Herbie Blitzstein
| Herbert Blitzstein | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 2, 1934 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1997 (aged 62) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Other names | Fat Herbie |
| Occupation | Gangster, bootlegger, racketeer |
| Criminal charge | Fraud, conspiracy |
| Criminal penalty | 8-year sentence at Federal Center Institution, El Reno, Oklahoma |
Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein (November 2, 1934 – January 6, 1997) was a loanshark, bookmaker, racketeer and lieutenant to Tony "The Ant" Spilotro and the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Born in Chicago, Herbie started working the rackets in the late 1950s. Blitzstein stood at 6 feet and weighed three hundred pounds and sported a goatee and moustache, dressed flamboyantly and drove a 1973 Cadillac Eldorado. It was said he had a close physical resemblance to the Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. He lived at 6720 North Damen Avenue in Rogers Park, Chicago, with his third wife, but spent a great deal of time at Phil Alderisio's bar, The Tradewinds in The Patch. He had been a close associate of convicted mob bookmaker Henry Kushner. When he was convicted of bookmaking by the FBI and sent to prison, Herbert took over his clientele along with mob bookmaker's Boodie Cowan, a bookmaker that was suspected of being murdered by Anthony Spilotro. He was later convicted of racketeering. When he was released from prison, he moved to Las Vegas to serve as muscle for Spilotro. Tony Spilotro, John Spilotro and Herbie ran the Gold Rush Ltd. jewelry store, located on West Sahara Avenue, which was a front for the Hole in the Wall Gang, so named because they punched holes through walls and ceilings to grab the loot and run. Blitzstein also worked as a fence for stolen goods at the combination jewelry store and electronics factory.
His capo, Anthony Spilotro, in 1976, formed a burglary ring with his brother Michael and Blitzstein, utilizing about eight associates as burglars. The crew became known as the Hole in the Wall Gang because of its penchant for gaining entry by drilling through the exterior walls and ceilings of the buildings they burglarized. Other gang members included Peanuts Pancsko, Butch Pancsko and Pops Pancsko, Frank DeLegge, Michael LaJoy, Joseph D'Argento, Gerald Tomasczek, Peter Basile of Wilmette, Illinois, Carl Urbanotti of Chicago, Illinois, Ernest Lehnigg of Addison, Illinois, Samuel Cusumano, Joseph Cusumano, Ernesto "Ernie" Davino, 34, Las Vegas, "Crazy Larry" Neumann, Wayne Matecki, Salvatore "Sonny" Romano, Leonardo "Leo" Guardino, 47, Las Vegas, Frank Cullotta, 43, Las Vegas, and former Las Vegas detective, Joseph Blasko, 45, Las Vegas, who acted as a lookout and who later worked as a bartender at the Crazy Horse Too, a gentleman's club, and died of a heart attack in 2002.[5] Following the botched burglary at Bertha's Gifts & Home Furnishings on July 4, 1981, Cullotta, Blasko, Guardino, Davino, Neumann, and Matecki were arrested and each charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, attempted grand larceny and possession of burglary tools. They were locked into the Las Vegas police department's holding cell in downtown Las Vegas. The only members of Spilotro's gang not arrested for the July 4th burglary were Blitzstein, Michael Spilotro, Romano and Cusumano. By this time, Spilotro's relationship with Rosenthal had collapsed, as Tony had had an affair with Rosenthal's wife, Geraldine McGee Rosenthal. Meanwhile, Cullotta had turned state's witness, testifying against Spilotro. But the testimony was insufficient, and Tony was acquitted.
...
Wikipedia