Purple Gang Research Paper
Purple Gang
Introduction
“As historian Paul Kavieff explains: They were predatory group and they were known for their ruthlessness, I mean they shot everybody during these hijackings, even the guys that were simply driving the trucks. What that resulted in in was that if you were making a beer delivery and were robbed by the Purples, you fought to the death, because you knew that the Purples were going to haul you out of the truck and kill you anyways” (Whitting, 2013, Pg. 57). The Purple Gang was a ruthless Prohibition era gang that terrorized the people and rival gangs of Detroit with their horrific crimes and massacres.
Purple Gang
Where they came from. The Purple Gang came from rough places without the luxuries others take for granted. …show more content…
Growing up close to each other, most of the future gang attended the same school. Dropping out slowly, only a few actually graduated high school. They came from the east side of Detroit in a district of mixed ethnic groups where they only made up 3.5 percent of Detroit's population with 34,727 people in 1920. They came from the least sought after districts in Detroit. Where death and diseases rates were at their highest, and they weren't given the luxurious other districts overlooked. They had fewer water pipes, paved roads, and street car lines extended. They lived in unsuitable houses that were poorly constructed. Most of the gang was brought up in bad environments with hazardous conditions. The gang was made up of mostly second generation American whose parents immigrated from eastern Europe such as Russia and Poland others came over as toddlers with their parents (Rockaway, 2001).
Two gangs become one. They started as two small gang committing small crimes and formed to become the most feared gang around. Starting off small they worked their way up to big crimes and making alcohol to sell during the Prohibition. They started off as two small gangs the Sugar House Gang and The Purple Gang but the Bernstein Brothers united them into one big gang instead of fighting and competing. They made their business bigger and started importing liquor from Canada. The Sugar House Gang came from their own organization a Sugar warehouse on Oakland Street (Rockaway 2001). The Oakland Sugar House started off selling corn sugar for brewers who were allowed to brew a certain amount. They became one of the biggest distributors (Walkerville Publishing, 1999). The Original Purple Gang was created By Sammy Cohen known as Sammy "Purple' and run by the Bernstein brothers (Rockaway, 2001). The original Purple Gang was young without a lot of experience, but they showed they were still important when it came to smuggling (Walkerville, 1999). They started off in 1920 as Jewish bootleggers during the prohibition of 1919-1933 and breaking laws in Detroit, Michigan. They started out small with minor felonies and worked their way up to more serious offenses such as hijacking, extortion, and armed robbery. They soon made a name for themselves (Rockaway, 2001).
Name. There are many different stories to how they became the Purple Gang. The gang stole from two men’s shops, and they said they aren't normal kids they are tainted, off color (Walkerville, 1999). It is also thought that two shopkeepers said they were purple the color of bad meat, another possibility is they wore purple shorts to go swimming. It is also thought they are named after one of the leader Sammy Cohen whose nickname was purple. They started off small and unknown, but as their crimes got worse their reputation grew and they began to strike fear in the people of Detroit (Rockaway, 2001).
Significances of the gang Business.
They made lots of money mostly bootlegging and other illegal activities. Smuggling was Detroit's second largest industry by 1929 making 300 million a year and giving jobs to 50,000 people only falling to automobile production (Rockaway, 2001) . 75% of the illegal liquor passed through Detroit (Whitting, 2013). They paid another gang, Little Jewish Navy, to transport the liquor to Michigan and started competing in Chicago and New York. They were involved in a lot of illegal activities such as illegal bars that started appearing during the Prohibition (Rockaway, 2001). They started the Wholesale Cleaners and Dryers Association to “lower” prices and keep them fair. If they didn’t pay them their business was destroyed or the owner was killed (Whitting, …show more content…
2013).
Massacres. They were involved in many massacres and killings. They learned from Charles Leiter and Henry Shorr who were old mobsters and helped them with armed robberies and extortions (Whitting, 2013). Being betrayed by three of their members, they met at Collingwood Manor Apartments “peacefully”. The traitors were shot on sight and became known as the Collingwood Manor Massacre (Detroit Historical Society, 2016). After an ally of the Purples was killed they called a meeting of truce to get revenge. At the "peaceful" meeting held by the Purples to gain revenge for the murder of their alcohol distributor, they shot and killed the three men responsible. They fired into the men until their bodies were hardly recognizable. Using the first Tommy gun ever used in Detroit gang violence (Whitting, 2013). They started to become overconfident and even killed a police officer in a street execution along with Jerry Buckley a well known man (Walkerville Publishing, 1999).
