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71-788: Meyer Harris " Mickey " Cohen (September 4, 1914 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster based in Los Angeles and boss of the Cohen crime family during the mid-20th century. Mickey Cohen was born on September 4, 1913, in New York City to Jewish parents. Cohen's parents immigrated to the US from Kiev . He was first raised in New York, moving with his mother and siblings to the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles at an early age. At 8, he earned money as
142-438: A newsboy , selling newspapers on the street. One of his brothers, either Louie or Harry, would drop Mickey off at his regular corner, Soto and Brooklyn Streets (now Cesar E. Chavez Avenue ). In 1922, Mickey was sent to reform school for petty crimes including shoplifting and theft. As a teenager, Cohen began boxing in illegal prize fights in Los Angeles. In 1929, the 15-year-old moved from Los Angeles to Cleveland to train as
213-442: A dark psychological analysis of a fictionalized Al Capone . These films chronicle the quick rise, and equally quick downfall, of three young, violent criminals, and represent the genre in its purest form before moral pressure would force it to change and evolve. Though the gangster in each film would face a violent downfall which was designed to remind the viewers of the consequences of crime, audiences were often able to identify with
284-500: A diverse range of criminal enterprises including drug and arms trafficking . The people of the mountainous country of Albania have always had strong traditions of family and clan loyalty, in some ways similar to that of southern Italy. Ethnic Albanian gangs have grown rapidly since 1992 during the prolonged period of instability in the Balkans after the collapse of Yugoslavia. This coincided with large scale migration throughout Europe and to
355-413: A good memory, a considerable flair for hole-in-the-corner diplomacy to allay the suspicions of trigger-happy killers and a dual personality, close-lipped about essentials, and able to chatter freely, and apparently foolishly about inconsequentials. Even law enforcement eventually concluded that she was a "central clearing house" for intelligence on organized crime and enjoyed an independent power base within
426-481: A legitimate government. The term " organized crime " is associated with gangs and gangsters, but is not synonymous. A small street gang that engages in sporadic low-level crime would not be seen as "organized". An organization that coordinates gangs in different countries involved in the international trade in drugs or prostitutes may not be considered a "gang". There are several organized crime groups in Italy . Notably,
497-484: A lot about Christianity and stuff." Allegedly when Cohen did not change his lifestyle, he was confronted by Christian acquaintances. His response: "Christian football players, Christian cowboys, Christian politicians; why not a Christian gangster?" In 1961, Cohen was again convicted of tax evasion and sent to Alcatraz . He was the only prisoner ever bailed out of Alcatraz; his bond was signed by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren . After his appeals failed, Cohen
568-581: A men's haberdashery , and even drove an ice cream van on San Vicente Boulevard in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, according to author Richard Lamparski. In 1957, TIME magazine wrote a brief article about Cohen's meeting with Christian evangelist Billy Graham . Cohen said: "I am very high on the Christian way of life. Billy came up, and before we had food he said—What do you call it, that thing they say before food? Grace ? Yeah, grace. Then we talked
639-520: A professional boxer with the alias of 'Irish Mickey Cohen'. His first professional boxing match was on April 8, 1930, against Patsy Farr in Cleveland. It was one of the preliminary fights on the card for the Paul Pirrone versus Jimmy Goodrich feature bout. In a match on June 12, 1931, Cohen fought and lost against future world featherweight champion Tommy Paul . Cohen was knocked out cold after 2:20 into
710-519: A result of this investigation, Cohen was convicted of tax evasion in June 1951 and sentenced to prison for four years. Ben Hecht stated in his autobiography, A Child of the Century , that Cohen called him to say he wanted to do his part in helping Hecht raise money to support Menachem Begin 's Irgun in its activities. Cohen called together a parlor meeting of business associates and had Hecht address them on
781-521: A rival gambler. In Cleveland , Cohen worked once more for Lou Rothkopf, an associate of Meyer Lansky and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel . However, there was little work available for Cohen in Cleveland, so Lansky and Rothkopf arranged for Cohen to work with Siegel in Los Angeles. In 1939, Cohen arrived in Los Angeles to work under Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, a sitting boss of the National Crime Syndicate . During their association, Cohen helped set up
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#1733086298742852-837: A shared criminal subculture or code, include the Camorra in Naples and Campania and the Ndrangheta in Calabria . Organized crime has existed in Russia since the days of Imperial Russia in the form of banditry and thievery. Joseph Stalin , who emerged as the absolute dictator of the Soviet Union had previously founded the Outfit, a criminal gang that were involved with armed robberies , racketeering , assassinations , arms procurement and child couriering . In
