Zeev Rosenstein
Encyclopedia
Zeev Rosenstein is an infamous Israel
i mob boss and drug trafficker. Rosenstein was born to a Romanian Jewish father and a mountain Jewish mother in Yafo
, Israel.
However, with the exception of a robbery
conviction in the 1970s, Israeli police
had never managed to gather sufficient evidence to indict
Rosenstein.
On 11 December 2003, a bomb aimed at Rosenstein killed three people and injured 18 others in Tel Aviv
. The bombing led to a media outcry against the Israeli mob families, with newspapers comparing them with the Palestinians in terms of threat to the Israeli state. Ariel Sharon
called an emergency cabinet meeting and the government announced an extra 500 million shekels ($100 million US) in the fight against organised crime. The bombing was the seventh attempt on the life of Rosenstein, who became known as the "wolf with seven lives" (Zeev meaning wolf in Hebrew), and was said to have been carried out by the Abergil Crime Family, which Rosenstein had been feuding with for several years.
In November 2004, after 700,000 ecstasy tablets were seized in a Manhattan
apartment, he was charged with distributing Ecstasy
in the United States
in a joint effort of U.S. Department of Justice and Israeli Ministry of Justice
.
After exhausting his legal options in Israel, a precedent-setting decision by the Supreme Court of Israel
, Rosenstein was extradited
to the U.S. on 6 March 2006, making him one of very few Israelis to ever be extradited for prosecution in another country.
Rosenstein pleaded not guilty in U.S. court to the distribution of ecstasy and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to the extradition treaty between Israel and the U.S., he would serve his U.S.-imposed sentence in an Israeli prison
and be eligible for parole in five years and four months.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i mob boss and drug trafficker. Rosenstein was born to a Romanian Jewish father and a mountain Jewish mother in Yafo
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
, Israel.
However, with the exception of a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
conviction in the 1970s, Israeli police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
had never managed to gather sufficient evidence to indict
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
Rosenstein.
On 11 December 2003, a bomb aimed at Rosenstein killed three people and injured 18 others in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. The bombing led to a media outcry against the Israeli mob families, with newspapers comparing them with the Palestinians in terms of threat to the Israeli state. Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
called an emergency cabinet meeting and the government announced an extra 500 million shekels ($100 million US) in the fight against organised crime. The bombing was the seventh attempt on the life of Rosenstein, who became known as the "wolf with seven lives" (Zeev meaning wolf in Hebrew), and was said to have been carried out by the Abergil Crime Family, which Rosenstein had been feuding with for several years.
In November 2004, after 700,000 ecstasy tablets were seized in a Manhattan
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...
apartment, he was charged with distributing Ecstasy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in a joint effort of U.S. Department of Justice and Israeli Ministry of Justice
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
.
After exhausting his legal options in Israel, a precedent-setting decision by the Supreme Court of Israel
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
, Rosenstein was extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to the U.S. on 6 March 2006, making him one of very few Israelis to ever be extradited for prosecution in another country.
Rosenstein pleaded not guilty in U.S. court to the distribution of ecstasy and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to the extradition treaty between Israel and the U.S., he would serve his U.S.-imposed sentence in an Israeli prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and be eligible for parole in five years and four months.