Originally Posted By: olivant
Originally Posted By: Lilo
I never heard the story about the guy swallowing pool balls and being tricked into swallowing the cue ball in reference to Rothstein. I did see that story on "1000 ways to Die".


So, how is it that Rothstein can threaten with seeming impunity a made guy like Yale right in front of another made guy - Luciano?


Hmm. Perhaps because at that time Luciano worked for Rothstein and wasn't really "made" in the way we know the word today?

Also Rothstein was more powerful than either Luciano or Yale in 1920-21 and had a larger organization.

In his "autobiography", Lucky downplayed the idea that he worked FOR Rothstein and spoke of the relationship more as a sort of partnership/independent contractor sort of deal. Sifakis disagreed. Lucky certainly had his own interests independent of Rothstein.

"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."
Winter is Coming

Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.