As it is not for the first time I hear about the "Jewish gangsters" I was not excited at all by the topic of Rich Cohen's book: Tough Jews. Father, sons and gangsters. Originary from a family with connections with this world, I was expecting a detailed account of the mechanisms and motivations of the individual members of the group.
Although using academic research, the book includes many personal accounts and memories of his father, Herb Cohen, - whose best friend was Larry King, and this could be considered the weak point of the book as they lived in Chicago for a long time and the heart of the gangsters was New York. Also, I didn't like at all the writing style - too abrupt and not captivating at all.
But, at the end of the more than 200 pages, there are some good memories to keep in mind - and explore through other books. One of the most important is the idea of the Jews with guns and wealthy - not the sad and depressive accounts of the immigrants coming to America and fighting to survive. "Jews were bullied in America, but in America Jews could fight back" (p.42), in comparison with the Jews from Europe and far Russia victims of sheer anti-Semitism.
This is an explanation suggested by the author too, that I would like to believe, but for which I didn't find too many convincing, academic explanations in the book.
The fate of the gangsters was sealed and they didn't survive the Second World War. Names as Louis Lepke, Abe Riles, Mendy Weiss, Greenie Greenberg or Buggsy Goldstein remains sources of inspiration for movies or thriller books. And in a way it's good like this. The world Jewry was having other important things to do.
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