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Son of Jewish immigrants. One of New York's top bootleggers. A gangster who dreamed of being an actor. And the businessman who opened Las Vegas to the mob. That's Benjamin Bugsy Siegel.
This man was incompatible with himself. On the one hand, a loving father and a model family man who never raised his hand on his wife and children. On the other, a fiery and impulsive bandit who goes to extreme measures at the snap of a finger.
On the one hand, a calculating businessman with an eye for precision in numbers. On the other, adventurous, ready to go looking for an ancient treasure on a deserted island or spend astronomical amounts of money on a casino in the desert.
One day, Bugsy could be beating up Jewish immigrants while working for union racketeers. On another day, he could be plotting to kill people close to Hitler to save the Jewish people.
He lived among movie stars like a playboy. He dreamed of moving away from crime and into legitimate business. But at the same time, he was personally executing assassination orders. Bugsy was a walking contradiction. A fire that warmed you at first, but at the first gust of wind, could burn you to the ground.
Today's story is a little different from the ones we've told before. All the past characters have been rational in one way or another. Bugsy is more of a dreamer, driven by emotion. Bloody, selfish, cruel, but a dreamer. And if you're interested to know where the dreams of such a man led, then meet Benjamin Siegel, On the Other Side of the Law.
Primary Sources:
"Bugsy Siegel. The Dark Side of the American Dream" MICHAEL SHNAYERSON