Phillip Kastel
Encyclopedia
Phillip "Dandy Phil" Kastel (April 2, 1893-August 16, 1962) was a Jewish-American mobster, gambler, and longtime associate of the Genovese crime family
.
to Solomon Kastel and Rachel Rosenthal. Phillip Frank Kastel born April 2, 1893 was the brother to Allen, Florence, Ida and Rose Kastel. He stood at 5'7 and weighed 165 pounds. He married Elsie Conner in 1940 but they later divorced and he married Margaret Dennis. Despite growing up in a violent neighborhood frequented by street gangs and others of the cities underworld, Kastel instead became involved a gambling and confidence games during the early 1900s and held interests in many of the cities gambling dens shortly before Prohibition.
In 1917, upon the United States entry into World War I
, Kastel fled to Canada in order to avoid the draft and operated a nightclub in Montreal
, Quebec
for the remainder of the war. Returning to New York in 1919, Kastel was quickly arrested for extortion although the charges were dismissed. Finding employment with Arnold Rothstein
, Kastel oversaw Rothstein's numerous "bucket shops", an early telemarketing scam selling fraudulent securities. He also preyed upon local chorus girls, specifically being charged with stealing $22,000 from chorus girl Betty Brown in 1922, however this charge was dismissed.
By the 1940s, with control over the majority of gambling in Louisiana, both legal and illegal, Kastel and Costello began to expand their operations opening high class gambling casinos in New Orleans earning millions. It was during this period that Frank Costello was allegedly claimed to have committed his only act of violence when Kastel, in daily contact with the New York mobster, reported his suspicions that one of the casino employees had been skimming cash from the slot machine collections. Costello was said to have replied he would handle the matter personally and, flying down to New Orleans, called for a meeting of Kastel's entire organization including bagmen, hired thugs and other associates (possibly including enforcer Carlos Marcello
). Calling the accused employee forward, he was asked to explain the unusual shortages in his collections. As the employee was explaining, Costello was said to have reached under the podium and knocked the man unconscious with a monkey wrench. When he had regained consciousness, Costello told the man to return to his seat and told the audience that if anyone were caught trying to steal from the syndicate there would be worse treatment.
, a nephew of former Governor Huey Long
, from Kastel, Costello and Frankie Carbo
in 1955), without interference from city officials.
However, as Costello's influence declined with the emergence of rival mobster Vito Genovese
, Kastel's control in the city's gambling operations also declined and was eventually taken over by Marcello. In failing health, having lost his sight in one eye and worsening vision in the other, Kastel remained in the Roosevelt Hotel until August 16, 1962 when his body was found in his hotel suite from an apparently self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His death was later ruled a suicide.
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
.
Early life
Born in New York's Lower East SideLower 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....
to Solomon Kastel and Rachel Rosenthal. Phillip Frank Kastel born April 2, 1893 was the brother to Allen, Florence, Ida and Rose Kastel. He stood at 5'7 and weighed 165 pounds. He married Elsie Conner in 1940 but they later divorced and he married Margaret Dennis. Despite growing up in a violent neighborhood frequented by street gangs and others of the cities underworld, Kastel instead became involved a gambling and confidence games during the early 1900s and held interests in many of the cities gambling dens shortly before Prohibition.
In 1917, upon the United States entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Kastel fled to Canada in order to avoid the draft and operated a nightclub in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
for the remainder of the war. Returning to New York in 1919, Kastel was quickly arrested for extortion although the charges were dismissed. Finding employment with Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
, Kastel oversaw Rothstein's numerous "bucket shops", an early telemarketing scam selling fraudulent securities. He also preyed upon local chorus girls, specifically being charged with stealing $22,000 from chorus girl Betty Brown in 1922, however this charge was dismissed.
