Samuel Schlitten was a longtime Bronx gambling power and top Jewish mob figure closely connected with both the Gambino and Genovese Crime Families. Samuel (Sammy Schlitz) Schlitten - aka Sammy Shell - was born on January 14, 1910, in the Bronx. In the mid-1950s, he had moved from New York City out to 1482 Park Street in the exclusive beachfront community of Atlantic Beach, Sammy Schlitz stood 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. His activities included policy rackets, labor racketeering, and extortion. The FBI described his as a "notorious bookmaker from the Bronx." FBI #159171, NYCPD B#70268 For decades, he and his brother Morris (Moishe) Schlitten controlled one of the major policy operations in the Bronx. He was a longtime Bronx gambling power and top Jewish mob figure closely connected with both the Gambino and Genovese Families (specifically Joseph (Joe Z) Zingaro, Rocco Mazzie, Vincent (Jimmy Blue Eyes) Alo, and later on with Anthony (Fat Tony) Salerno. In the 1960s, Schlitten was involved in a garbage labor extortion case involving a major department store with John (Buster) Ardito and Rocco Mazzie. He was a partners with Buster in the J&A Costruction Company at 1733 Ediston Ave., in the Bronx and Sunshine Grading & Filling Co., Inc., in Mamoronek, NY. He was also a close associate of Bronx racketeers Battisto Salvo and Thomas Milo. He also may have been a subordinate of Genovese powerhouse Vincent (Jimmy Blue Eyes) Alo and a member of his regime. Schlitten was a victim of a kidnap ring that would snatch mob figures or their relatives and hold them for ransom. This gang held his son-in-law until Schlitten paid $5,000 for his release. He had arrests for assault and robbery (twice), disorderly conduct, conspiracy to violate federal gambling laws, policy, vagrancy, and assault with a deadly weapon. He was convicted of policy, robbery (9 years), and violating federal gambling laws. While retired, he split his time between Florida and his Long Island estate. He died on August 23, 1988, in Miami, at the age of 78. Until next time..."The Other Guy"
