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Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America

Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America

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  • Create Date：2022-05-08 17:21:37
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Michael Benson
  • ISBN：0806541792
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Summary

The stunning true story of the rise of Nazism in America in the years leading to WWII—and the fearless Jewish gangsters and crime families who joined forces to fight back。 With an intense cinematic style， acclaimed nonfiction crime author Michael Benson reveals the thrilling role of Jewish mobsters like Bugsy Siegel in stomping out the terrifying tide of Nazi sympathizers during the 1930s and 1940s。

As Adolph Hitler rose to power in 1930s Germany， a growing wave of fascism began to take root on American soil。 Nazi activists started to gather in major American cities， and by 1933， there were more than one-hundred anti-Semitic groups operating openly in the United States。 Few Americans dared to speak out or fight back--until an organized resistance of notorious mobsters waged their own personal war against the Nazis in their midst。 Gangland-style。。。

In this thrilling blow-by-blow account， acclaimed crime writer Michael Benson uncovers the shocking truth about the insidious rise of Nazism in America--and the Jewish mobsters who stomped it out。 Learn about:

* Nazi Town， USA: How one Long Island community named a street after Hitler， decorated buildings with swastikas， and set up a camp to teach US citizens how to goosestep。

* Meyer Lansky， Longy Zwillman， and Murder Inc。: How Meyer Lansky led fifteen stone-cold killers from Murder， Inc。 on a mission to bust heads at a Brown Shirt rally in Manhattan。

* Fritz Kuhn， "The Vest-Pocket Hitler" How a German immigrant spread Nazi propaganda through the American Bund in New York City--with 70 branches across the US。

* Newark Nazis vs The Minutemen: How a Jewish resistance group， led by a prize fighter and bootlegger for the mob， waged war on the Bund in the streets of Newark。

* Hitler in Hollywoodland: How Sunset Strip kingpin Mickey Cohen knocked two Brown Shirters' heads together--and became the West Coast champion in the mob's war on Nazis。

Packed with surprising， little-known facts， graphic details， and unforgettable personalities， Gangsters vs。 Nazis chronicles the mob's most ruthless tactics in taking down fascism--inspiring ordinary Americans to join them in their fight。 The book culminates in one of the most infamous events of the pre-war era--the 1939 Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden--in which law-abiding citizens stood alongside hardened criminals to fight for the soul of a nation。 This is the story of the mob that's rarely told--and one of the most fascinating chapters in American history。 And American organized crime。

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Reviews

Renee ，

I was lucky enough to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway。I learned so many things that I didn’t know about the Nazis in the United States。Even though the gangsters were not upstanding citizens， they proved themselves to be more patriotic then our supposed upstanding citizens。I found this book fascinating and highly recommend it。

Kristen Morris ，

I listened to the audio version of “Gangsters vs。 Nazis” and felt average。

Lawanda ，

So much unknown-to-me history！ So much research went into it and then the writing turned those facts into a delicious read。 Audiobook performed by Gabriel Vaughn

Tom Schulte ，

This is a fascinating and detail history of Meyer Lansky's Jewish ruffians roughing up attendees at meetings of the German American Bund。 This was an organization of ethnic Germans living in the US that held a pro-Nazi， anti-Semitic， and US isolationist agenda。 It is interesting that they promoted a immigration/replacement influx conspiracy theory not unlike today's extreme right-wing。 Jack Ruby makes a cameo in the punch-ups which is one of a couple of threads that will be of interest to JFK as This is a fascinating and detail history of Meyer Lansky's Jewish ruffians roughing up attendees at meetings of the German American Bund。 This was an organization of ethnic Germans living in the US that held a pro-Nazi， anti-Semitic， and US isolationist agenda。 It is interesting that they promoted a immigration/replacement influx conspiracy theory not unlike today's extreme right-wing。 Jack Ruby makes a cameo in the punch-ups which is one of a couple of threads that will be of interest to JFK assassination researchers。 。。。more

