Turkus paperslloyd sealy library special collectionsjohn jay college of. His father was the owner of a hardware store and was a russian jew. Louis lepke buchalter was born in new york 1 city in 1897. Louis lepke buchalter was the ceo of murder inc a criminal organization working for many mafia families. Born in 1897 to eastern european immigrants on the lower east side of manhattan, buchalter took on the nickname lepke at an early age.
He was a dichotomy a devoted jewish family man who treated murderforhire contracts and coldblooded killings as. Crime buster thomas dewey will set his sights in lepke as an example of mob violence and will eventually prosecute him for murder and obtain a death sentence. Lepke 1975 menahem golan synopsis, characteristics. Louis lepke buchalter was a key figure in two criminal organizations, the national crime syndicate. Louis lepke buchalterthe nickname lepke means little louis in yiddishwas one of the top jewishamerican gangsters of the depression era and the only major mob boss to ever have been executed by authorities for his crimes. The execution of louis lepke buchalter from gangland wire. The notorious gangster louis lepke buchalter was one such figure. His introduction to crime was pushcart shoplifting, and. Lepke is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via.
His execution in 1944 the first of a major underworld figure riveted the attention of a nation and was in doubt up to the last minute. As a youth he was already into shoplifting and burglary. Louis buchalter, known as louis lepke or lepke buchalter, february 6, 1897 march 4, 1944 was an american mobster and head of the mafia hit squad murder, inc. Jan 26, 2016 his father was the owner of a hardware store and was a russian jew. Authorities believed albert anastasia appointed him to run his murder, inc. Louis lepke buchalter 18971944 find a grave memorial. Tony curtis title character chairs a meeting of the syndicate with lucky luciano vic tayback, albert anastasia gianni russo and dutch schultz john durren, in lepke, 1975 view the. He is the only major mob boss ever to have been executed by state or federal authorities for his crimes. Interesting movie about biographical drama about louis lepke buchalter a real life mobster who began as a juvenile delinquent punk and rose through the. It is often regarded by film critics as one of tony curtiss most. Louis lepke little louis in yiddish buchalter was born in new yorks lower east side in 1897. Louis lepke buchalter ceo of murder american mafia history. Louis lepke buchalter organized crime encyclopedia wiki. When his father died in 1909, 12yearold lepke was sent to live with his older.
About mobster louis lepke buchalter american mafia. Oct 16, 2017 louis lepke buchalter flashes a smile as hes dragged, handcuffed, into a police van. It is often regarded by film critics as one of tony curtiss most underrated movies and one of his finest performances. Born on new yorks lower east side, buchalter derived his nickname from lepkeleh yiddish for little louis. The big one, given voice by lepke, is lepkes objecting to putting a gang hit on then special prosecutor thomas e. Tony curtis is louis lepke buchalter, head of the mafia hit squad murder, inc.
Louis lepke buchalter was a 1930s new york city racketeer. Louis lepke buchalter louis lepke buchalter part 1 of 4. Lepke began his criminal career as a petty thief in his teens. Louis lepke buchalter was a key figure in two criminal organizations, the national crime syndicate and murder incorporated. With murder inc protecting him from rivals, helping him to keep police and judges on his payroll, lepke was one of the highest ranking mobsters in his time, and thats why he starts us off on our top 10 deadliest members of murder incorporated. New yorks 4 most famous jewish gangsters my jewish learning. Watch lepke movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. Tony curtis is mesmerizing as louis lepke buchalter in menahem golans epic drama about the feared leader of murder, incorporated.
After getting out of jail, lepke and his pal gurrah shapiro warren berlinger join a gang who. Dewey, only to later find dewey pulling out all the stops to nail lepke and riding a gangbuster reputation to the new york governors mansion and a couple of republican presidential bids. Interesting movie about biographical drama about louis lepke buchalter a real life mobster who began as a juvenile delinquent punk and rose through the ranks of gangsters in the 1930s in new york city to head up murder inc. Louis lepke buchalter february 6, 1897 march 4, 1944 was an american mobster and head of the mafia hit squad murder, inc. Louis lepke buchalter 6 february 1897 4 march 1944 was an american mobster who operated during the 1930s. After getting out of jail, lepke and his pal gurrah shapiro warren berlinger join a gang who hire themselves.
