#160 - Mavericks I: Crime in the USA

From History For The Curious by R Aubrey Hersh;Mena Reisner.

• Published: Sun, 11 May 2025 00:17:11 +0100
• Duration: 53:24
• Audio: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/3733bst3jb6c8fxp/HC053_-_Ep_160_-_Mavericks_Part_1_Assembled_mixdown7gclh.mp3
• Page: https://rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com/e/160-mavericks-i-crime-in-the-usa/
• TorahApp: https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_history-curious?e=rabbiaubreyhersh.podbean.com%2F56443181-c751-3ead-839c-0f4b9dffacba

Between the wars - due mainly to Prohibition - crime flourished in America and Jews were not immune to the effects. 

Gangs of irreligious working class Jews, made their fortunes and met their untimely ends during the 20s & 30s. But the narrative is not without a number of surprising twists, particularly in Chicago - the home of Al Capone. 

And why did one notorious thief do Teshuva?

Chapters

00:00 The Rise of Jewish Gangsters in America

20:51 Prohibition: A Catalyst for Crime

24:00 The Interplay of Politics and Crime in Chicago

26:12 The Role of Jewish Gangsters in Chicago's Community

28:36 Protection and Power: The Duality of Gangster Generosity

29:12 Violence and Rivalry: The Miller Brothers' Story

31:51 The Rise and Fall of Jewish Organized Crime

34:15 Max Friedman: From Thief to Notorious Criminal

39:21 Rudensky's Escapes and Criminal Career

44:15 Transformation: From Criminal to Consultant

52:40 Legacy of Change: The Life of Red Rudensky