In the history of the gambling business, there are individuals whose lives are closely connected with gambling. Arnold Rothstein, nicknamed The Big Bankroll, can be considered one of these heroes.
Who is Arnold Rothstein?
He is a well-known gangster who is even more famous as a casino player and sweepstakes. This man, the first gangster of modern times, is also a character in the series called Boardwalk Empire. He played poker at the highest stakes, died while still young. The news of his death caused great controversy. It was discussed by dancers and judges, truck drivers and murderers, mayors and card cheats. After that, everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
How did Rothstein die?
Rothstein did not die of natural causes. He was killed in 1928. In the hotel room where he stayed ("Park Central"), someone put a bullet in Arnold's stomach. Many believed that it was the Irishman McManus. Rothstein should have guessed that this was how his life would end. Gangsters rarely die of natural causes.
Arnold's friends filled the corridors of the hospital. They waited for his breath to finally stop. Did Rothstein, on the day of his death, imagine what place was destined for him in the history of America, what place he would remain forever in the memory of the people? After all, he became a friend and accomplice of the Great Gatsby from the novel by S. Fitzgerald published in 1925. The prototype of Meyer Wolfstein is precisely Arnold Rothstein. The book is called The Great Gatsby.
Arnold's personality
Biographer Leo Kutcher, who wrote a biography of Arnold in 1959, described him as "the Morgan of the Underground", "a banker and strategist". M. Lansky, the main organizer of crimes, who spread his influence throughout the United States, said that Rothstein was a very intelligent person. He understood instinctively what the essence of any business is. Meyer Lansky points out that if this man were a law-abiding financier and economist, he would have made as much money as gambling and racketeering.
At his peak, Rothstein was one of the most powerful gangsters on the East Coast. This man had more connections than you could imagine. He was a shrewd, albeit sharp, businessman. Arnold Rothstein was engaged in such cases as importing drugs, managing gambling houses, consulting in the field of gambling. He knew the right people, loved beautiful and young women, was an accountant, a diplomat, and with all this a swindler.
Arnold did not need a weapon andbusiness cards. In his entourage there were people who always had weapons with them. He also had accomplices who, like two drops of water, looked like Lansky and Luciano, who were engaged in the implementation of Rothstein's business projects. Among them were army generals and executive directors of various corporations. Everywhere Arnold had his people, even among the police and judges. Therefore, Rothstein was never charged. Surely you are interested in the fate of this amazing man. We invite you to get to know him better by reading his biography.
Arnold's Origin
Arnold was born in New York in 1882. His father was an Orthodox Jew named Abraham. Arnold's older brother, Bertram, was preparing to become a rabbi. His father was a respected businessman in New York. He was nicknamed for his personal qualities Abe the Just. In the European business community, this man was especially well received. He could resolve any conflict.
The path that Arnold decided to take
However, his son, Arnold, was not interested in religion and his father's affairs. He even dropped out of school, while having brilliant intellectual abilities. Already at the age of 16, Arnold began working as a traveling salesman.
It's hard to imagine New York City in 1905: coal smog everywhere, the sound of horses' hooves on the pavement, factory horns, heaps of garbage in the streets. New York at that time was reborn, gradually becoming one of the greatest cities in the whole world, which it was already to1920. And Arnold Rothstein owned and controlled this particular city.
Opening your own casino, first successes
However, this did not happen immediately. Rothstein was at first a petty thief and played cards. He stood on the corner of the street, waiting for a passing wagon in order to get on it to his new wife. Her father promised Arnold to lend $2,000 to buy a gambling house on 46th Street.
When Rothstein was 20, he realized that the only way to win at gambling was to own a gambling establishment. Back in 1909, he carried out its purchase. 1909 was a great year for Arnold. After buying a casino, he managed to win 4 thousand dollars from J. Convey, a native of Philadelphia. By the end of 1910, Arnold was already the sole owner of all the casinos located on 46th Street. It was this street that brought Rothstein influence, power and money.
