Starting with the Plantation, according to various sources, by 1936 the former tomato packing barn, called the Plantation, was operated by Julian Potatoes Kaufman with bookmaking, roulette, crap tables, etc. The best way to deal with this was to nod, walk away, and act as if it never happened. We also enjoyed the free bread rolls, salt sticks, tiny prune danishes and other goodies in a basket on the table. There was the Rainbo Grill, and a few others on Hollywood Boulevard, and more on the Beach, well before the Hollywood commission gave gambling the official okay in 1948. Who were these wise guys? Boy, do I miss those days. Meyer Lansky's House | Meyer Lansky lived here at 512 Hibisc | Flickr Hallandale Beach, Florida (FL), US Meyer Lansky, known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Belarusian-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. Where Capone was a paunchy, loud and flamboyant thug, Lansky was small and thin, a soft-spoken, grandfatherly sort who dressed and lived conservatively. They were simple frame structures with canvas roofs. His remains were interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. Meyer Lansky lost most of his money trying to build a hotel casino in CubaWhen Fidel replaced Batista it was all gone. In 1928 Lansky was charged in connection with the shooting of a gangster, but after his recovery the victim refused to testify. Cohen also founded a third Jewish deli, Pumpernik's, at 67th Street and Collins Avenue, which also closed. Sonken, 82, concedes that mobsters eat at his restaurant but notes that judges, businessmen and politicians do too. Meyer Lansky In His Own Words : Mafia - Reddit One night at their club, an armed man assaulted a "dapper Miami gambler," whipping him in the face with his gun and then opening fire, according to the Miami News. Yet here he was, lured into Bertucelli's sting. And at the first table upon entering the restaurant, you will often see Joe Sonken himself. 612 Hibiscus Dr, Hallandale, FL 33009 | Estately | MLS# A10665100 By the time the robbers were ready to leave, police had surrounded the restaurant they already knew so well. The Society section of the same paper, March 12, 1937 announces that the Club Boheme Is Scene of Pleasant Affair, a beautifully appointed luncheon given to Hollywood matrons by Mrs. Harry Hutchinson and Mrs. Wm. anonymously (anonymous users cannot post links). Meanwhile, Capone was busy spending more than $100,000 in improvements to his new home. one of the robbers yelled as they made their way to Pendleton's car. Bally later bought out Catenas shares in its stock, but his own company continued for several more years as Ballys New Jersey distributor, until the Nevada Gaming Commission made Bally sever all ties with him. If South Florida was the mob's version of Switzerland, Gold Coast was its United Nations, where rival wise guys agreed to get along. A LITTLE HISTORY FROM THE INTERNET (credit goes to the writer's of the information, not me.). Mafia mobster Meyer Lansky's family tell of fight to get his Cuban Meyer Lansky was the highest-ranking non-Italian in the American Mafia. The boss of the Philadelphia-Atlantic City crime family, Scarfo was sentenced last April to life in prison for the murder of another Mafioso, and in May was sentenced to 55 years in prison after his conviction in a racketeering conspiracy that included nine murders and four attempted killings. Meyer Lansky, original name Maier Suchowljansky, (born July 4, 1902 [officially assigned date by U.S. authorities], Hrodna (also spelled Grodno), Russian Empire [now in Belarus]died January 15, 1983, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.), one of the most powerful and richest of U.S. crime syndicate chiefs and bankers. As you can see, these arent pup tents or camping tents. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news directly in your email inbox. Sonken didn't hold grudges. His arrest record dates back to 1956, yet he seldom has been convicted, and his longest sentence was four months, served at Eglin Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security federal institution in North Florida. Around 4 a.m., as bartenders Ernie Baticki and Joe Galanti exited, two men with black stockings over their heads stuck guns into the bartenders' backs and said, "Get back inside!" Hoffa arrived, got into a car with several men and was never seen again. Scarfos Fort Lauderdale house was up for sale but is temporarily off the market until more than $1 million in liens are settled with the homes owner of record, Leonard J. Mercer Jr. A smooth-talking businessman with a long history of big plans and big debts, Mercer is serving a four-year federal prison sentence for obtaining a loan under false pretenses, perjury and income-tax fraud. Meyer Lansky's New York: A Guide - Lower East Side History Project Green would be welcomed, accepted, and get to know Sonken himself. Catena made much of his fortune in the gaming industry. In the last week of March, 1920, Selznick Pictures Corporation is filming scenes for a movie The Flapper with Olive Thompson. | More links between Hallandale and Hollywood are mentioned further along. He often appeared to be sleeping in the courtroom, though prosecutors said he was faking. Meyer Lansky was undoubtedly one of the most famous mobsters of all time. After nearly 50 years of involvement with organized crime, Meyer Lansky was never found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling. Six years earlier, Green had dropped out of undercover work. Alo had been the overseer of clubs, speakeasies and illegal gambling in Brooklyn according to Wikipedia. In 1970, Catenas fortune was estimated at more than $10 million by a New Jersey state crime committee. Gold Coast had never before been robbed. Meyer Lansky's former home at 612 Hibiscus Drive, Hallandale Beach. 