Murder Inc., or Murder incorporated was full of brutal relentless killers. For the mere ten years the Murder Inc. was active, they were responsible for hundreds of murders. There was only about twenty members that the U.S. knows were a part of it. Murder Inc. was a “hit squad” for the Italian-American mafia and the Jewish Mob. Louis “Lepke” Buchalter was a part of the “Gorilla Boys,” a gang that intimidated Manhattan and served as a sort of “farm team” for gangsters in the area. Later, Lepke became the head of the infamous group, Murder, Inc. Lepke then became a major force in the garment union in New York, he often partnered with captains in separate New York families, most notable being Thomas Lucchese and Albert Anastasia. Both were looking …show more content…
Together, they fought and pushed their way to the top of New York’s underworld. They would later become friends and partners with future mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. While Shapiro was a violent man who was happy to do the “wet work” the mob often required, his main role in Murder, Inc. was as a recruiter. He also helped younger toughs develop new talents. Surprisingly though, he was never convicted of a violent crime, but was in prison for extortion and conspiracy. While in prison, he had a heart attack and died in …show more content…
crew. A thorough planner, he was equally skilled with a gun, a rope, and the tool turned cliché, the ice pick. He refused to carry a weapon in case he was stopped by the police. He is considered the group’s most productive killer, with over 100 kills credited to him. He was eventually convicted of the violent, even by Murder, Inc. standards, 1939 killing of Irving “Puggy” Feinstein. Feinstein, a racketeer attempting to move in on the wrong area. Angered, Strauss and his associates tied Feinstein in a position that put pressure on his arms and legs, causing him to struggle and slowly strangle himself to death. They then took the body to an empty lot and burned it.
While other mobsters took out their targets with firearms, Reles appreciated the feel of shoving an icepick into his victim’s ear and driving it all the way through to the brain. Not only did an icepick pack a surprise, it also avoided the sound of gunfire, and often made it appear as though the victim succumbed to a sudden hemorrhage, severe