Fear. They were feared by many even high profile gangsters such as Al Capone. When Capone wanted to move to Michigan, he backed off when told to by the Purple Gang. After threatening a war with Capone, he agreed to buy from them and stay out of Detroit. The Purple Gang and Al Capone worked together after they made their agreement and the Purples helped Capone with the St. Valentine’s Massacre. Working together, the Purple Gang and Capone's gang carried out the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The Purple Gang tricked George Moran gang by pretending to send a shipment of alcohol to him. The alcohol never got there and all 7 of Moran's gang members were killed. Luckily for Moran, he never showed. The Purples have been held responsible for 500 deaths more than any gang in Chicago (Whitting, 2013).
Uncinvictable.
During their prime, cops had a hard time convicting them. To stay out of trouble they founded the fake Art Novelty Company. Using their fake company, they disguised their shipments as art to get away with sending illegal alcohol across the U.S (Walkerville Publishing,1999). Police had a hard time convicting the Purple Gang for their crimes since they couldn't find witnesses to prove them guilty. Since they controlled Detroit's underworld, witnesses refused to testify against them in their trials (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). Using the money they made in illegal activities, they put some of it into paying off the cops (Whitting,
2013).
Downfall. They started to fall apart in the early 1930's marking the end of their control over Detroit. Coming to an end in 1935, the Purple Gang's alliance fell apart losing control over Detroit and what went on there. The gang's downfall ultimately started when their own men started turning on them (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). As the alcohol became legal and other gangs grew more powerful, the Purple Gang fell apart as members were sent to jail and other scrambled to other states such as California (Whitting, 2013). Ray Bernstein along with two other gang members were sent to jail for life when the Police finally got a witness to prove them guilty in the Collingwood Manor Massacre (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). As his brother Ray was in prison, Abe ran casinos in Miami and attempted to free his brother. He also mentored other rising gangs taking over Detroit (Whitting, 2013).
Conclusion
The Purple Gang was ruthless and not afraid of anyone; they pushed the people and rival gangs of Detroit around without effort. They came from hard places that motivated them to take over Detroit’s underworld. In their prime they had so much power other gangs such as Al Capone’s gang backed down to them and police could never convict them. They were and always will be the most ruthless gang around.
Introduction
“As historian Paul Kavieff explains: They were predatory group and they were known for their ruthlessness, I mean they shot everybody during these hijackings, even the guys that were simply driving the trucks. What that resulted in in was that if you were making a beer delivery and were robbed by the Purples, you fought to the death, because you knew that the Purples were going to haul you out of the truck and kill you anyways” (Whitting, 2013, Pg. 57). The Purple Gang was a ruthless Prohibition era gang that terrorized the people and rival gangs of Detroit with their horrific crimes and massacres.
Purple Gang
Where they came from. The Purple Gang came from rough places without the luxuries others take for granted. …show more content…
Growing up close to each other, most of the future gang attended the same school. Dropping out slowly, only a few actually graduated high school. They came from the east side of Detroit in a district of mixed ethnic groups where they only made up 3.5 percent of Detroit's population with 34,727 people in 1920. They came from the least sought after districts in Detroit. Where death and diseases rates were at their highest, and they weren't given the luxurious other districts overlooked. They had fewer water pipes, paved roads, and street car lines extended. They lived in unsuitable houses that were poorly constructed. Most of the gang was brought up in bad environments with hazardous conditions. The gang was made up of mostly second generation American whose parents immigrated from eastern Europe such as Russia and Poland others came over as toddlers with their parents (Rockaway, 2001).
Two gangs become one. They started as two small gang committing small crimes and formed to become the most feared gang around. Starting off small they worked their way up to big crimes and making alcohol to sell during the Prohibition. They started off as two small gangs the Sugar House Gang and The Purple Gang but the Bernstein Brothers united them into one big gang instead of fighting and competing. They made their business bigger and started importing liquor from Canada. The Sugar House Gang came from their own organization a Sugar warehouse on Oakland Street (Rockaway 2001). The Oakland Sugar House started off selling corn sugar for brewers who were allowed to brew a certain amount. They became one of the biggest distributors (Walkerville Publishing, 1999). The Original Purple Gang was created By Sammy Cohen known as Sammy "Purple' and run by the Bernstein brothers (Rockaway, 2001). The original Purple Gang was young without a lot of experience, but they showed they were still important when it came to smuggling (Walkerville, 1999). They started off in 1920 as Jewish bootleggers during the prohibition of 1919-1933 and breaking laws in Detroit, Michigan. They started out small with minor felonies and worked their way up to more serious offenses such as hijacking, extortion, and armed robbery. They soon made a name for themselves (Rockaway, 2001).
