The stunning true story of the rise of Nazism in depression-era America-and the fearless Jewish gangsters and crime families who joined forces to fight back . . . and fight hard.
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.
Autorentext
Michael Benson