Rothstein didn't fix the 1919 World Series. The perception came about because he was widely regarded as America's premier gambling operator, therefore only he could have had the wherewithal to have "fixed" something as big as a World Series. The perception was fanned by Henry Ford, America's leading anti-Semite of the era, who used it to launch another tirade against Jews. The falsehood also was perpetuated by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who introduced a Rothstein-like character called Meyer Wolfsheim, "the man who fixed the 1919 World Series," in his famous novel, "The Great Gatsby."
Here is an account from Jenna Weissman Joselit's book on Jewish crime in NY, "Our Gang":
"Rothstein's expertise and fame as a gambler were so great that the mere mention of his name was enough to convince eight disgruntled members of the Chicago White Sox tp throw the 1919 World Series in return for a bonus of $100,000. Rothstein had been approached initially by agents of the ballplayers and asked to participate in the swindle, yet he refused; why we do not know. Undeterred, the professional gamblers masterminding the 'Black Sox' scandal pretended they were working on Rothstein's behalf and therefore succeeded in convincing the ballplayers to proceed with the scheme. Despite Rothstein's repeated and heated denials, the press charged him with 'fixing the World Series...' " Somewhat the same account appears in Albert Fried's "The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Gangster in America."
(Thanks for your vote of confidence!
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