923-572: A six-month sentence for bookmaking , Cohen beat up Nazi sympathizers Robert Noble and Ellis Jones, who were under indictment for sedition, after the former made anti-Semitic remarks against him. In 1947, the crime families ordered the murder of Siegel due to his mismanagement of the Flamingo Hotel Casino, most likely because Siegel or his girlfriend Virginia Hill was skimming money. According to one account which does not appear in newspapers, Cohen reacted violently to Siegel's murder. Entering
994-412: A term derived from mob and the suffix -ster . Gangs provide a level of organization and resources that support much larger and more complex criminal transactions than an individual criminal could achieve. Gangsters have been active for many years in countries around the world. Gangsters are the subject of many novels, films, television series, and video games. In modern usage, the term " gang "
1065-561: Is generally used for a criminal organization and the term "gangster" invariably describes a criminal. Much has been written on the subject of gangs, although there is no clear consensus about what constitutes a gang or what situations lead to gang formation and evolution. There is agreement that the members of a gang have a sense of common identity and belonging and this is typically reinforced through shared activities and through visual identifications such as special clothing, tattoos, colors, or rings. Some preconceptions may be false. For example,
1136-537: Is presented as a moral outcome, it is usually seen as no more than an accidental failure. The gangster is typically articulate, although at times lonely and depressed, and his worldly wisdom and defiance of social norms has a strong appeal, particularly to adolescents. The years 1931 and 1932 saw the genre produce three classics: Warner Bros. ' Little Caesar and The Public Enemy , which made screen icons out of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney , and Howard Hughes ' Scarface starring Paul Muni , which offered
1207-512: Is then broken down into smaller loads for smuggling across the U.S.–Mexico border . Arrests of key gang leaders, particularly in the Tijuana and Gulf cartels, have led to increasing drug violence as gangs fight for control of the trafficking routes into the United States. Cocaine traffickers from Colombia, and recently Mexico, have also established a labyrinth of smuggling routes throughout
1278-516: The Afghan and First and Second Chechen Wars , now unemployed but with experience that could prove useful in crime, joined the increasing crime wave. At first, the Vory v Zakone played a key role in arbitrating the gang wars that erupted in the 1990s. By the mid-1990s it was believed that "Don" Semion Mogilevich had become the "boss of all bosses" of most Russian Mafia syndicates in the world, described by
1349-629: The Caribbean , the Bahama Island chain, and South Florida. They often hire traffickers from Mexico or the Dominican Republic to transport the drug. The traffickers use a variety of smuggling techniques to transfer their drug to U.S. markets. These include airdrops of 500–700 kg in the Bahama Islands or off the coast of Puerto Rico , mid-ocean boat-to-boat transfers of 500–2,000 kg, and
1420-494: The Chicago Outfit , where he briefly met Al Capone . During this period, Cohen was arrested for his role in the deaths of several gangsters in a card game. After a brief time in prison, Cohen was released and began running card games and other illegal gambling operations. He later became an associate of Capone's younger brother, Mattie Capone. While working for Jake Guzik , Cohen was forced to flee Chicago after an argument with
1491-547: The Five Families founded in the early 20th century, outlasted its founders and have survived into the 21st century. Large and well structured gangs such as the Mafia , drug cartels , Triads , Crips , Bloods , or even outlaw motorcycle gangs can undertake complex transactions that would be far beyond the capability of one individual, and can provide services such as dispute arbitration and contract enforcement that parallel those of
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#17330862987421562-682: The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas and ran its sports book operation. He also was instrumental in setting up the race wire, which was essential to Vegas betting. During this time, Cohen met prostitute Lavonne Weaver (working alias Simoni King), and the couple married in 1940. Serving as the Best Man at his wedding was one of his associates William "Stumpy" Zevon, who was later the father of the American rock singer-songwriter Warren Zevon . In 1942, while serving
1633-548: The Hotel Roosevelt , where he believed the killers were staying, Cohen fired rounds from his two .45 caliber semi-automatic handguns into the lobby ceiling and demanded that the assassins meet him outside in 10 minutes. However, no one appeared, and Cohen was forced to flee when the police arrived. Cohen's violent methods came to the attention of state and federal authorities investigating Jack Dragna 's operations. During this time, Cohen faced many attempts on his life, including
1704-593: The Kefauver hearings , where she denied having any knowledge of organized crime despite being described by Time magazine in March of that year as the "queen of the gangsters' molls". After Hill was indicted for income tax evasion in 1954, she moved to Europe, where she lived for the rest of her life with her son. Hill committed suicide by an overdose of sleeping pills in Koppl , near Salzburg , Austria , on March 24, 1966, at