The Fixer
Arnold was also a real loan shark. He hired artistic people for this work. Their task was to seize money from frightened customers. It is impossible to count the number of bones that were broken because of this. Also, no one knows for sure how many Arnold arranged contractual races and fights for his life. This man almost everywhere had his hand. One of Arnold's nicknames was The Fixer, which means "intermediary" in translation, that is, a person who is able to agree on any business.
The scandalous series of games
In 1919, the White Sox and Reds played the World Series of Games. They wereovershadowed by one of the biggest scandals in American history. This story broke the hearts of many boys and made Rothstein truly famous.
Such was this inflexible man, Arnold Rothstein, who, it should be noted, did not know about anything and did not adjust anything. He didn't even know that Abe Attell, a friend of his, personally delivered $100,000 to bribe members of the Sox team into losing the series. Abe Attell denied everything. He did not admit to financing this defeat, stated that he was just an innocent businessman.
Arnold Rothstein himself, whose biography we are interested in, told the following. It all started when many players, including Atell, decided to place their bets on what the outcome of the games would be. Everyone knew that Arnold was also involved in this deal, but he refused. According to Rothstein, Attell (his photo is presented below) used his name for his own selfish purposes. Arnold himself would not go under any circumstances to bribe and would not bet a single dollar on the outcome of the games after he knew all the ins and outs.
As a result, 6 players from the White Sox team were banned for life, but none of them reported the crime. Arnold never went to trial after that. And Attell convinced the court that it was not he who carried out the bribery, but some other Abe Attell.
Arnold starts doing drugs
Rothstein started doing drugs in 1922. It is happenedafter he realized that it was in his power to subdue this whole market in New York. As a result, the fortune that Arnold Rothstein possessed increased significantly. His clandestine empire was truly enormous.
Big Win
Rothstein started playing craps in 1925 with a very famous player named Nick Dandolos (his nickname is The Greek). The man had only recently returned to New York after playing successful poker games in San Francisco. More than 1.5 million dollars he managed to bring with him. Nick Dandolos played for almost 2 weeks, until he lost completely and was left without a dollar in his pocket. Dandolos and Rothstein entered the same high-stakes tournament a few months later. In a stud poker tournament, Dandolos (pictured below) won several hundred thousand after 10 hours of play, until he stumbled upon the "Rothstein curse".
Dandolos was de alt one king and one more king on the board. And Arnold had only the king of tambourines. Then Dandolos opened for $10,000, and Arnold raised the bet to $30,000. Dandolos was given a four, and Arnold was given a nine of diamonds. Then Rothstein made an even larger bet - 60 thousand, which was answered by Dandolos. Gambling legends continued the battle. Arnold Rothstein received the fourth diamond with the last card, which, moreover, did not improve his opponent's combinations. Dandolos was up for a flush draw, but he wasn't sure about it. Then Rothstein raised his bet again(up to 70 thousand), and his opponent went for broke, betting 140 thousand. Rothstein answered him again. Dandolos now got the seven of clubs, and Arnold got the seven of diamonds. Rothstein showed the ace of diamonds, after which he took the pot. Thus ended the battle of gambling celebrities. Arnold Rothstein, by the way, won then 604 thousand dollars.
Foul play
Poker and led to the death of Rothstein, which came 3 years after that. Arnold found out that one game was not fair against him. Jimmy Meehan, Titanic Thompson, George McManus and Nate Raymond were also at that game and lost 50 thousand each (in September 1928). Rothstein lost more than 300 thousand
Arnold's death
A month later, a Jewish authority named Arnold Rothstein paid off his debts. Rothstein was on Broadway. He came to Lindy's Deli on business, where he had a small investment. George McManus called him there and asked him to come to room 349 of the Park Central Hotel to play big poker. It is still a mystery what happened then in the room. On the first floor, a little after 11 o'clock, the elevator operator found Arnold Rothstein bleeding. He managed to live for two days with a bullet in his abdomen. A pistol with a torn off handle was found on the street. McManus was charged with the murder. Arnold Rothstein, the gangster king, knew who killed him, but refused to tell the police his name. He died November 5, 1928.
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