Samuel (Sammy the Jew) Jacobson – Meyer Lansky’s Man in New York

Samuel (Sammy the Jew) Jacobson was a shadowy racketeer who operated in New York City for decades. In fact, he was a mob boss!

Yet, for all his power as Meyer Lansky’s “man in New York,” Sammy remained mostly anonymous to both law enforcement and the general public for many years - even though he had a notorious reputation in New York's underworld.

Samuel (Sammy the Jew) Jacobson was born back in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn in 1927. He and his two younger brothers grew up in the mostly Jewish section of that neighborhood. It was an area that he would eventually rise to dominate during his lifetime.

Together with his siblings, Danny and Ralph, the “Jacobson brothers” gained a notorious reputation within the New York underworld.

Sammy Jacobson

Yet, for all his power as Meyer Lansky’s “man in New York,” Sammy remained mostly anonymous to both law enforcement and the general public for many years.

Just a Nice Jewish Boy!…

Starting as a young “buck” working as a numbers runner under the tutelage of Jewish mob boss Max (The Jew) Schrager, in time Jacobson would come to the attention of Meyer himself.

So much so, that in future years after Schrager passed away, Lansky appointed Sammy as his new resident “manager” over the Jewish Mob’s New York rackets.

Meyer Lansky

The young Jacobson literally catapulted over such seasoned older Jewish hoodlums as Solly Bloom, Hyman (Red Hymie) Siegel, Marty Kahn, and many others. He soon became recognized as the “overall boss” in New York for their crew.

In a few short years, Sammy went from being a lowly policy runner to become a policy “controller,” and ultimately the “boss” over their mob’s entire NYC numbers-policy network which was very considerable indeed.

Millions and Millions and Millions

In fact, the New York Police Department’s special “Organized Crime Control Task Force” once described this operation as a sprawling $50,000,000 a year policy gambling racket centered in Manhattan’s “Garment District” and their old Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn.

In addition to the numbers business, Jacobson also oversaw a multimillion-dollar horse and sports bookmaking network based from the garment district and a huge loanshark “bank” that was thought to have out “on the street” millions upon millions of dollars in outstanding loans any given week.

He was also a master manipulator who in time would infiltrate several major corporations and numerous businesses on behalf of himself and his mob superiors. But that ain’t all folks!

Business Infiltration and Mob Shenanigans

Jacobson and his Jewish “mensch” were also known to concentrate their best efforts on the infiltration and ultimate domination of numerous lucrative legitimate businesses around the metropolitan region.

Quietly, but efficiently, through the years by using various forms of leverage and strong-arm tactics when needed they either bought into or outright took over various retail businesses and wholesale companies.

Besides the profitability of such activities in and of itself, it also enabled them to “wash” untold millions in illicit profits from other racket ventures.

A perfect example of one such situation occurred after the famous Silvercup Bread Bakery in Queens went belly up.

The Silvercup Bread Bakery

Buried in debt and seeking to file for much-needed bankruptcy protection against their creditors, Silvercup was soon approached behind closed doors by none other than Sam Jacobson.

Silvercup Bakeries

He spoke to their executive board intelligently and logically and ended up making them a financial “offer they seemingly couldn’t refuse.”

Because before long the next thing you know is that Jacobson took over hidden ownership of the company, ostensibly publicly installing his twenty-something-year-old young son Mark as the new President of Silvercup Bakeries, Inc.

Sam also made sure to officially list himself as the company’s Vice President. This also gave the savvy hood a very logical reason to be on the premises should anyone question his movements or motives.

Making Lots of Bread

Over the next several years through their vast underworld connections, Sammy and his Jewish mob associates worked in conjunction with the Genovese crime family, as well as other crews, to turn the floundering Silvercup corporation into a hugely profitable enterprise again.

Using mob connections to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and other labor unions, Jacobson leveraged his way into various multimillion-dollar service contracts to provide Silvercup’s bread and bakery products to a host of major companies, including one ongoing contract to supply the entire New York City Public School system…It was a complete home run for him!