1775-512: The Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s. The classic gangster movie ranks with the Western as one of the most successful creations of the American movie industry. The "classic" form of gangster movie, rarely produced in recent years, tells of a gangster working his way up through his enterprise and daring, until his organization collapses while he is at the peak of his powers. Although the ending
1846-585: The Qing dynasty , which were given the triangle as their emblem. The first record of a triad society, Heaven and Earth Gathering , dates to the Lin Shuangwen uprising on Taiwan from 1786 to 1787. The triads evolved into criminal societies. When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and tough governmental crackdown on criminal organizations forced
1917-725: The Rizzuto crime family . The terms "gangster" and "mobster" are mostly used in the United States to refer to members of criminal organizations associated with Prohibition . In 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption. Many gangs sold alcohol illegally for profit, and used acute violence to stake turf and protect their interest. Often, police officers and politicians were paid off or extorted to ensure continued operation. Al Capone
1988-522: The Sicilian Mafia , or Cosa Nostra is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy . It is a loose association of criminal groups that share common organizational structure and code of conduct . The origins lie in the upheaval of Sicily's transition out of feudalism in 1812 and its later annexation by mainland Italy in 1860. Under feudalism, the nobility owned most of
2059-842: The Whyos and the Dead Rabbits . These were followed by the Italian Five Points Gang and later a Jewish gang known as the Eastman Gang . There were also " Nativist " anti-immigration gangs such as the Bowery Boys . The Italian-American Mafia arose from offshoots of the Mafia that emerged in the United States during the late 19th century, following waves of emigration from Sicily. There were similar offshoots in Canada among Italian Canadians , such as
2130-487: The 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and run by Ochoa Vázquez brothers with Pablo Escobar . By 1993, the Colombian government, helped by the US, had successfully dismantled the cartel by imprisoning or hunting and gunning down its members. Although Mexican drug cartels, or drug trafficking organizations, have existed for several decades, they have become more powerful since the demise of Colombia's Cali and Medellín cartels in
2201-512: The 1980s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a surge of imports of action movies from Hong Kong. The first of the new wave of important home grown gangster movies was Im Kwon-taek 's General's Son (1990). Although this movie followed the earlier tradition, it was followed by a series of sophisticated gangster noirs set in contemporary urban locations, such as A Bittersweet Life (2005). Virginia Hill Virginia Hill (born Onie Virginia Hill ; August 26, 1916 – March 24, 1966)
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2272-404: The 1990s. Mexican drug cartels now dominate the wholesale illicit drug market in the United States. Sixty five percent of cocaine enters the United States through Mexico, and the vast majority of the rest enters through Florida. Cocaine shipments from South America transported through Mexico or Central America are generally moved over land or by air to staging sites in northern Mexico. The cocaine
2343-563: The British government as "one of the most dangerous men in the world". More recently, criminals with stronger ties to big business and the government have displaced the Vory from some of their traditional niches, although the Vory are still strong in gambling and the retail trade. The Albanian Mafia is active in Albania , the United States, and the European Union (EU) countries, participating in
2414-466: The Mafia. Eventually Hill became associated with Charles Fischetti , a cousin and bodyguard of Al Capone . It was Fischetti who sent her to New York to keep tabs on Luciano family capo Joe Adonis , which she did by becoming his lover. She told people that she was a Southern-belle society girl who had gone through four rich husbands, all divorced or dead, and that she had received $ 1 million each from their estates, but authentic socialites saw through
2485-559: The United States and Canada. Although based in Albania, the gangs often handle international transactions such as trafficking in economic migrants, drugs and other contraband, and weapons. Other criminal organizations that emerged in the Balkans around this time are popularly called the Serbian Mafia , Bosnian Mafia , Bulgarian Mafia , and so on. In China, Triads trace their roots to resistance or rebel groups opposed to Manchu rule during
2556-591: The United States and made television appearances, once with Ramsey Clark . Cohen died at age 62, of complications from stomach cancer surgery in July 1976. He is interred in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California . Gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang . Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime . Gangsters are also called mobsters ,