With tony curtis, anjanette comer, michael callan, warren berlinger. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing lepke near you. Bank robbers john dillinger, baby face nelson, bonnie and clyde werent nearly as pervasive, imposing or ambitious as organized crime kingpins lucky luciano, al capone, dutch schultz, bugsy siegel, meyer lansky, frank costello, albert anastasia, and louis lepke buchalter. Tony curtis title character chairs a meeting of the syndicate with lucky luciano vic tayback, albert anastasia gianni russo and dutch schultz john durren, in lepke, 1975. Tony curtis stars as the feared leader of murder incorporated in this underworld drama based on the life of louis lepke buchalter. His doting mother nicknamed him lepkele and he is known in history simply as lepke. Despite coming from a family of upwardly mobile, law abiding citizenshis father owned a hardware store, one of his brothers became a dentist, another a rabbi, another a pharmacist, etc.
The set was designed to be an exact replica to the death chamber in sing sing. Tony curtis and louis guss in lepke 1975 lepke 1975 tony curtis in lepke. Apr 21, 2009 louis lepke buchalter 12 february 1897 4 march 1944 was a jewish american mobster of the 1930s. In his 2008 autobiography american prince curtis admitted becoming heavily addicted to cocaine during filming.
Gangster louis lepke buchalter tony curtis moves to brooklyn and forms the 1930s syndicate murder inc. He was born february 12, 1897, on manhattans lower east side. Louis buchalter, american crime syndicate boss and founder of the murderforhire organization popularly known as murder, inc. Louis lepke buchalter, the nickname lepke means little louis in yiddish, one of the top jewishamerican gangsters of the depression era and the only major mob boss to ever have been executed by.
Many people are aware that the gambino familys base of operations was and probably still is new york citys garment center. Louis lepke buchalter flashes a smile as hes dragged, handcuffed, into a police van. Lepke is a 1975 film starring tony curtis as the jewishamerican mobster louis lepke buchalter. Edgar hoover called him the most dangerous criminal in the united states. Louis lepke buchalter 18971944 was nicknamed lepkele little louis by his mother. Louis lepke buchalter the nickname lepke means little louis in yiddishwas one of the top jewishamerican gangsters of the depression era and the only major mob boss to ever have been executed by authorities for his crimes. Tony curtis as louis lepke buchalter in the film lepke, 1975. Lepke was the leader of the countrys largest crime syndicate throughout the 1930s and was. The set was designed to be an exact replica to the death chamber in sing sing prison. Tony curtis stars as 1930s gangster louis lepke buchalter, head of murder inc. Louis lepke buchalter 12 february 1897 4 march 1944 was a jewish american mobster of the 1930s. Beatrice wasserman until his death, one child murder, inc. Lepke is a 1975 film starring tony curtis as the jewishamerican gangster louis lepke buchalter.
Cast tony curtis as louis lepke buchalter, anjanette comer as bernice meyer. Cbs edited 20 minutes from this film for its 1983 network television premiere. It is often regarded by film critics as one of tony curtiss. Dewey built a political career around hounding the jewish gangster lepke. He is the only major mob boss to receive the death penalty in the united states. Few know that the gambinos inherited the garment rackets from a jewish gangsterlouis lepke buchalter, considered by some historians to be the wealthiest and mo. Born on the lower east side of new york, where his family lived in a crowded flat over a small hardware store owned by his father, louis was the only one of 11 children to. Eventually, lepke will appeal to the governor for a commutation from his. But his friends shorted it to lepke, something that struck for the rest of the life. Buchalter was one of the premier labor racketeers in new york city during that era. Louis buchalter was born in 1897 and grew up on the lower east side of new york, one of children. Jan 28, 2018 louis lepke buchalter february 6, 1897 march 4, 1944 was an american mobster and head of the mafia hit squad murder, inc. From his roughandtumble east side childhood and his rise in the drug trade to his 1944 execution.
He was born february 6, 1897, on manhattans lower east side. Lepke 1975 allmovie movies and films database movie. Early career buchatler was born in 1897 on the lower east side of manhattan to jewish parents. The execution of louis lepke buchalter gangland wire lepke.
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