Jacobson and his brothers, and many of his Jewish mob “brethren” also held major ownerships, both public and private, in dozens of garment manufacturing firms, dress contracting factories, and allied garment businesses within Manhattan’s “garment district.”

In fact, the Jewish mob under Meyer Lansky was always among the most prominent and dominant underworld forces in that particular industry.

And by the 1960s, Sam Jacobson was thought to be the man who oversaw it all.

Cleaning Up, Mob Style

In another good example of Jacobson’s business prowess and sharp managerial abilities, federal law enforcement later tied him and the mob into Laundramation Corporation, of North Miami Beach, Florida.

Using mob muscle and influence, this particular enterprise quickly became one of the dominant suppliers and launderers of linens, towels, napkins, etc., to most of the major independent hotels and hotel chains around the Miami Beach and greater Dade County areas.

The Hilton Hotel chain, Marriott, Holiday Inns as well as popular independent hotels such as the Fontainebleau, Hotel Beaux Arts, Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, and so many others all used Jacobson’s linen supply company.

All in the Family

The FBI had soon discovered that besides Jacobson, several other top Genovese family figures like capo Michele (Mickey Dimino) Generoso and soldier Eugene Uricola were significant stockholders in this linen supply company.

The feds also suspected that the “overall” boss of the Jewish mob, Meyer Lansky, also held an ownership stake in Laundramation through his trusted minion Sammy Jacobson.

There is no doubt in my mind that Meyer Lansky used his considerable influence among his legitimate business associates and mob minions alike to help ensure his young protege became successful in this linen supply business endeavor.

After all, the two racketeers were thought to be inextricably tied to one another. So young Jacobson’s success was the wily older Lansky’s success as well.

But a Hoodlum’s Still a Hoodlum

But aside from these occasional excursions into somewhat shady, but legitimate business dealings, never far below the surface and legitimate exterior of Jacobson lay his racketeer roots.

He ostensibly tried to give the impression that he was nothing more than a legitimate private businessman. A very successful and wealthy legitimate businessman, but just a businessman nonetheless.

He resided for years in a ritzy Manhattan townhouse apartment located at 160 East 61st Street.

Throughout his life, Sammy was mostly able to avoid any types of arrests over the years. But despite his best efforts, by the mid-1970s he had gotten “pinched” twice.

Once for criminal conspiracy after being named as the “kingpin” of their vast gambling operation for overseeing a $50-million dollar a year policy-numbers racket.

And a second time he was arrested for income-tax evasion after authorities tried to nail him for undeclared profits on his tax return. Ultimately, he was acquitted at trial!

One Was Quiet…The Other Two, Not So Much!

If Sammy could best be characterized as a low-key racketeer, then his two brothers were the complete opposite and anything but. Especially Ralph.

Between the two of them through the years they racked up an impressive roster of arrests for everything from vagrancy and disorderly conduct charges, to criminal usury, felonious assault, shakedowns and extortion, and contract murder.

Daniel (Danny) Jacobson was a longtime Queens resident who lived for years with his wife and family at 31-30 138th Street, Flushing.

Danny’s New York Police Department record listed at least six arrests since 1950 for gambling, disorderly conduct, usury, conspiracy, extortion, and first-degree murder. He was convicted twice, once for disorderly conduct, and once for extortion.

The Most Notorious

But by far, the most dangerous and notorious of the three Jacobson brothers was Ralph.

Ralph Jacobson, who was better known in the underworld as “Ralph the Beak” because of the prominent aquiline nose he sported that scooped at the end, stood approximately 6-feet 4-inches tall and weighed in at better than 230 pounds.

He was a giant of a man, with hands the size of catcher's mitts. And although he could be pleasant when he chose to be, Ralph the Beak was generally known to have a nasty disposition and a very foul mouth.

And he didn’t seem like a guy who cared much about making friends.

Dangerous Guys

Ralph had a lengthy police “yellow jacket” which also dated back to the early 1950s. He was considered a major underworld figure active throughout the five boroughs as well as the Long Island suburb of Nassau County where he did most of his business.

