The St Louis "Syrian Lebanese Faction" is long defunct. Bernstein's article is a nice summary, but they weren't trying to take over all OC activities in St Louis. They were fighting for union control and to settle old beefs.

Jimmy "Horseshoe" Michaels was of Syrian descent, and "head / boss" of the Syrian faction, and an "ally by treaty" with Tony Giordano, St Louis LCN boss. Michaels had agreed with Giordano to put John Paul "Sonny" Spica into a leadership position in Laborer's Local 42. Spica was later blown up in a car bomb by Ray Flynn, a St Louis Irish mobster, over union control. Michaels was blown up in by the Leisure's, who were members of Michaels crew. The Leisure's were of Lebanese descent. The remainder of the murder's described in Bernstein's article were revenge killings or to silence a witness. These events wiped out the Syrian / Lebanese faction, and brought increased law enforcement attention onto the St. Louis LCN.


I have some pictures of the people and bombings. I will post them below.