2627-495: The United States being the world's largest consumer of cocaine. Colombia is the world's leading producer of cocaine , and also produces heroin that is mostly destined for the US market. The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of drug suppliers and smugglers originating in the city of Medellín , Colombia. The gang operated in Colombia, Bolivia , Peru , Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout
2698-457: The United States often joined these tongs. With a new wave of migration in the 1960s, street gangs began to flourish in major cities. The Tongs recruited these gangs to protect their extortion, gambling and narcotics operations. As American society and culture developed, new immigrants were relocating to the United States. The first major gangs in 19th century New York City were the Irish gangs such as
2769-483: The acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai was a gangster movie, As Tears Go By . In it the protagonist finds himself torn between his desire for a woman and his loyalty to a fellow gangster. Infernal Affairs (2002) is a thriller about a police officer who infiltrates a triad and a triad member who infiltrates the police department. The film was remade by Martin Scorsese as The Departed . Gangster films make up one of
2840-583: The age of 49. She is buried in Aigen Cemetery in Salzburg. According to Andy Edmonds' biography Bugsy's Baby: The Secret Life of Mob Queen Virginia Hill , her death was suspicious despite it being an apparent suicide. The Austrian media, which were well informed about her former relationship with Siegel, speculated that she tried to get money by using her knowledge of the Italian-American Mafia . She
2911-541: The attention of a wealthy bookmaker and gambler, Joseph Epstein, who is said to have become her financial advisor and, possibly, lover (although Epstein was reputed to be gay). Ultimately, she entered into the Chicago Outfit crime organization. In addition to allegedly acting as a mistress to members of the Chicago Mob, she served as a courier to pass messages between mobsters. One contemporary commentator described her as: ... more than just another set of curves. She had ...
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2982-496: The bombing of his home on posh Moreno Avenue in Brentwood . Cohen soon converted his house into a fortress, installing floodlights, alarm systems, and a well-equipped arsenal kept, as he often joked, next to his 200 tailor-made suits. Cohen briefly hired Johnny Stompanato as bodyguard. However, in 1958 Stompanato was killed in self-defense by Cheryl Crane , the daughter of actress Lana Turner (whom he had been dating). Cohen covered
3053-566: The bosses of the most powerful families would have equal say and vote on important matters and solve disputes between families. This group ruled over the National Crime Syndicate and brought in an era of peace and prosperity for the American Mafia. Most cocaine is grown and processed in South America, particularly in Colombia , Bolivia , Peru , and smuggled into the United States and Europe,
3124-457: The charismatic anti-hero. Those suffering from the Depression were able to relate to the gangster character who worked hard to earn his place and success in the world, only to have it all taken away from him. Latin American gangster movies are known for their gritty realism. Soy un delincuente (English: I Am a Criminal) is a 1976 Venezuelan film by director Clemente de la Cerda. The film tells
3195-468: The commercial shipment of tonnes of cocaine through the port of Miami. Another route of cocaine traffic goes through Chile, this route is primarily used for cocaine produced in Bolivia since the nearest seaports lie in northern Chile. The arid Bolivia-Chile border is easily crossed by 4x4 vehicles that then head to the seaports of Iquique and Antofagasta . Gangs have long been the subject of movies. In fact,
3266-463: The common view that illegal drug distribution in the United States is largely controlled by gangs has been questioned. A gang may be a relatively small group of people who cooperate in criminal acts, as with the Jesse James gang, which ended with the leader's death in 1882. However, a gang may also be a larger group with a formal organization that survives the death of its leader. For example, each of
3337-576: The end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned . The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004. The first yakuza (gangster) film made in Japan was Bakuto (Gambler, 1964). The genre soon became popular, and by the 1970s the Japanese film industry was turning out a hundred mostly low-budget yakuza films each year. The films are descendants of
3408-463: The expense of Stompanato's funeral and then gave Turner's love letters to Stompanato to the press in an attempt to discredit the worst allegations of threats and violence that Crane had alleged she suffered at the hands of the violent, womanizing Stompanato. In 1950, Cohen was investigated along with many other underworld figures by a U.S. Senate committee known as the Kefauver Commission . As
3479-480: The first feature-length movie ever produced was The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), an Australian production that traced the life of the outlaw Ned Kelly (1855–1880). The United States has profoundly influenced the genre, but other cultures have contributed distinctive and often excellent gangster movies. The stereotypical image and myth of the American gangster is closely associated with organized crime during
