Meyer Lansky
| Meyer Lansky | |
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Meyer Lansky in 1958
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| Born |
Meier Suchowlański July 4, 1902 Grodno, Russian Empire |
| Died | January 15, 1983 (aged 80) Miami Beach, Florida |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Resting place | Mount Nebo Cemetery, Miami, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Known for | Mafia associate, Mafia financier |
| Net worth | $300 Million (1983 Est.), $37,000 (cash at time of death) |
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Meyer Lansky (born Meier Suchowlański; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a major organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate in the United States.
Lansky developed a gambling empire that stretched across the world. He was said to own points (percentages) in casinos in Las Vegas, Cuba, The Bahamas and London. Although a member of the Jewish Mob, Lansky undoubtedly had strong influence with the Italian Mafia and played a large role in the consolidation of the criminal underworld (although the full extent of this role has been the subject of some debate, as he himself denied many of the accusations against him).
Despite nearly fifty years as a member-participant in organized crime, Lansky was never found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling. He has a legacy of being one of the most financially successful gangsters in American history.
Lansky was born Meier Suchowlański in Grodno, in the Russian Empire (now Belarus) to a Polish-Jewish family who experienced antisemitic pogroms. He was born in the former lands of Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, which were under Russian rule, and when asked about his native country, Lansky always responded "Poland". In 1911, he emigrated to the United States through the port of Odessa with his mother and brother, and joined his father, who had immigrated in 1909, and settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York.
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