He coincidentally resided with his wife and small children in the prestigious East Birchwood section of Jericho, L.I.

Ralph Jacobson was primarily known to the authorities as a top shylock, one who was well known to be merciless in his dealings with his loan clients and in his no-nonsense collection methods. His unsavory reputation preceded him.

Ralph (The Beak) Jacobson

He built up a long criminal record over the years that listed offenses ranging from simple assault and battery, felonious assault, criminal conspiracy, violations of the state banking laws (usury), disorderly conduct, extortion (twice), coercion, state charges of loansharking (twice), first-degree murder, murder conspiracy, racketeering charges that included counts of usurious credit transactions, and federal income tax evasion.

Very Little Time

But despite his very serious and lengthy police record, amazingly Ralph spent very little time behind bars during a long and profitable underworld career.

The same can also be said for both his brothers Sam and Danny as well. It seems the Jacobson boys may have had the Star of David over their heads.

What can also be said without a doubt is that if Sam is best described as the low-keyed “shadow” racketeer that he was so admired for by his underworld contemporaries, then Ralph was the “in your face” foul-mouthed arrogant one.

His appearance alone was often enough to make recalcitrant borrowers shake in their shoes. When coupled together with his nasty demeanor and violent tendencies, there weren’t too many shylock customers willing to test “Ralph the Beak’s” patience or commitment to his trade.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Jacobson’s Brooklyn “dese and dose” vernacular and rough demeanor immediately let his customers and adversaries know who and what they were dealing with.

Their other hoodlum brother Danny’s personality seemed to fall somewhere in-between the two, but he was no slouch either.

Shakedowns, Mayhem, and Murder

That fact became clearly evident in 1971 when Queens County Assistant District Attorney Anthony V. Lombardino brought a major murder indictment against them both.

Ralph and Daniel Jacobson were two of a half dozen hoods named in a wide-ranging highly-publicized indictment targeting local organized crime figures relating to a pervasive “shakedown” and extortion racket preying on Queens restaurant and nightclub owners by reputed members of the Genovese crime family.

A year-long undercover investigation by the Queens County Rackets Squad under the supervision of ADA Lombardino had uncovered an aggressive attempt by key members and associates of the Genovese mob to first infiltrate and then conduct “shakedowns” to extort money each week from a string of liquor-licensed establishments.

Authorities alleged the ring was headed by reputed Genovese family capo Pasquale (Paddy Mack) Macchiarole, a notorious hoodlum who was quickly gaining an underworld reputation as a strong-arm man and up-and-coming mafia leader.

Over the course of several months, Macchiarole’s nephews, which included two brothers named Anthony and Thomas (Red) Delio, were part of a young gang of “toughs” sent in to first frequent and then later in the evening start fistfights with other patrons to cause a ruckus at the bar.

Some of the others arrested for these shenanigans included Queens hoodlums Anthony (Donuts) DeDona, Joseph (Doo Doo) Pastore, and several other young hoods who figured into various assaults and unruly conduct aimed against other nightclub patrons.

Conrad Geaves

The investigation kicked into high gear after a black nightclub owner named Conrad Greaves ran for help to local authorities after mob figures made repeated advances against a popular club he operated called Conrad’s Cloud Room, inside a motel adjacent to La Guardia Airport, in the Elmhurst section of Queens.

Under Paddy Macchiarole’s direct instructions, some of his crew members repeatedly “busted up” the nightclub in order to convince Greaves it was in his best interests to pay “protection.”

Several of these same young hoods had originally been arrested only months earlier on assault and extortion charges for their attempted “shakedown” of Conrad Greaves.

Crying Foul

After paying the hoods for months, Greaves eventually went to the Queens District Attorney’s Office to complain about the $400 weekly “protection” envelopes he had been paying the men.

After further investigation, Lombardino indicted the hoods for the strong-arm extortion of The Cloud Room.

But by then the authorities had probed even further and had discovered that the Macchiarole “crew” were shaking down numerous other eateries and watering holes for similar extortion payments….the hoods realized that something had to be done, and soon!