3550-919: The first round. It was during this contest that he earned the moniker "Gangster Mickey Cohen". On April 11, 1933, Cohen fought against Chalky Wright in Los Angeles. Wright won the match, and Mickey was incorrectly identified as "Mickey Cohen from Denver, Colorado " in the Los Angeles Times sports page report. His last fight was on May 14, 1933, against Baby Arizmendi in Tijuana, Mexico . He finished his career at 8-8 and 5 draws – 8 wins, 2 by knockout, 8 losses, 4 losses by knockout and 5 draws. In Cleveland, Cohen met Lou Rothkopf , an associate of gangster Moe Dalitz . Cohen later moved to New York, where he became an associate of labor racketeer Johnny Dio 's brother, Tommy Dioguardi, and as well as Owney Madden . During Prohibition , Cohen moved to Chicago and became involved in organized crime , working as an enforcer for
3621-570: The importance of the cause. Each person was then asked to call out a sum he would donate. In some cases, Cohen told a donor "that's not enough," and they upped the pledge. Later, when Cohen was arrested, he called Hecht from prison to ask if he had access to some cash to help with his bail. When Hecht apologized, Cohen politely said goodbye, and they never spoke again. When he was released in October 1955, he became an international celebrity. He ran floral shops, paint stores, nightclubs, casinos, gas stations,
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#17330862987423692-446: The land and enforced law and order through their private armies. After 1812, the feudal barons steadily sold off or rented their lands to private citizens. Primogeniture was abolished, land could no longer be seized to settle debts, and one fifth of the land was to become private property of the peasants. Other similarly large and powerful Italian criminal organizations, often composed of smaller gangs or "clans" generally operating under
3763-480: The mainstream movies in the genre deal with Triad societies portrayed as quasi-benign organizations. The movie gangster applies the Taoist principles of balance and honor to his conduct. The plots are often similar to those of Hollywood gangster movies, often ending with the fall of the subject of the movie at the hands of another gangster, but such a fall is far less important than a fall from honor. The first movie made by
3834-538: The mid- Edo period : tekiya , those who primarily peddled illicit, stolen or shoddy goods; and bakuto , those who were involved in or participated in gambling. In the late 1860s, many Chinese emigrated to the United States, escaping from insecurity and economic hardship at home, at first working on the west coast and later moving east. The new immigrants formed Chinese Benevolent Associations. In some cases these evolved into Tongs , or criminal organizations primarily involved in gambling. Members of Triads who migrated to
3905-479: The most profitable segments of the South Korean film industry. Films made in the 1960s were often influenced by Japanese yakuza films, dealing with internal conflict between members of a gang or external conflict with other gangs. The gangsters' code of conduct and loyalty are important elements. Starting in the 1970s, strict censorship caused decline in the number and quality of gangster movies, and none were made in
3976-492: The origin of the nickname said that after a few drinks, her face would flush a flamingo-like pink. However, organized crime king Lucky Luciano wrote in his memoir that Siegel once owned an interest in the Hialeah Park Race Track and viewed the local flamingo population as a good omen. The "Flamingo" name was given to the project at its inception by original resort financier Billy Wilkerson. Four days before Siegel
4047-576: The other by Salvatore Maranzano . This caused the Castellammarese War , which led to Masseria's murder in 1931. Maranzano then divided New York City into five families . Maranzano, the first leader of the American Mafia, established the code of conduct for the organization, set up the "family" divisions and structure, and established procedures for resolving disputes. In an unprecedented move, Maranzano set himself up as boss of all bosses and required all families to pay tribute to him. This new role
4118-442: The period of Soviet Union , Vory v Zakone emerged, a class of criminals that had to abide by certain rules in the prison system. One such rule was that cooperation with the authorities of any kind was forbidden. During World War II some prisoners made a deal with the government to join the armed forces in return for a reduced sentence, but upon their return to prison they were attacked and killed by inmates who remained loyal to
4189-680: The rules of the thieves. In 1988, the Soviet Union legalized private enterprise but did not provide regulations to ensure the security of market economy. Crude markets emerged, the most notorious being the Rizhsky market where prostitution rings were run next to the Rizhsky Railway Station in Moscow. As the Soviet Union headed for collapse many former government workers turned to crime, while others moved overseas. Former KGB agents and veterans of
4260-584: The ruse. She built up an entourage of hangers-on and Latin gigolos hanging out on Broadway and frequently picked up the check. While in New York, she was introduced to another Luciano associate, Bugsy Siegel , and they ended up in a hotel together that night. Later Siegel's and Hill's separate life paths brought them both to Hollywood, and they began a torrid affair. There were rumors that she and Siegel were secretly married in Mexico after Siegel divorced his wife Esta in 1946, but there has not been any evidence to prove