4,646 views 0 faves 0 comments Taken on December 17, 2008 All rights reserved Additional info Viewing privacy Public Safety level Safe Content type Photo License History S Search Photo navigation < > Thumbnail navigation Z Zoom B Back to context It was called other things too: "notorious," for example, and a hangout for stars such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. It's long been assumed Sonken was mafia in a region that for years was bursting with rival crime families. My grandfather and his partners were referred to in the movie the Irishman as " the Jews in Miami with the racetracks and laundrymats". In addition to Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Cary Grant, some of the mob's heavy-hitters, like Meyer Lansky, Vincent Alo, and Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone, would frequent Joe Sonken's Gold Coast Restaurant. Meyer Lansky, known as the "Mob's Accountant", was a Belarusian-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. After being booted out of Israel, where he had fled with Thelma when he was indicted, Lansky beat the first two charges. The agents had sold him $10,000 worth of anchovies, mushrooms and olive oil for $4,450 on the theory that Sonken would have to know that the groceries were hot to be sold so cheaply. Colonial Inn (Hallandale Beach, FL) Archives - Author / Blogger Stakes were high. My grandfather worked in Cleveland for the Jewish group I would enjoy discussing him with you to find out more about him and tell you what I know about him. Alo outlived most of his pals he died of natural causes in 2001 in Florida at age 96. Accetturo, 51, who got his nickname from the club-wielding caveman in the movie One Million, B.C., moved to South Florida from New Jersey in 1971. called Lt. Neil Robar of the Hollywood Police, ordering his officers to stand down. So you are in your 80s? Amanda Jones specializes in social media marketing. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, "How the Mob's Favorite Restaurateur Escaped Indictment and Saved a South Florida School.". Everybody wanted it, everybody did it, she said, and you could get it anywhere. And months before the sale, the mayor had said, Capone is no worse than a lot of others down here.. Ellinger Str. He often sat with Mr. Lansky and they would make small talk. Green called South Florida the "haven for every crud in the United States." We're coming out, or you're all dead!". He coordinated previously disjointed illegal gambling operations, creating layers of employment, legitimate and otherwise, in a farmland area that had long been depressed. "I knew the parking lot would be secure.". AS FAR BACK AS 1957 THIS restaurant was identified in a column written by investigative journalist Jack Anderson as the underworld message center in the Miami area. More than three decades later, it still is, says Lt. Dave Green of the Broward Sheriffs Office. Read Part 2: "How the Mob's Favorite Restaurateur Escaped Indictment and Saved a South Florida School.". But the police weren't done by a long shot. And why would they when they could have electricity and maid service in Beach/Tent City! Lansky moved from New York to Miami Beach in 1933 and to Hollywood in 1934. Eventually though, he made it onto Al Capones hit list of people that have to be murdered, and was supposedly sent to Florida to be protected by the Lanskys and their cronies. When the committee probed a donation from Sonken in the Broward County Sheriff's race, it learned the restaurant owner had left the candidate an envelope containing two pennies. By far, the best-known hangout for the mobsters and gangsters wasnt a casino at all but a bar and restaurant that occupied the space on the Intracoastal that is now GGs Waterfront Bar and Grill. Maybe the gearshift had been rigged, the brakes cut, or there was foul play. "We're coming out!" "Oh, it was Joe Sonken's," he explained later. While he was a resident of Miami, his brother Jake made his home at 1146 Harrison Street. If Sonken thought you did something wrong, he would unleash an epic string of profanity. These addresses are all public knowledge, by the way. I don't bother nobody. The large rectangular sign rose on stilts against the growing skyline of what was then called "Hollywood-by-the-Sea." The chief spokesman is Oscar Johnson, manager of the influential Hollywood Beach Hotel, who says that 60 to 70 guests had already checked out, heading to areas where gambling was available, notably Havana. That arrangement ended when Castro came to power in 1959. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Ben Kramer, a speedboat racer and smuggler, once left $10,000 in cash in a garbage bag in his trunk in the Gold Coast parking lot. Who wanted to put an end to Joe Sonken? They ran the upscale Club Boheme, and the Club Greenacres, according to Dr. Mickelsons blog. IN CLOSING - It would be nice if you posted a comment with your memories of these wonderful places. I'm a businessman. His biggest claim to fame here, according to Dr. Joan Mickelson, local historian and volunteer archivist for the Hollywood Historical Society, is that in 1929, the city of Hollywood, which was having a hard time financially, leased the Hollywood Beach Golf and Country Club to his people.

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