Billy Lustig
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" Lustig was an American gang leader and labor racketeer. He was one of several independent gang leaders operating in Manhattan
's Lower East Side
and, along with Abe "Little Rhodey" Roch and Philip "Pinchy" Paul
, led a small coalition of gangs to break the monopoly held by Joseph "Joe the Greaser" Rosenzweig
and Benjamin "Dopey Benny" Fein during the first "Labor Slugger War
". Lustig was also employed as a clerk and whose brother was a detective attached to the office of District Attorney Charles S. Whitman
.
, he walked into a coffee house owned by Humpty Jackson
. Two of the gunmen followed Lustig into the establishment where, seeing Lustig at a table, they fired five times at him. Only two of these shot hit Lustig who fell to the ground with a bullet in his shoulder and stomach. The gunmen then returned outside and ran to 12th Street where their accomplices were already waiting, with the motor running, and sped off towards the North River. A crowd had already gathered in front of Jackson's place as soon as the first shots were heard and a few bystanders managed to chase the car all the way to Cooper Street before losing sight of them. One man was able to copy the license plate but police were unable to find a match in the state motor car records.
Upon questioning witnesses at the scene, one man claimed that Lustig and the other two men had been quarreling over a girl. Another version told to police was that Lustig had been lured to the coffee house by a telephone message from a young woman. Three pistols were found on the sidewalk outside. Police officials at the time suspected that the shooting was linked the murder of gambler Herman Rosenthal
the previous year due to the similarities of both the method and escape as well as the car's description, a Shapiro's grey auto, with the noted exception of the license plates.
Lustig was found unconscious by officers arriving on the scene and was brought to Bellevue Hospital where he underwent surgery. Doctors initially stated that there was little hope of recovery, however Lustig was able to pull through and it was announced he was out of danger a day later. Lustig was questioned by Deputy Police Commissioner George Samuel Dougherty and his team of detectives, who were investigating the rising violence in the East Side, but Lustig refused to identify his attackers responding only that he would settle it on his own.
Of the two bullets, one was removed from his stomach which was lodged near his spine upon his arrival at the hospital. The other bullet was under the collarbone was to have been taken out later that week. On August 14, he left the hospital where he stayed at his mother's house. Two days after being discharged, Lustig was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen outside the same cafe owned by Humpty Jackson on August 16, 1913.
Following the initial shooting, police concentrated their efforts in tracking down the woman who supposedly lured Lustig to the restaurant. The body of an unidentified woman found in Inwood
days later was thought to have been that person. It was speculated that she had been killed when those behind Lustig's killing feared she might inform police under interrogation. On August 22, police detectives Emile Klinger and Paul Kaiser arrested a woman in Scranton, Pennsylvania
believed to know the whereabouts of a key witness, Rose Harris, who was able to identify the four gunmen.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
and, along with Abe "Little Rhodey" Roch and Philip "Pinchy" Paul
Philip Paul
Philip "Pinchy" Paul was an early New York labor racketeer who led an alliance of independent labor sluggers in an attempt to break the monopoly long held by Joseph "Joe the Greaser" Rosenweig and Benjamin "Dopey Benny" Fein resulting the first labor sluggers war...
, led a small coalition of gangs to break the monopoly held by Joseph "Joe the Greaser" Rosenzweig
Joseph Rosenzweig
Joseph "Joe The Greaser" Rosenzweig was a Jewish American and New York labor racketeer in the early 1900s as an ally of "Dopey" Benny Fein during the labor slugger war from 1914-1917.-Biography:...
and Benjamin "Dopey Benny" Fein during the first "Labor Slugger War
Labor Slugger War
The Labor Sluggers War was a 15-year period of gang wars among New York labor sluggers for control of labor racketeering from 1911 to 1927. This began in 1911 with the first war between "Dopey" Benny Fein and Joe "The Greaser" Rosenzweig against a coalition of smaller gangs and continuing on and...
". Lustig was also employed as a clerk and whose brother was a detective attached to the office of District Attorney Charles S. Whitman
Charles S. Whitman
Charles Seymour Whitman served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1915 to December 1918. He was also a delegate to Republican National Convention from New York in 1916.-Biography:...
.
Biography
On the night of August 4, 1913, Lustig was followed by four unidentified men in a car while walking down Third Avenue. Lustig did not notice his pursuers and, upon reaching 14th Street14th Street
14th Street may refer to several locations in the United States:*14th Street , New York City*14th Street Northwest and Southwest *Broad Street *14th Street Bridge *14th Street...
, he walked into a coffee house owned by Humpty Jackson
Humpty Jackson
Thomas "Humpty" Jackson was a New York criminal and last of the independent gang leaders in New York's underworld during the early 20th century. Reportedly well read, Jackson was said to be an admirer of such writers such as Voltaire, Charles Darwin, Leonard Huxley and Herbert Spencer as well as...
. Two of the gunmen followed Lustig into the establishment where, seeing Lustig at a table, they fired five times at him. Only two of these shot hit Lustig who fell to the ground with a bullet in his shoulder and stomach. The gunmen then returned outside and ran to 12th Street where their accomplices were already waiting, with the motor running, and sped off towards the North River. A crowd had already gathered in front of Jackson's place as soon as the first shots were heard and a few bystanders managed to chase the car all the way to Cooper Street before losing sight of them. One man was able to copy the license plate but police were unable to find a match in the state motor car records.
Upon questioning witnesses at the scene, one man claimed that Lustig and the other two men had been quarreling over a girl. Another version told to police was that Lustig had been lured to the coffee house by a telephone message from a young woman. Three pistols were found on the sidewalk outside. Police officials at the time suspected that the shooting was linked the murder of gambler Herman Rosenthal
Herman Rosenthal
Herman Rosenthal was an American author, editor, and librarian.-Biography:Rosenthal was born in Friedrichstadt , Courland. He was educated at Bauske and Jakobstadt , graduating in 1859. In that year he translated into German several of Nekrasov's poems...
the previous year due to the similarities of both the method and escape as well as the car's description, a Shapiro's grey auto, with the noted exception of the license plates.
Lustig was found unconscious by officers arriving on the scene and was brought to Bellevue Hospital where he underwent surgery. Doctors initially stated that there was little hope of recovery, however Lustig was able to pull through and it was announced he was out of danger a day later. Lustig was questioned by Deputy Police Commissioner George Samuel Dougherty and his team of detectives, who were investigating the rising violence in the East Side, but Lustig refused to identify his attackers responding only that he would settle it on his own.
Of the two bullets, one was removed from his stomach which was lodged near his spine upon his arrival at the hospital. The other bullet was under the collarbone was to have been taken out later that week. On August 14, he left the hospital where he stayed at his mother's house. Two days after being discharged, Lustig was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen outside the same cafe owned by Humpty Jackson on August 16, 1913.
Following the initial shooting, police concentrated their efforts in tracking down the woman who supposedly lured Lustig to the restaurant. The body of an unidentified woman found in Inwood
Inwood, New York
Inwood is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 9,792 at the 2010 census.Inwood is included among the Five Towns, an informal grouping of villages and hamlets in Nassau County on the South Shore of western Long Island adjoining the...
days later was thought to have been that person. It was speculated that she had been killed when those behind Lustig's killing feared she might inform police under interrogation. On August 22, police detectives Emile Klinger and Paul Kaiser arrested a woman in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
believed to know the whereabouts of a key witness, Rose Harris, who was able to identify the four gunmen.