Dutch Schultz Biography

Born Simon Flegenheimer in 1908, Schultz was the product of German Jewish parents. At seventeen, Flegenheimer was arrested and convicted of burglary. When he was released the next year, he returned to his old neighbourhood and demanded to be called "Dutch Schultz", the nickname of a notorious young gangster from the late 1800's.

By 1928, Schultz and his posse of toughs had built themselves a beer-running empire that encompassed the better portions of Manhattan's dingy underbelly. This lead to a number of turf wars, which usually ended with Schultz and his cronies holding empty revolvers.

Although he sat in on the founding of the National Crime Syndicate, the Harlem bootlegger was soon to lose favour with heads Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Johnny Torrio. The power-hungry Schultz even went on to wage war against his own friend, Mad Dog Coll, and rival gangster Legs Diamond.

Following an indictment for income tax evasion, Schultz spent nearly two years in hiding, leaving his turf unattended, and his racketeering schemes ripe for the picking by Lucky Luciano; but this was short-lived, as Schultz, who beat the rap, celebrated his return by killing his right-hand-man turned traitor Bo Weinberg, who had let Lucky Luciano take over.

Luciano then returned Schultz's assets, who in turn asked the Syndicate to put out a contract for the murder of Thomas Dewey; the Special Prosecutor who headed the task force against organized crime.

Hours before the hit was to be carried out, Schultz, who had been eating dinner at a Newark restaurant, excused himself to go to the men's room. Two men entered the restaurant, killed Schultz's bodyguards, and then made their way to the men's room where they shot him.

Mortally wounded, but not quite dead, Dutch Schultz lasted two more days, ranting, and raving to the policemen assigned to guard his deathbed.