Name. There are many different stories to how they became the Purple Gang. The gang stole from two men’s shops, and they said they aren't normal kids they are tainted, off color (Walkerville, 1999). It is also thought that two shopkeepers said they were purple the color of bad meat, another possibility is they wore purple shorts to go swimming. It is also thought they are named after one of the leader Sammy Cohen whose nickname was purple. They started off small and unknown, but as their crimes got worse their reputation grew and they began to strike fear in the people of Detroit (Rockaway, 2001).
Significances of the gang Business.
They made lots of money mostly bootlegging and other illegal activities. Smuggling was Detroit's second largest industry by 1929 making 300 million a year and giving jobs to 50,000 people only falling to automobile production (Rockaway, 2001) . 75% of the illegal liquor passed through Detroit (Whitting, 2013). They paid another gang, Little Jewish Navy, to transport the liquor to Michigan and started competing in Chicago and New York. They were involved in a lot of illegal activities such as illegal bars that started appearing during the Prohibition (Rockaway, 2001). They started the Wholesale Cleaners and Dryers Association to “lower” prices and keep them fair. If they didn’t pay them their business was destroyed or the owner was killed (Whitting, …show more content…
2013).
Massacres. They were involved in many massacres and killings. They learned from Charles Leiter and Henry Shorr who were old mobsters and helped them with armed robberies and extortions (Whitting, 2013). Being betrayed by three of their members, they met at Collingwood Manor Apartments “peacefully”. The traitors were shot on sight and became known as the Collingwood Manor Massacre (Detroit Historical Society, 2016). After an ally of the Purples was killed they called a meeting of truce to get revenge. At the "peaceful" meeting held by the Purples to gain revenge for the murder of their alcohol distributor, they shot and killed the three men responsible. They fired into the men until their bodies were hardly recognizable. Using the first Tommy gun ever used in Detroit gang violence (Whitting, 2013). They started to become overconfident and even killed a police officer in a street execution along with Jerry Buckley a well known man (Walkerville Publishing, 1999).
Fear. They were feared by many even high profile gangsters such as Al Capone. When Capone wanted to move to Michigan, he backed off when told to by the Purple Gang. After threatening a war with Capone, he agreed to buy from them and stay out of Detroit. The Purple Gang and Al Capone worked together after they made their agreement and the Purples helped Capone with the St. Valentine’s Massacre. Working together, the Purple Gang and Capone's gang carried out the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The Purple Gang tricked George Moran gang by pretending to send a shipment of alcohol to him. The alcohol never got there and all 7 of Moran's gang members were killed. Luckily for Moran, he never showed. The Purples have been held responsible for 500 deaths more than any gang in Chicago (Whitting, 2013).
Uncinvictable.
During their prime, cops had a hard time convicting them. To stay out of trouble they founded the fake Art Novelty Company. Using their fake company, they disguised their shipments as art to get away with sending illegal alcohol across the U.S (Walkerville Publishing,1999). Police had a hard time convicting the Purple Gang for their crimes since they couldn't find witnesses to prove them guilty. Since they controlled Detroit's underworld, witnesses refused to testify against them in their trials (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). Using the money they made in illegal activities, they put some of it into paying off the cops (Whitting,
2013).
Downfall. They started to fall apart in the early 1930's marking the end of their control over Detroit. Coming to an end in 1935, the Purple Gang's alliance fell apart losing control over Detroit and what went on there. The gang's downfall ultimately started when their own men started turning on them (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). As the alcohol became legal and other gangs grew more powerful, the Purple Gang fell apart as members were sent to jail and other scrambled to other states such as California (Whitting, 2013). Ray Bernstein along with two other gang members were sent to jail for life when the Police finally got a witness to prove them guilty in the Collingwood Manor Massacre (Detroit Historical Society, 2015). As his brother Ray was in prison, Abe ran casinos in Miami and attempted to free his brother. He also mentored other rising gangs taking over Detroit (Whitting, 2013).
Conclusion
The Purple Gang was ruthless and not afraid of anyone; they pushed the people and rival gangs of Detroit around without effort. They came from hard places that motivated them to take over Detroit’s underworld. In their prime they had so much power other gangs such as Al Capone’s gang backed down to them and police could never convict them. They were and always will be the most ruthless gang around.