Jacob Katzenberg
Encyclopedia
Jacob "Yasha" Katzenberg (c. 1888-) was an organized crime figure in New York, who supplied narcotics to mobsters including Charles "Lucky" Luciano
, Waxey Gordon
, Charles "King" Solomon, Harry "Nig" Rosen
, the Torrio
–Capone
organization as well as mobsters in Detroit, Kansas City and St. Louis.
's Lower East Side
and, by the mid-1920s, he had become involved with Arnold Rothstein
in drug trafficking helping purchasing heroin from Europe and establishing pipelines into New York for distribution throughout the rest of the country. Following Rothstein's death in 1928, Katzenberg was readily enlisted by Luciano and Louis "Lepke" Buchalter
to obtain heroin for their own operations as well as bootleg liquor.
During the early 1930s, following regulations by the League of Nations
for countries to reduce drug production to meet domestic medical needs, the availability of narcotics began to decline and travelled to Asia following the end of Prohibition in 1933. Returning to Brooklyn, Katzenberg established an opium processing plant on Seymour Avenue (reportedly backed by Buchalter and Meyer Lansky
among others rumored to be partners in the operation) along with several others.
In December 1935, authorities discovered the plant following an explosion which destroyed much of the manufacturing equipment. However, agents with the Federal Narcotics Bureau were unable to obtain enough evidence to press charges against Katzenberg and his partners. Meeting with Buchalter and Lansky, the three agreed that he and Buchalter would continue smuggling narcotics from Hong Kong
and Shanghai
into the United States through connections with officials within the United States Customs. It was later claimed by customs officials that $10 million was made from only six purchases made by Katzenberg between December 1935 and February 1937.
Informants eventually infiltrated the drug ring and many of its members including Katzenberg were indicted by federal authorities. Fleeing the country, Katzenberg travelled to Romania
and, although detained by officials, he was instead deported to neighboring Greece
where he was held in custody until his extradition to the United States. Eventually convicted on narcotics charges, Katzenberg was issued a fine of $10,000 sentenced ten years imprisonment. He would later testify against Buchalter and Johnny Torrio and, following his release disappeared from public record.
Lucky Luciano
Charlie "Lucky" Luciano was an Italian mobster born in Sicily. Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime in the United States for splitting New York City into five different Mafia crime families and the establishment of the first commission...
, Waxey Gordon
Waxey Gordon
Waxey Gordon was an American gangster who specialized in bootlegging and illegal gambling. An associate of Arnold Rothstein during prohibition he was caught up in a power struggle following his death...
, Charles "King" Solomon, Harry "Nig" Rosen
Harry Rosen (mobster)
Harry "Nig" Rosen was a Philadelphia mobster who was a major organized crime figure on the east coast with influence as far as Atlantic City, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.-Biography:...
, the Torrio
Johnny Torrio
John "Papa Johnny" Torrio , also known as "The Fox", was an Italian-American mobster who helped build the criminal empire known as the Chicago Outfit in the 1920s that was later inherited by his protege, Al Capone...
–Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
organization as well as mobsters in Detroit, Kansas City and St. Louis.
Biography
Born in Russia, Katzenberg grew up in ManhattanManhattan
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, by the mid-1920s, he had become involved 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...
in drug trafficking helping purchasing heroin from Europe and establishing pipelines into New York for distribution throughout the rest of the country. Following Rothstein's death in 1928, Katzenberg was readily enlisted by Luciano and Louis "Lepke" Buchalter
Louis Buchalter
Louis "Lepke" Buchalter was a Jewish American mobster and head of the Mafia hit squad Murder, Inc. during the 1930s. After Dutch Schultz' request of the Mafia Commission for permission to kill his enemy, U.S. Attorney Thomas Dewey, the Commission decided to kill Schultz in order to prevent the hit...
to obtain heroin for their own operations as well as bootleg liquor.
During the early 1930s, following regulations by the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
for countries to reduce drug production to meet domestic medical needs, the availability of narcotics began to decline and travelled to Asia following the end of Prohibition in 1933. Returning to Brooklyn, Katzenberg established an opium processing plant on Seymour Avenue (reportedly backed by Buchalter and Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky , known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Polish-born American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States...
among others rumored to be partners in the operation) along with several others.
In December 1935, authorities discovered the plant following an explosion which destroyed much of the manufacturing equipment. However, agents with the Federal Narcotics Bureau were unable to obtain enough evidence to press charges against Katzenberg and his partners. Meeting with Buchalter and Lansky, the three agreed that he and Buchalter would continue smuggling narcotics from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
into the United States through connections with officials within the United States Customs. It was later claimed by customs officials that $10 million was made from only six purchases made by Katzenberg between December 1935 and February 1937.
Informants eventually infiltrated the drug ring and many of its members including Katzenberg were indicted by federal authorities. Fleeing the country, Katzenberg travelled to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and, although detained by officials, he was instead deported to neighboring Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
where he was held in custody until his extradition to the United States. Eventually convicted on narcotics charges, Katzenberg was issued a fine of $10,000 sentenced ten years imprisonment. He would later testify against Buchalter and Johnny Torrio and, following his release disappeared from public record.
Further reading
- EIR. Dope, Inc.: The Book That Drove Kissinger Crazy. Washington DC: Executive Intelligence Review, 1992. ISBN 0-943235-02-2
- EIR. The Ugly Truth About the Anti-Defamation League. Washington DC: Executive Intelligence Review, 1992. ISBN 0-943235-07-3
- McCoy, Alfred W. The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade. Brooklyn: Lawrence Hill Books, 1991. ISBN 1-55652-125-1
- Messick, Hank. Lansky. London: Robert Hale & Company, 1973. ISBN 0-7091-3966-7
- Messick, Hank. Of Grass and Snow: The Secret Criminal Elite. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1979. ISBN 0-13-630558-X
External links
- Yasha, "The Wandering Jew" by Allan May
- Time.com: Opium and Morphine