Ed Levinson
| Edward Levinson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Died | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Ed Levinson, Eddie Levinson |
| Occupation | Mobster |
Edward Levinson (March 2, 1898 to December 26, 1981) was an American gambling operator.
He was raised in Chicago, Illinois then joined the underworld in Detroit, Michigan in the 1920s and became an associate of Meyer Lansky. Levinson and his brothers moved to Newport, Kentucky, in the 1930s, where they dominated illegal gambling. In the 1940s he moved to Miami, then in 1952 to Las Vegas, where he became a part owner and operator of various legitimate hotels and casinos. For several years he ran the Fremont Hotel and Casino. Illegal FBI tapes seemed to show that Levinson was involved in skimming profits for delivery to hidden underworld partners. In the 1960s he became involved in enterprises in which he was associated with senior politicians of the Democratic Party.
Edward Levinson was born on March 2, 1898 to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Mary Goodman Levinson, was the aunt of Edward M. Gertz, who was involved in the liquor business in Chicago during the Prohibition Era. Ed and his brothers Mike and "Sleepout" Louis grew up in Chicago, then moved to Detroit where they joined the underworld, ran two casinos and were active in the 1920s newspaper circulation wars. Ed Levinson was a prominent member of the Detroit illegal gambling fraternity and collaborated with Samuel Garfield, a friend of Moe Dalitz. He was arrested occasionally, but usually the charges were dismissed. Levinson became an associate of Bugsy Siegel (1906–47), the partner of Meyer Lansky.
The Levinson brothers moved to Newport, Kentucky in the 1930s as representatives of Lansky's national organized crime syndicate. Newport was on the other side of the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The Levinsons became key players in the flashy casino gambling scene in Newport, as did the "Cleveland Four", of which Moe Dalitz was a leader. At one time Levinson controlled the illegal gambling in Newport. The 633/Flamingo Club at 633 York Street was opened in the late 1930s by Arthur Dennert. The Levinsons forced Dennert out of control and turned the Flamingo into one of the most popular casinos in Newport. They let Dennert retain his share.
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