Harry Sagansky: Difference between revisions

Harry J. Sagansky
Harry J. Sagansky
Born	January 6, 1898; Boston, Massachusetts, US
Died	January 28, 1997 (aged 99); Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Israel
Alma mater	Tufts University
Occupation	Mobster

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Harry J. "Doc" Sagansky (January 6, 1898 – January 28, 1997) was an American crime boss of Jewish descent. Active in Boston, Sagansky controlled one of city's largest bookmaking operations during the 1950s. He is also the oldest American Mafia associate to serve a federal prison sentence at the age of 91.

Biography

Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, to first generation Jewish-American immigrants from Lithuania, Sagansky sold newspapers while working his way through school and eventually graduating in dentistry from Tufts University in 1918. Opening a practice at a pharmacy which doubled as a covert liquor store at Scollay Square, he would become involved in illegal gambling during Prohibition.

By 1931, he began investing in several businesses, including part ownership of two Boston nightclubs. He also operated a loan agency, which authorities suspected was worth an estimated $90 million.^[when?] In 1943, he was arrested during a police raid on one of his gambling dens. He was later charged with his role in the gambling syndicate and served a prison sentence^[1] for attempting to bribe a city official for political protection for a "Beano game". He was a business partner of Michael Redstone, the father of Sumner Redstone, who was the CEO of Viacom until his death in 2020.

During the 1950s, his involvement in illegal gambling operations was investigated by the Kefauver hearings, where authorities would claim it was "the largest racket kingdom in existence in the city of Boston".

Throughout his life, Sagansky was a philanthropist, donating money to Beth Israel Hospital and to Tufts Dental School. He was an early, and major, contributor to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel.

He died of natural causes in 1997 at Beth Israel Hospital, aged 99. He was survived by three sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

References

^ "Heads of Boston Police Indicted in Plot to Permit Gaming Houses; Heads of Police Indicted in Boston" (PDF). The New York Times. March 28, 1943. p. 1.(subscription required)

External links

South Coast Today - Obituaries: Harry Sagansky, 99
James Brann (April 1997). "A 'Philanthropist' Dies". American Journalism Review.
https://web.archive.org/web/20120811035130/http://www.bostonhitman.com/Harry%20(Doc%20Jasper)%20Sagansky.htm
Harry Sagansky v. United States of America, on Petition For A Writ Of Certiorari To The United States Court Of Appeals For the First Circuit

[1] "Heads of Boston Police Indicted in Plot to Permit Gaming Houses; Heads of Police Indicted in Boston" (PDF). The New York Times. March 28, 1943. p. 1.(subscription required)

