Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond: The clay pigeon of the underworld
A bootlegger, enforcer, dopeman and erstwhile folk hero, Jack “Legs” Diamond was like a charming archvillain in a lurid detective novel or serialized crime drama, with death-defying, law-evading cliffhangers closing each episode. Unfortunately for Diamond, the years of partying hard, seducing showgirls and dodging bullets finally came to an end on December 18, 1931, in Albany, New York. Today, he is not a particularly well-known gangster. Which is ironic, considering his pivotal role in the larger landscape of a burgeoning new underworld structure and economy during the 1920s. No good reason to become a criminal Diamond was born on July 11, 1898, in ...
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Artifact Spotlight: Frank Gusenberg’s Colt .38 Special Revolver
This Colt Detective .38 Special was the only firearm found at the crime scene of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. This snub-nosed revolver was the go-to sidearm for lawmen and lawbreakers alike.
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John Gotti’s takedown detailed in new Netflix series
A three-part docuseries now available on Netflix examines the dramatic rise and fall of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti…
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Eighty-two years ago this month, Murder Inc.’s Abe Reles took a mysterious fall
Abraham “Kid Twist” Reles’ damning testimony assisted in taking down some of the most vicious Mob enforcers during the sensational…
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Mobsters blamed for Election Day violence in New York City 90 years ago
Before a hotly contested battle for the New York mayor’s office culminated in a big win for a “law and…
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Classic Mob movie ‘Mean Streets’ celebrates 50th anniversary
Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, released in October 1973, is regarded as a classic crime drama, depicting a New York City…
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Defiance of Kefauver Committee put Frank Costello behind bars for 14 months
When New York underworld boss Frank Costello famously walked out while being questioned by the Kefauver Committee in 1951, he…
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Tod Goldberg’s Mob trilogy concludes with ‘Gangsters Don’t Die’
The third novel in a Mob trilogy by author Tod Goldberg was released in September, completing the tale of a…
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