Michael BensonGangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in WW2 Era America

In the late 1930’s Nazism was on the rise, even in America. There were two very active Nazi groups, the German American Bund and the Silver Legion who spewed out Hitler’s hateful rhetoric. Alarmed by the growing Nazi menace New York Judge and former congressman Nathan Perlman calls the gangster Meyer Lansky to ask for help. As evil as the Mob was, sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. This is where Michael Benson’s story begins.Yes, Perlman was a judge, and it seems that he had every major Jewish gangster in America on speed dial, to use an anachronism. How a sitting judge had such access one can only speculate, but given his closeness to the Mob, it wouldn’t be surprising if he were on their payroll. Benson is silent on this issue.What Perlman asks of his literal murderers’ row of gangsters is to directly take on the Nazis and break up their rallies. These would include the aforementioned Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Leo “Lepke” Buchhalter, Longy Zwillman, Moe Dalitz, and Mickey Cohen. He was indifferent to the fact that most of their rallies were lawful. Nevertheless in New York, Newark, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Los Angeles the mob breaks up Nazi rallies with brass knuckles, baseball bats, pipes, stink bombs, and sawed-off pool cues. Also in the mix was the famed Jewish boxer, Barney Ross. Although quite illegal and certainly offensive to civil liberties sensitivities, it showed the world that Jews were no longer the cowering masses of the shtetl, but they actually could fight. This would be proven out in the resistance to the Nazis in occupied Europe and the in the nascent Jewish army in Palestine.One interesting sidelight that Benson points out is that one of the Chicago mobsters was a man named Sparky Rubinstein. He would later turn up 25 years later as the Jack Ruby who assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald. Part of the antisemitic milieu of the 1930’s the radio priest Charles Coughlan. His publication was called “Social Justice.” This is a real irony for me in that social justice has become the new religion in much of America’s Jewish community.With antisemitism on the rise today on both the Left and the Right, Benson asks who will defend the Jewish community today? My criticism of the book is that sometimes it gets too detailed and the is too pedantic, but it is still a great story.

A very interesting and historically correct read. I don’t know how many people truly realized that without these group of men the United States would not be the country it is today. I don’t think they were given the credit they deserved for saving this country.

I haven't read many books where gangsters were the heroes, but they certainly are here.They deserve credit for stopping a growing threat which lawful authorities were only beginning to notice.The background stories of these guys made the book even more interesting.

I could not put it down. Behind the Hitler's influence on America before our entry in WW2. Very interesting read

Enjoyed the history as well as the background of these historical gangsters. Made a good reading experience for some as myself who lived in one of the neighborhoods referenced in the book.

Michael Benson's book brings light to to a time in U.S. history when Germany was trying to sway American opinion prior to World War II. He writes about the efforts of Judge Nathan Perlman in bringing together Jewish gangsters to harass and physically attack German Bund members who were staging rallies to support Hitler and spread anti-Semitic rhetoric. Benson's book is well researched and an insightful and engaging read.

What a great book. I knew some of this stuff, but this fills in a lot of the gaps! Five star!

The research and writing is impeccable. I haven't read any of Michael Benson's books before now but this is going to have me pick up the rest of his work.

Well researched book, I’ve read a great many historical books which were very informative and well written, however you really need to have a go at this one. It’s like sitting in a bar and having a gab session with a gangster from the late thirties. Michael Benson wrote an exceptional book full of background ,information and colourful gangster phrases and the odd Jewish colloquialisms thrown in for emphasis . Enjoyed every word written can’t recommend it enough. You want to know about the failed Nazi movement in pre WWII America read this book it won’t disappoint you!!!