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{nofootnotes|date=August 2008}}
+{{use mdy dates|date=May 2016}}
+{{more citations needed|date=May 2016}}
+{{Infobox criminal
+| name        = Harry J. Sagansky
+| birth_date  = {{birth date|1898|1|6}}
+| birth_place = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], US
+| death_date  = {{death date and age|1997|1|28|1898|1|6}}
+| death_place = [[Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center]], Israel
+| alma_mater  = [[Tufts University]]
+| occupation  = Mobster
+}}
+'''Harry J. "Doc" Sagansky''' (January 6, 1898 – January 28, 1997) was an American [[crime boss]] of Jewish descent. Active in [[Boston]], Sagansky controlled one of city's largest bookmaking operations during the 1950s. He is also the oldest [[American Mafia]] associate to serve a federal prison sentence at the age of 91.
+==Biography==
-'''Harry J. "Doc" Sagansky''' ([[January 6]], [[1898]]-[[January 28]], [[1997]]) was a Jewish organized crime figure in Boston who controlled one of city's largest bookmaking operations during the 1950s. He is also the oldest organized crime figure to serve a federal prison sentence at the age of 91.
+Growing up in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], to first generation Jewish-American immigrants from Lithuania, Sagansky sold newspapers while working his way through school and eventually graduating in dentistry from [[Tufts University]] in 1918. Opening a practice at a pharmacy which doubled as a covert liquor store at [[Scollay Square]], he would become involved in illegal gambling during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]].
+By 1931, he began investing in several businesses, including part ownership of two Boston nightclubs. He also operated a loan agency, which authorities suspected was worth an estimated $90 million.{{when|date=February 2021}} In 1943, he was arrested during a police raid on one of his gambling dens. He was later charged with his role in the gambling syndicate and served a prison sentence<ref>{{cite news |title=Heads of Boston Police Indicted in Plot to Permit Gaming Houses; Heads of Police Indicted in Boston |date=March 28, 1943 |page=1 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1943/03/28/83910731.pdf}}{{subscription required}}</ref> for attempting to bribe a city official for political protection for a "[[Bingo (American version)|Beano game]]". He was a business partner of [[Michael Redstone]], the father of [[Sumner Redstone]], who was the CEO of [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] until his death in 2020.
-==Biography==
-Growing up in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] to first generation [[Jewish-American]] immigrants from [[Lithuania]], Sagansky sold newspapers while working his way through school and eventually graduating in [[dentistry]] from [[Tufts University]] in 1918. Opening a practice at a liquor store at Scollay Square, he would become involved in illegal gambling during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]].
+During the 1950s, his involvement in illegal gambling operations was investigated by the [[Kefauver hearings]], where authorities would claim it was "the largest racket kingdom in existence in the city of Boston".
-By 1931, he began investing in several businesses including part ownership of two Boston nightclubs and operated a loan agency, which authorities suspected was worth an estimated $90 million. In 1943, he was arrested during a police raid on one of his gambling dens. He would later be charged with his role in the gambling syndicate and served a prison sentence for attempting to bribe a city official for political protection for a "Beano game". He was a business partner of [[Michael Redstone]], the father of [[Sumner Redstone]] who is currently the CEO of [[Viacom]].
+Throughout his life, Sagansky was a philanthropist, donating money to [[Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center|Beth Israel Hospital]] and to [[Tufts University School of Dental Medicine|Tufts Dental School]]. He was an early, and major, contributor to [[Ben-Gurion University of the Negev]] in [[Beersheba]], Israel.
-During the 1950s, his involvement in illegal gambling operations was investigated by the [[Kefauver hearings]] which authorities would claim was "the largest racket kingdom in existence in the city of Boston." By the 1970s he had a close physical resemblance to an elderly [[United States Senator]] [[Barry Goldwater]].
+He died of natural causes in 1997 at [[Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center|Beth Israel Hospital]], aged 99. He was survived by three sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
-Throughout his life, Sagansky was a [[philanthropist]] whose donations towards Beth Israel Hospital would help contribute a nursing station and an observation unit as well as his his alma mater Tufts Dental School. He later died of natural causes while at [[Brandeis University]]'s [[Beth Israel Hospital]] at the age of 99.
+==References==
-"Doc" was survived by three sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
+{{reflist}}
 ==Further reading==
-*Hersh, Seymour M. ''The Dark Side of Camelot''. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1997. ISBN 0-316-35955-6
+*[[Seymour Hersh|Hersh, Seymour M.]] ''[[The Dark Side of Camelot]]''. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1997. {{ISBN|0-316-35955-6}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/01-97/01-31-97/zzzddobi.htm South Coast Today - Obituaries: Harry Sagansky, 99]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050106122524/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/01-97/01-31-97/zzzddobi.htm South Coast Today - Obituaries: Harry Sagansky, 99]
+*{{cite web |author=James Brann |title=A 'Philanthropist' Dies |date=April 1997 |work=American Journalism Review |url=http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=2256}}
+*https://web.archive.org/web/20120811035130/http://www.bostonhitman.com/Harry%20(Doc%20Jasper)%20Sagansky.htm
 *[http://www.usdoj.gov/osg/briefs/1987/sg870111.txt Harry Sagansky v. United States of America], on Petition For A Writ Of Certiorari To The United States Court Of Appeals For the First Circuit
-*[http://humor.catweasel.org/Site1/Digests/H9702010.php#Joke7 The Grandfather of all Bookmakers] by Mike Barnicle, Boston Globe
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sagansky, Harry}}
 [[Category:1898 births]]
 [[Category:1997 deaths]]
-[[Category:Jewish American mobsters]]
+[[Category:Jewish American gangsters]]
 [[Category:Tufts University alumni]]
+[[Category:20th-century American philanthropists]]
+[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]