Wilkerson relinquish his stake in full. William began to protest, then Siegel, ignoring the audience, threatened to kill him. Construction costs by that time had reached $6 million. Wilkerson fled to Paris.
The members of the syndicate were worried, most of them were fed up with Bugsy. They read the Hollywood Reporter, saw the numbers, and came to the conclusion that Siegel just stole money from them. Lansky, an old friend of Siegel's, persuaded them to wait until the casino opened and see if it would be profitable enough to cover the debt.
Bugsy felt the pressure, and although there were still a few months left before completion, he planned the grand opening for December, inviting all his friends from Hollywood. The ceremony was supposed to show the syndicate that the investment and risks were worth it.
The plan failed. A storm came up and most of the planes never took off from Los Angeles. Vegas got it too. Record rainfall has turned the roads into mud. In addition, in the first weeks after the opening of the casino, a terrible downswing overtook. Siegel lost that bet.
In January, Bugsy closed Flamingo to complete construction and reopened it in March under the banner of Fabulous Flamingo. In May, the project brought in $250,000. This was not enough.
Meyer Lansky must have regarded stealing money from friends as an unforgivable act. On June 20, Benjamin Siegel, who was reading a newspaper at the home of his sweetheart Virginia Hill, was shot in the face with a gun. The bullet hit him in the nose and gouged out his eye. None of Bugsy's friends came to the funeral.
Wilkerson returned to California on June 23, 1960, and sold his stake to a Miami crime family. Meyer Lansky arranged a $10.5 million deal and received $200,000.
William Wilkerson died in 1962.
Flamingo Casino was completely rebuilt in the 80s, today it is owned by Harrah's Entertainment Corporation.