Herman Levine – “The Rag Trade Racketeer”

Having reputedly started out as a strong-arm enforcer, by the 1950s, Levine was reported by informants to have gained control over many of the various Jewish “contractors” in the district and would allocate which dress manufacturing houses dealt with which sub-contractors.

Herman (Benny) Levine – aka “Benjamin Levine” and “Ben Levin” – was born in 1895 in Lumza, Russia. He had a derivative citizenship since 1906. Although very low-key and conservative, he was widely known as one of the wealthiest Jewish racketeers to ever operate in New York City.