4331-430: The samurai epics, and are closer to Westerns than to Hollywood gangster movies. The hero is typically torn between compassion for the oppressed and his sense of duty to the gang. The plots are generally highly stylized, starting with the protagonist being released from prison and ending in a gory sword fight in which he dies an honorable death. Although some Hong Kong gangster movies are simply vehicles for violent action,
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#17330862987424402-407: The story of Ramón Antonio Brizuela, a real-life individual, who since childhood has to deal with rampant violence and the drugs, sex and petty thievery of a Caracas slum. Starting with delinquency, Ramón moves on to serious gang activity and robberies. He grows into a tough, self-confident young man who is hardened to violence. His views change when his fiancée's brother is killed in a robbery. The film
4473-607: The theory. Flamingo founder Billy Wilkerson named the Flamingo, long before Benjamin Siegel got involved. Urban legend has it wrong that Siegel named the Flamingo Las Vegas resort after Hill, who liked to gamble and whose nickname was supposedly "Flamingo", a moniker that Siegel was said to have given her, referring to her long, thin legs, but others have said that she was in fact short and somewhat matronly in form. Another story about
4544-668: The triads to migrate to Hong Kong, then a British colony, and other cities around the world. Triads today are highly organized, with departments responsible for functions such as accounting, recruiting, communications, training and welfare in addition to the operational arms. They engage in a variety of crimes including extortion, money laundering, smuggling, trafficking and prostitution. Yakuza are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. They are notorious for their strict codes of conduct and very organized nature. As of 2009 they had an estimated 80,900 members. Most modern yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in
4615-422: Was 15, she married 16-year-old George Randell. In 1933, Hill left Georgia for Chicago with Randell, hoping to enter the pornography business. Once in Chicago, she separated from Randell, divorcing him the following year. She found a job as a waitress at the mob-run San Carlo Italian Village exhibit during the 1933 Century of Progress Chicago's World Fair, and supplemented her income as a prostitute. She came to
4686-437: Was a blockbuster hit in Venezuela. City of God ( Portuguese : Cidade de Deus ) is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund , released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. All the characters existed in reality, and the story is based on real events. It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro , between
4757-494: Was an American organized crime figure. An Alabama native, she became a Chicago Outfit courier during the mid-1930s. She was famous for being the girlfriend of mobster Bugsy Siegel . Born Onie Virginia Hill on August 26, 1916, in Lipscomb, Alabama . By the time she was eight, she moved to Marietta, Georgia , with her mother and siblings after her parents separated. She attended Roberts Grammar School, where she completed eighth grade, then dropped out. In November 1931, when she
4828-417: Was assassinated at the home he leased for her in California (June 1947), she took an unscheduled flight to Paris , France giving rise to speculation that she was warned of Siegel's impending murder. In 1950, she married Hans Hauser, an Austrian skier (and head of the Sun Valley, Idaho Ski School); later giving birth to their only child, Peter Hauser (1950–1994). In 1951, she was subpoenaed to testify before
4899-416: Was one of these notorious gangsters during the Depression era for the Chicago Outfit . Capone would rise to control a major portion of illicit activity such as gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging in Chicago during the early 20th century. In New York City, by the end of the 1920s, two factions of organized crime had emerged to fight for control of the criminal underworld, one led by Joe Masseria and
4970-421: Was received negatively, and Maranzano was murdered within six months on the orders of Charles "Lucky" Luciano . Luciano was a former Masseria underling who had switched sides to Maranzano and orchestrated the killing of Masseria. As an alternative to the previous despotic Mafia practice of naming a single Mafia boss as capo di tutti capi , or "boss of all bosses," Luciano created The Commission in 1931, where
5041-611: Was sent to a federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia. His heavily armored Cadillac from this period was confiscated by the Los Angeles Police Department and is now on display at the Southward Car Museum in New Zealand . On August 14, 1963, during his time at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, inmate Burl Estes McDonald attempted to kill Cohen with a lead pipe. In 1972, Cohen was released from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary , where he had spoken out against prison abuse . He had been misdiagnosed with an ulcer , which turned out to be stomach cancer . After undergoing surgery, he continued touring
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