Shoot the Breeze #9

This is a doozy

Murder Incorporated was created in the 1930s to act as the execution squad of the newly formed National Crime Syndicate. The death squad was comprised of mostly Jewish and Italian gangsters centered around the Brownsville neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Exact numbers aren’t known, but it is estimated that Murder Inc., carried out 400-1000executions, making the innocent looking candy store responsible for more murders than anywhere else in the United States. 

Hey Friends!

Crazy intro right?

This story is a doozy and for me, it has very close ties to the city, the people or instigators, and the life they led.

I came to the U.S. when I was 14. My Grandfather was the Don of the village and clan that lived in Catania, Sicily. He became the Don of the village after his father had died long before I was born.

When we came to the States, some of the family was actively involved with the Mafia. My Uncles were heavily involved and some of my cousins. When I was making my Confirmation (I guess the Roman Catholic answer to a Jewish Bar Mitzvah) my Godfather was Frank Costello who was a friend of the family and was always Uncle Frank to me. I knew who and what he was, but I was extremely honored when he said yes.

Over the years growing up back and forth between Boston, Rhode Island, and New York I would get to spend time with Frank on numerous occasions where he would tell me stories about the days when Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Ben Siegel would hang out and take care of business. I learned a great deal from Frank over the years about communication with others and doing business. Of course, some of it wasn’t legal, but it was interesting and in some cases, some of those ideas fit with business in my age.

Uncle Frank lived through an assassination attempt a story he retold over and over throughout my time around him. He introduced me to Meyer Lansky just before his death. I learned a tremendous amount about business and other sordid ideas, but Mr. Lansky kept on track about banking and just doing good business in the new era.

I could go on and on, but this story is for another time. For now, here’s why I wrote this intro…

The Old Headquarters of Murder, Inc.

Brooklyn, New York

by Atlas Obscura

ON THE CORNER OF SARATOGA and Livonia Avenues in Brownsville, Brooklyn, there used to be a 24 hour candy store. 

During the 1930s and 40s, the Midnight Rose Candy Store, located under the elevated portion of the 3 subway train, was run by a little old lady in her 60s, Mrs. Rosie Gold. It’s hard to imagine a more innocuous and unoffending picture. But all was not as it seemed at the Midnight Rose, for this was the secret headquarters of one of the most infamous and deadly groups in the history of organized crime: Murder, Inc. 

Here’s the rest of the story