By COLlive reporter
Chabad of Mineola in New York recently hosted Myron Sugerman, a former Jewish gangster who authored the book “The Chronicles of the Last Jewish Gangster from Meyer to Myron.”
Sugerman presented a detailed, accurate description of the contributions that the Mob has made throughout history to the betterment of Jewish life.
The attendees were dazzled with details of the mob’s impact on the American Nazi Party in the 1930s, as it disrupted the party’s attempts to rally anti-Semitic support here in the United States, and the Mob’s role in supplying money and weapons to the underground armies during Israel’s fight for independence.
It was because of the close alliance of the Jewish Mob with the Italian Mob on New York’s waterfront, that ensured that clandestine shipments of arms and ammunition made their way out of port in support of Israel’s fight for independence.
“Myron Sugerman conveys the history, struggles, personalities and impact of the Jewish Mafia in the most real, meaningful and relevant way,” says Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Director of Mineola Chabad.
“The challenge of the Brown Shirts in Newark, the ports and the Italian and Greek communities, not to mention looking after their fellow members of the tribe. The audience was left begging for more. It was one of the most stimulating and entertaining mornings.”
During the Q&A session, he shared his experience singing Zmiros at the Shabbos table with his close friend, the powerful gangster Meyer Lansky.
Although he was always proud of being Jewish, Sugerman spoke about strengthening his connection with his heritage through an encounter with the Rebbe in later years.
In recent years, Sugerman attends daily services at Chabad of West Orange in New Jersey and enjoys his Tanya class with Rabbi Moshe Herson, Dean of Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ.
He can be regularly seen at the gala banquet of the International Kinus Hashluchim conference and he spoke at this summer’s National Jewish Retreat in California.
He encouraged guests to become more knowledgeable of Torah and performance of Mitzvos. He said his life’s accomplishment are his son who is a rabbi in Boca Raton, a daily Talmud class he gives and the Jewish grandchildren he’s blessed with.
were the American nazi party among many other openly anti-semites of the time.
I heard all about him.
But crime is crime and not to be glorified.
At the end of the day it’s a Yid’s mitzvohs and maasim tovim that make him proud, and how he/she would like to be remembered. Layng lebn, zolstdu, Mr. Sugerman.
fascinating and unusual events. כתיבה וחתימה טובה!
Can’t help but like this, very interesting.
In the Jewish Museum of FL in Miami Beach (it’s an old shul converted to a museum), one of the stained glass windows was dedicated by Meir Lansky. It’s pretty neat to see