From New York to New Orleans
Following Rothstein's death in 1928, Kastel went to work for former Rothstein associate and New York mobster Frank Costello and later moved to New Orleans to establish gambling operations, primarily slot machines, during the mid-1930s. Between 1935 and 1937, the Costello-Kastel partnership earned an income of over $2.4 million from slot machines alone according to federal authorities. Although both were charged in 1939 for tax evasion, Kastel and Costello were both acquitted.By the 1940s, with control over the majority of gambling in Louisiana, both legal and illegal, Kastel and Costello began to expand their operations opening high class gambling casinos in New Orleans earning millions. It was during this period that Frank Costello was allegedly claimed to have committed his only act of violence when Kastel, in daily contact with the New York mobster, reported his suspicions that one of the casino employees had been skimming cash from the slot machine collections. Costello was said to have replied he would handle the matter personally and, flying down to New Orleans, called for a meeting of Kastel's entire organization including bagmen, hired thugs and other associates (possibly including enforcer Carlos Marcello
Carlos Marcello
Carlos "The Little Man" Marcello was a Sicilian-American mafioso who became the boss of the New Orleans crime family during the 1940s and held this position for the next 30 years.-Early life:...
). Calling the accused employee forward, he was asked to explain the unusual shortages in his collections. As the employee was explaining, Costello was said to have reached under the podium and knocked the man unconscious with a monkey wrench. When he had regained consciousness, Costello told the man to return to his seat and told the audience that if anyone were caught trying to steal from the syndicate there would be worse treatment.
Final years
Kastel continued to run the organization throughout the 1950s and, due to considerable financial contributions to local politicians (including $750,000 to the campaign fund of Earl LongEarl Long
Earl Kemp Long was an American politician and the 45th Governor of Louisiana for three non-consecutive terms. Long termed himself the "last of the red hot poppas" of politics, referring to his stump-speaking skills...
, a nephew of former Governor Huey Long
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
, from Kastel, Costello and Frankie Carbo
Frankie Carbo
Paul John Carbo better known as "Frankie Carbo" was a New York City Mafia soldier in the Lucchese crime family, who operated as a boxing promoter and a gunman with Murder, Inc....
in 1955), without interference from city officials.
However, as Costello's influence declined with the emergence of rival mobster Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese
Vito "Don Vito" Genovese was an Italian mafioso who rose to power in America during the Castellammarese War to later become leader of the Genovese crime family. Genovese served as mentor to future mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante...
, Kastel's control in the city's gambling operations also declined and was eventually taken over by Marcello. In failing health, having lost his sight in one eye and worsening vision in the other, Kastel remained in the Roosevelt Hotel until August 16, 1962 when his body was found in his hotel suite from an apparently self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His death was later ruled a suicide.
Further reading
- Mafia: The Government's Secret File on organized Crime
- Bernstein, Lee. The Greatest Menace: Organized Crime in Cold War America. Boston: UMass Press, 2002. ISBN 1-55849-345-X
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
- Fried, Albert. The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Gangster in America. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1980. ISBN 0-231-09683-6
- Katcher, Leo. The Big Bankroll: The Life and Times of Arnold Rothstein. New York: Da Capo Press, 1994. ISBN 0-306-80565-0
- Messick, Hank. Lansky. London: Robert Hale & Company, 1973. ISBN 0-7091-3966-7
- Pietrusza, David. Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2003. ISBN 0-7867-1250-3
- Piper, Michael Collins. Final Judgment: The Missing Link in the JFK Assassination Conspiracy. Washington DC: Wolfe Press, 1993. ISBN 0-935036-47-4
- Reid, Ed and Demaris, Ovid. The Green Felt Jungle. Montreal: Pocket Books, 1964.
- Reppetto, Thomas A. American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2004. ISBN 0-8050-7798-7
- Turkus, Burton B. and Sid Feder. Murder, Inc: The Story of "the Syndicate". New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81288-6
- United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce. Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce. 1951. http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC09953709&id=tjyRz-YGf9sC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=%22Phillip+Kastel%22