So a plan was quickly put in place to extinguish their growing problem by nipping it in the bud before it threatened to engulf them all…and the mafiosi viewed Conrad Greaves as that problem!

Problem Solved

One evening near closing time as he was closing out the cash registers and tidying up a bit before locking the nightclub’s doors for the night, Greaves was lured outside to the parking lot.

The unsuspecting nightclub owner walked out into the night and proceeded to follow the bartender Bobby Grimaldi to the underground parking garage under the guise of having a conversation with several unnamed people.

Conrad’s Cloud Room, Elmhurst

An underworld assassin stepped from the shadows and proceeded to shoot Conrad Greaves to death. Greaves was shot numerous times in the head and chest and was dead before his body hit the pavement.

He was found abandoned in the empty garage the following morning by a passerby.

A Very High-Profile Case

Queens detectives immediately opened up a homicide investigation, labeling his murder a classic “gangland-style” killing by organized crime.

Greaves' death quickly brought a halt to what had been a thriving and productive probe of the local underworld and a textbook case of how the mob operates.

But it also generated resolve among those in the Queens DAs Office to solve the Greaves homicide and bring his killers to justice.

It would take some additional months to produce what the Queens authorities felt was finally enough solid evidence to present to a local grand jury in order to bring indictments for murder.

Eventually, front-page headlines in all the daily tabloids like the New York Daily News, NYPost, Long Island Press, and Newsday, reported on the results.

Police Sweep

Picked up after a police sweep at their homes and known hangouts were Genovese family caporegime Pasquale Macchiarole and mob associates Thomas (Red) Delio, Anthony Delio, Ralph Jacobson, Daniel Jacobson, and bartender Robert Grimaldi.

All the defendants were charged with first-degree “premeditated” murder and held without bail in the death of Conrad Greaves.

It was a major case against the New York underworld, and the first time in recent history that a major mob figure had been charged in a gangland-styled “hit.”

Sam’s two brothers, Ralph and Danny, eventually took the case to trial and beat it. Good thing too, because the judge would have melted the key inside the lock to the jail cell in this case.

An embarrassed District Attorney’s Office, the lead prosecutor, the homicide detectives, as well as the court itself, all had egg on their faces.

After having touted this prosecution as a major step forward against organized crime in Queens County, law enforcement walked away with their tails between their legs.

It certainly didn’t help endear the Jacobson brothers or Paddy Macchiarole for that matter with law enforcement.

If anything, it placed even larger bullseyes on each of their backs.

Home Free and Basking in the Sunshine

By the early 1980s, it is believed that the savvy Sam Jacobson wisely decided to start spending more and more time in South Florida, far away from the epicenter of underworld intrigue and all the subsequent “heat” that it was bringing to the underworld.

His two brothers started to spend more time down in the “Sunshine State” as well. They were three very lucky fellas!

There was no exact date of Sam’s passing.

His first and last name is so common especially in the heavily Jewish communities of New York and South Florida that it was virtually impossible to track him with any certainty. And I’m sure that’s exactly how he liked it.

No more was ever publicly heard from any of the Jacobson brothers.

It’s widely believed that each of them had made lots of money during their careers in New York’s underworld. By the 1990s, they seem to have wisely faded from the scene and lived the remainder of their lives unobtrusively down south in luxury.

It’s a pretty safe assumption that our boys are long gone. If alive today, Sam and his brothers are certainly very old men. Sam himself would be well over 96 years old.

Until next time…”The Other Guy”

Samuel (Sammy the Jew) Jacobson – Meyer Lansky’s Man in New York

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Samuel (Sammy the Jew) Jacobson – Meyer Lansky’s Man in New York

Unlock This Door to the Underworld

Take the Journey!

You May Also Enjoy

Racketeer Snapshot: Lucchese Family Soldier Carlo Piccioli

A Question About The Commission

Racketeer Snapshot: Detroit Mafia Soldier “Tony the Chump” Abate

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