Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in WW2 Era America

by Michael Benson

Overview

The stunning true story of the rise of Nazism in America in the years leading to WWII—and the fearless Jewish gangsters and crime families who joined forces to fight back. With an intense cinematic style, acclaimed nonfiction crime author Michael Benson reveals the thrilling role of Jewish mobsters like Bugsy Siegel in stomping out the terrifying tide of Nazi sympathizers during the 1930s and 1940s.

Goodreads Top Nonfiction of 2022

“[A] masterpiece. One of the most rivetingly relevant reads I’ve ever encountered.” —Jon Land, Providence Journal

As Adolph Hitler rose to power in 1930s Germany, a growing wave of fascism began to take root on American soil. Nazi activists started to gather in major American cities, and by 1933, there were more than one-hundred anti-Semitic groups operating openly in the United States. Few Americans dared to speak out or fight back—until an organized resistance of notorious mobsters waged their own personal war against the Nazis in their midst. Gangland-style. . . .

In this thrilling blow-by-blow account, acclaimed crime writer Michael Benson uncovers the shocking truth about the insidious rise of Nazism in America—and the Jewish mobsters who stomped it out. Learn about:

* Nazi Town, USA: How one Long Island community named a street after Hitler, decorated buildings with swastikas, and set up a camp to teach US citizens how to goosestep.

* Meyer Lansky and Murder Inc.: How a Jewish mob accountant led fifteen goons on a joint family mission to bust heads at a Brown Shirt rally in Manhattan.

* Fritz Kuhn, “The Vest-Pocket Hitler”: How a German immigrant spread Nazi propaganda through the American Bund in New York City—with 70 branches across the US.

* Newark Nazis vs The Minutemen: How a Jewish resistance group, led by a prize fighter and bootlegger for the mob, waged war on the Bund in the streets of Newark.

* Hitler in Hollywoodland: How Sunset Strip kingpin Mickey Cohen knocked two Brown Shirters’ heads together—and became the West Coast champion in the mob’s war on Nazis.

Packed with surprising, little-known facts, graphic details, and unforgettable personalities, Gangsters vs. Nazis chronicles the mob’s most ruthless tactics in taking down fascism—inspiring ordinary Americans to join them in their fight. The book culminates in one of the most infamous events of the pre-war era—the 1939 Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden—in which law-abiding citizens stood alongside hardened criminals to fight for the soul of a nation. This is the story of the mob that’s rarely told—one of the most fascinating chapters in American history and American organized crime.

“A must-read.” —Larry Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, the Man Who Led the Band of Brothers

“A fascinating and entertaining read.” —The Epoch Times

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780806541792
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	78,006
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Michael Benson is the author of more than sixty books, including the nonfiction history and crime titles Gangsters vs Nazis, Betrayal in Blood, Killer Twins, Mommy Deadliest, Who’s Who in the JFK Assassination, and The Devil at Genesee Junction. He is the co-author, along with Frank Dimatteo, of the acclaimed American Mafia history books Carmine the Snake, Mafia Hit Man, and Lord High Executioner. He regularly appears on ID: Investigation Discovery channel and is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award. Benson lives in New York and can be found on Facebook @authorMichaelBenson.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Sock on the Jaw 1

Preamble: Fade In 5

Part 1 The Cloven Hoof 9

1 Jewish Gangsters 11

2 Rise of Fascism 17

3 Fritz Kuhn 23

4 Nazi Youth Camps 34

Part 2 New York City 43

5 Judge Perlman and Meyer Lansky 45

6 Murder, Inc. 52

7 The List 63

8 Yorkville 67

9 White Plains 73

Part 3 Chicago 83

10 Father Coughlin, Radio Priest 85

11 Herb Brin, Fighter of Fascists 91

12 Sparky and Barney 97

13 The Germania Club 109

Part 4 Newark 115

14 Longie Zwillman 117

15 Nat Arno 124

16 Arno's Army 128

17 Schwabbenhalle 136

18 Irvington 144

19 Union City 157

20 Return to the Schwabbenhalle 163

Part 5 Middle America 169

21 William Dudley Pelley 171

22 Davey the Jew 178

23 The Elks Lodge Beatdown 186

24 The Great Lakes Cities 194

Part 6 West Coast 205

25 The Hollywood War 207

26 Mickey Cohen and Bugsy Siegel 217

Part 7 The Bund's Last Gasp 231

27 Garden Party 233

28 Pearl Harbor 247

29 Nazi Perverts and Thieves 252

Epilogue 263

Sources 285

Acknowledgments 289

About the Author 291

Editorial Reviews

Advance Praise for Gangsters vs. Nazis
 
“From indoctrinating youth camps to jack-booted rallies promoting Adolf Hitler, pre-World War II America was threatened by the rise of Nazism. Gangsters vs. Nazis is a must-read, eye-opening account that brings to life the violent struggle between these home-brewed storm troopers and an army of unlikely patriots; gangs of fist-swinging Jewish mobsters willing to break bones and crack heads in order to turn back the Nazi menace.”
—Larry Alexander, author of the New York Times bestseller Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, the Man Who Led the Band of Brothers
 
“With a knack for cinematic visualizations Michael Benson literally yanks you out of your comfort zone into the brutal 1930’s underworld of paid Mafia killers and Nazi sympathizers going head-to-head in this unwritten epoch in American history. I read it in one sitting, and you will too. Highly recommended.”
—L. Douglas Keeney, author of 15 Minutes: General Curtis LeMay and the Countdown to Nuclear Annihilation

From the Publisher