Irving H. Saypol
Encyclopedia
Irving Howard Saypol was a United States attorney
for the Southern District
of New York
and New York Supreme Court
Justice. He was involved in several high profile Communist
prosecutions, including the Alger Hiss
, William Remington
, Abraham Brothman, and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
cases.
to Louis and Michakin Saypol, Saypol married in September 1925 to Adele D. Kaplan and later graduated from Brooklyn Law School
. Saypol quickly advanced in the United States Attorney's Office, and in 1950-1951 he was Chief Prosecutor for the federal government in the espionage case against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Morton Sobell
. He gained a reputation as an efficient and ruthless prosecutor of Communists. Saypol served on the New York Supreme Court from 1952 until 1968. In 1976 he was indicted with Surrogate S. Samuel DiFalco
for bribery
and perjury
in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain appraisal and auction commission funds for Saypol's son; the charges were dismissed. Saypol died from cancer shortly thereafter in June 1977.
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Southern District
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight New York counties: New York , Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Preet Bharara, who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2009 is the U.S. Attorney for the...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
Justice. He was involved in several high profile Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
prosecutions, including the Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
, William Remington
William Remington
William Walter Remington was an economist employed in various federal government positions until his career was interrupted by accusations of espionage made by the Soviet spy and defector Elizabeth Bentley. He was convicted of perjury in connection with these charges in 1953, and murdered in...
, Abraham Brothman, and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg and Julius Rosenberg were American communists who were convicted and executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. The charges related to their passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union...
cases.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Louis and Michakin Saypol, Saypol married in September 1925 to Adele D. Kaplan and later graduated from Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
. Saypol quickly advanced in the United States Attorney's Office, and in 1950-1951 he was Chief Prosecutor for the federal government in the espionage case against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Morton Sobell
Morton Sobell
Morton Sobell is a former spy for the Soviet Union. Sobell was an American engineer working for General Electric and Reeves Electronics on military and government contracts. He was found guilty of spying for the Soviets , and sentenced to 30 years in prison...
. He gained a reputation as an efficient and ruthless prosecutor of Communists. Saypol served on the New York Supreme Court from 1952 until 1968. In 1976 he was indicted with Surrogate S. Samuel DiFalco
S. Samuel DiFalco
S. Samuel DiFalco was a New York Supreme Court Justice and surrogate court judge.Born in Italy, DiFalco was a Democrat who attempted a run for State Assembly in 1935. He became a justice of the New York Supreme Court in 1949, and was later elected to New York surrogate court. DiFalco was a member...
for bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
and perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain appraisal and auction commission funds for Saypol's son; the charges were dismissed. Saypol died from cancer shortly thereafter in June 1977.