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Purple Gang

Posted By: jonnynonos

Purple Gang - 04/22/14 10:28 AM

Anyone else interested in the Purple Gang? I just read a couple books about them. It's an interesting bit of Detroit/Jewish history, but that's about it. As a mob, they were in nearly the exact same rackets as the Italian mafia, but they didn't have the background or infrastructure to last. They were on average younger, disorganized, and more violent than most organized crime entities, and many had major drug and alcohol abuse problems, probably underscoring that a decent amount of them were fundamentally mentally ill.

It was kind of like what might have happened to all the mobsters who came out of the 42 Gang if there hadn't been an Outfit--they were largely formed from juvenile delinquents. By their mid-late 20s most were dead or in jail and by the time they were in their 30s, the gang had self-destructed and been pushed aside by the Italian mafia.

For a long time in Detroit, the local Jewish media wouldn't write about them. I understand, as they didn't want to reinforce the anti-Semitism at the time.

The last Purple, Myron "Mike" Selik died in 96.

I remember reading a story where one of the old gangsters who had gotten out of prison, I think it was in the 80s, would come into this deli near the old Tiger Stadium, and a writer tried to go there and get an interview, but never got it.

That guy must not have believed how much Detroit had changed in the time he'd been away.
Posted By: MikeyO

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 10:33 AM

Originally Posted By: jonnynonos
Anyone else interested in the Purple Gang? I just read a couple books about them. It's an interesting bit of Detroit/Jewish history, but that's about it. As a mob, they were in nearly the exact same rackets as the Italian mafia, but they didn't have the background or infrastructure to last. They were on average younger, disorganized, and more violent than most organized crime entities, and many had major drug and alcohol abuse problems, probably underscoring that a decent amount of them were fundamentally mentally ill.


It was kind of like what might have happened to all the mobsters who came out of the 42 Gang if there hadn't been an Outfit--they were largely formed from juvenile delinquents. By their mid-late 20s most were dead or in jail and by the time they were in their 30s, the gang had self-destructed and been pushed aside by the Italian mafia.

For a long time in Detroit, the local Jewish media wouldn't write about them. I understand, as they didn't want to reinforce the anti-Semitism at the time.

The last Purple, Myron "Mike" Selik died in 96.

I remember reading a story where one of the old gangsters who had gotten out of prison, I think it was in the 80s, would come into this deli near the old Tiger Stadium, and a writer tried to go there and get an interview, but never got it.

That guy must not have believed how much Detroit had changed in the time he'd been away.



Do they mention the Burnstein Brothers ?
Posted By: jonnynonos

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 10:38 AM

Oh yeah. Actually, I wasn't interested enough to keep everyone straight... the last book I read, by Paul Kavieff, was fairly academic in nature, really getting into the nitty gritty of the trials, etc. But since probably not a lot was known about the guys personalities, etc., there weren't many memorable characters.

But it talked a lot about the Burnsteins, Keywells and Axlers. But, they all just kind of blended into a mass of your garden-variety gangsters, without too much memorable about them, for the most part. Except maybe Harry Shorr.
Posted By: Dellacroce

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 05:04 PM

those were some pretty tough Jews.
Posted By: jonnynonos

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 05:21 PM

Yeah they were. Goes counter to stereotype, I guess that is why people find it interesting.

You couldn't find a more hedonistic gang of ne'er do wells in 20 states.

It was actually kind of sad seeing the pictures of all these kids blown to pieces. Not that they weren't monsters themselves, most of them were, but they were so young you get the impression that on some level they probably had no idea what they were really doing.

I guess the same thing goes on in the inner cities a lot in the street gangs today.
Posted By: MikeyO

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 06:09 PM

Originally Posted By: Dellacroce
those were some pretty tough Jews.


You ever read the book " Tough Jews" ?
Posted By: Dellacroce

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 06:10 PM

never heard of it....im not really a big reader.
Posted By: jonnynonos

Re: Purple Gang - 04/22/14 06:16 PM

Originally Posted By: MikeyO
Originally Posted By: Dellacroce
those were some pretty tough Jews.


You ever read the book " Tough Jews" ?


There were also a lot of Jewish boxers at one time.

Today there are two decent ones in NY, Yuri Foreman and Dimitri Salita. Foreman had a belt for a while... Salita had some high profile fights but never managed to pull off a big win.

There was also a decent heavyweight named Roman Greenberg sometime back, but I'm not sure what happened to him.

Of course, anyone who knows Krav Maga is a bad ass!
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