Sidney Korshak
Encyclopedia
Sidney R. Korshak was a labor lawyer and "fixer" for businessmen in the upper echelons of power and the Chicago Outfit
in the United States
. His reputation as the Chicago mob's man in Los Angeles
made him one of Hollywood's most fabled and influential fixers. His partnership with Chicago
mobsters led him to be named, "...the most powerful lawyer in the world," by the FBI.
neighborhood, on June 6, 1907. His father was a wealthy Chicago contractor. His younger brother, Marshall Korshak, became a longtime Chicago politician, city treasurer and state senator
. Sidney attended Herzl Grammar School, the University of Wisconsin–Madison
and obtained his law degree from the DePaul University College of Law
.
, such as Al Capone
, Frank Nitti
and Sam Giancana
. His services were used by the upper ranks of both legitimate and illegitimate business in the United States.
Korshak numbered among his friends many Hollywood celebrities and leading figures in the entertainment industry, including MCA/Universal chief Lew Wasserman
, entertainment lawyer Paul Ziffren (the driving force behind bringing the 1984 Olympics to Los Angeles
), MGM chief Kirk Kerkorian
, Gulf + Western founder Charles Bluhdorn
, Frank Sinatra
, Ronald Reagan
, William French Smith
(labor attorney and future United States Attorney General
), Edmund "Pat" Brown, Edmund "Jerry" Brown
, future Governor of California Gray Davis
, producer Robert Evans, Warren Beatty
, Barron Hilton
and Hugh Hefner
.
Korshak was highly successful in the field of labor consulting and negotiations, and his client list included Hilton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, MGM, Playboy
, MCA/Universal, and Diner's Club. One of his clients was Jimmy Hoffa
, notorious head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Korshak was heavily involved in the Teamsters' west coast operations during a time when organized labor was at the peak of its activity.
Korshak was an attorney for various elements of the Chicago Outfit
. Korshak bought the J.P. Seeburg Corporation
and immediately after the company stock rose from $35 to $141.50 a share. He then sold 143,000 shares to pivotal figures in the stock market like Bernard Cornfield, who owned the FOF Property Fund, in Switzerland
. Korshak received $5 million from the deal.
.
It was Korshak who suggested actress Jill St. John
to Eon Productions
for the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever
.
Sidney Korshak died on January 20, 1996, without ever having a criminal conviction against him (or even an indictment
, according to his New York Times obituary). Marshall Korshak predeceased his brother by one day.
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His reputation as the Chicago mob's man in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
made him one of Hollywood's most fabled and influential fixers. His partnership with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
mobsters led him to be named, "...the most powerful lawyer in the world," by the FBI.
Early life
He was born in to a Jewish family, with four siblings, in Chicago's West Side LawndaleNorth Lawndale, Chicago
North Lawndale located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of the well-defined community areas in the city of Chicago.-History:...
neighborhood, on June 6, 1907. His father was a wealthy Chicago contractor. His younger brother, Marshall Korshak, became a longtime Chicago politician, city treasurer and state senator
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
. Sidney attended Herzl Grammar School, the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and obtained his law degree from the DePaul University College of Law
DePaul University College of Law
DePaul University College of Law is a law school located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Founded in 1897 as the Illinois College of Law, the school became part of DePaul University in 1912 and is one of the academic colleges of DePaul, a Big East Conference university. The College is known for its...
.
Career
His law practice brought him into contact with many mobstersMobsters
Mobsters is a 1991 crime-drama film detailing the creation of the The Commission. Set in New York City, taking place from 1917 to 1931, it is a semi-fictitious account of the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.-Plot:This highly dramatized...
, such as Al 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...
, Frank Nitti
Frank Nitti
Francesco Raffaele Nitto , also known as Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti, was an Italian American gangster. One of Al Capone's top henchmen, Nitti was in charge of all strong-arm and 'muscle' operations...
and Sam Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
. His services were used by the upper ranks of both legitimate and illegitimate business in the United States.
Korshak numbered among his friends many Hollywood celebrities and leading figures in the entertainment industry, including MCA/Universal chief Lew Wasserman
Lew Wasserman
Lewis Robert "Lew" Wasserman was an American talent agent and studio executive, sometimes credited with creating and later taking apart the studio system in a career spanning more than six decades...
, entertainment lawyer Paul Ziffren (the driving force behind bringing the 1984 Olympics to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
), MGM chief Kirk Kerkorian
Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor "Kirk" Kerkorian is an American businessman who is the president/CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian is known as one of the important figures in shaping Las Vegas and, with architect Martin Stern, Jr...
, Gulf + Western founder Charles Bluhdorn
Charles Bluhdorn
Charles Blühdorn was a Vienna, Austria-born American industrialist.-Biography:Per a Who's Who in Ridgefield he was considered such a "hellion" that his father sent the 11-year-old to an English boarding school for disciplining...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, William French Smith
William French Smith
William French Smith was an American lawyer and the 74th Attorney General of the United States.-Biography:...
(labor attorney and future United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
), Edmund "Pat" Brown, Edmund "Jerry" Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
, future Governor of California Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
, producer Robert Evans, Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, Barron Hilton
Barron Hilton
William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
and Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
.
Korshak was highly successful in the field of labor consulting and negotiations, and his client list included Hilton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, MGM, Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, MCA/Universal, and Diner's Club. One of his clients was Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
, notorious head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Korshak was heavily involved in the Teamsters' west coast operations during a time when organized labor was at the peak of its activity.
Korshak was an attorney for various elements of the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
. Korshak bought the J.P. Seeburg Corporation
Seeburg Corporation
Seeburg was an American design and manufacturing company of automated musical equipment, such as orchestrions, jukeboxes, and vending equipment.- History :...
and immediately after the company stock rose from $35 to $141.50 a share. He then sold 143,000 shares to pivotal figures in the stock market like Bernard Cornfield, who owned the FOF Property Fund, in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Korshak received $5 million from the deal.
Personal life
Sidney Korshak married Beatrice and had three children, Harry, Stuart and Katy. The Korshaks' primary residence was a mansion in Beverly Hills for many years, with a secondary home in Palm SpringsPalm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
.
It was Korshak who suggested actress Jill St. John
Jill St. John
Jill St. John is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tiffany Case, the lead Bond girl in Diamonds Are Forever.-Early life:...
to Eon Productions
EON Productions
Eon Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom...
for the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever may refer to:In literature;* Diamonds Are Forever , the fourth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series* Diamonds Are Forever, a 2004 short novel by Ryk E...
.
Sidney Korshak died on January 20, 1996, without ever having a criminal conviction against him (or even an indictment
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...
, according to his New York Times obituary). Marshall Korshak predeceased his brother by one day.