Originally posted by Turnbull:
PP: Jewish gangsters were far bigger than the Mafia during Prohibition--they ran the booze trade in almost all major US cities except Chicago, and even there, a Jewish guy (Jack Guzik) was second-in-command to Capone. But they didn't "form" the Mafia. The Mafia was mostly (relatively) small, neighborhood mobs until after the Castellemmarese War of 1930-31. First, Salvatore Maranzano, the victor, formed the NYC mobs into five families. Then Charlie Luciano whacked Maranzano, formed The Commission and began building a modicum of cooperation among Mafia families around the country. [/QB]
Very cool TB, but I read once somewhere, (it was a personal account of a true gangster, I think it may have been some men's magazine) This guy was Jewish and he claimed that if it weren't for the Jews, the "Italian-American" mafia wouldn't have existed, due to lack of political influence, funds, etc.
dont know what he meant by that, it just always stuck out in my memory.