J Earl ，

Gangsters vs。 Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America， by Michael Benson， is a fascinating and engaging account of the seldom discussed opposition to the spread of Nazism and virulent nationalism during the WWII era。A decade ago I would have said that the type of hate-filled nationalism and antisemitism that was growing in the US during the 1930s was unthinkable any longer， but as 2016 showed， I would have been wrong。 As Hitler and the Nazi regime spread across Europe， groups Gangsters vs。 Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America， by Michael Benson， is a fascinating and engaging account of the seldom discussed opposition to the spread of Nazism and virulent nationalism during the WWII era。A decade ago I would have said that the type of hate-filled nationalism and antisemitism that was growing in the US during the 1930s was unthinkable any longer， but as 2016 showed， I would have been wrong。 As Hitler and the Nazi regime spread across Europe， groups arose here that supported not just what was happening there but seeking something similar here。 It took a somewhat unlikely group to stand up openly and aggressively against， the Jewish mobsters。This book presents the facts of the events in a manner that at times reads like a novel。 It is compelling both as history （and a cautionary tale for our time） and a narrative of that moment in history。 A page turner， yes， but also information that should make us question many elements of life we take for granted。 People who are still largely viewed as American heroes today， such as Ford and Lindbergh， were openly antisemitic and extremely isolationist。 And they did not stand out as particularly extreme to many Americans， much like today's Qanon nutjobs。I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was very good。 Gabriel Vaughan provided enough drama in his voice to make the scenes come alive but without going so far that the more fact-giving sections became boring。 The book， and the narration， flowed such that the context and the events blended seamlessly。I would recommend this to those interested in 20th century US social and political history as well as those who simply enjoy well-written history of any type。 I would also recommend to those who， like myself， have seen and understand that the past few years in the US has many parallels to 1930s Germany but forget that the parallels are also to 1930s US。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Lindsay Nixon ，

This book *substantially* altered my view on mobsters/the mafia， and shifted my （perhaps rosy glasses/hollywood romanticized assumption） about the political climate/social view surroundingWWII and the Nazis in America （particularly in Brooklyn， NYC and LA）。 I cannot believe how strong a Nazi presence was in America in several cities （including the midwest！）。 Perhaps most importantly， this book reminded me that monsters are not always monsters。 That is， people who do "bad acts" are not always bad This book *substantially* altered my view on mobsters/the mafia， and shifted my （perhaps rosy glasses/hollywood romanticized assumption） about the political climate/social view surroundingWWII and the Nazis in America （particularly in Brooklyn， NYC and LA）。 I cannot believe how strong a Nazi presence was in America in several cities （including the midwest！）。 Perhaps most importantly， this book reminded me that monsters are not always monsters。 That is， people who do "bad acts" are not always bad eggs。 This isn't to excuse or justify the crimes they may commit， but rather to remember humans are complex and even "bad" people are not bad all the time。 Overall， I found the book and subject matter fascinating and the author did a great job weaving facts with storyline narrative to make it more relatable， interesting， and not too academic or dry。 I thought it was well-organized as well。 My only 'complaint' is there are so many characters that I sometimes had difficulty following or remembering who someone is。 The author did a good job of trying to jog my memory with context sometimes， but I still struggled。 I'd love to see this made into a documentary-series。 I think faces to go with the names would help。 As a Jewish person， I also want to thank the author immensely for detailing a portion of our history。Thank you netgalley for my ARC。 I look forward to another listen when the book comes out。 。。。more

Alicia Kozak ，

Since the Mafia and WW2 Nazi Germany are two big interests of mine， this book was of course a must-read。 I've never read another book that combines these two or really even mentions their dealings with one another。 The author provides us with an entertaining， well-researched， new look at the time period and two major groups in history。 Since the Mafia and WW2 Nazi Germany are two big interests of mine， this book was of course a must-read。 I've never read another book that combines these two or really even mentions their dealings with one another。 The author provides us with an entertaining， well-researched， new look at the time period and two major groups in history。 。。。more

Sharron ，

OUTSTANDING！！！！！ Michael Benson is an excellent writer。 “Gangsters vs Nazis” is so intriguing， you can’t put it down。 The detailed descriptions of events & characters was magnificent。 I was in awe of the Jew Gangsters & their ability to outwit & maneuver around certain situations。 I had no idea the Nazis were in our Country trying to take over。 I was right there with the gangster knocking the heads of our adversaries。 If Mr。 Benson had written our school text books when I was in school 40+ years OUTSTANDING！！！！！ Michael Benson is an excellent writer。 “Gangsters vs Nazis” is so intriguing， you can’t put it down。 The detailed descriptions of events & characters was magnificent。 I was in awe of the Jew Gangsters & their ability to outwit & maneuver around certain situations。 I had no idea the Nazis were in our Country trying to take over。 I was right there with the gangster knocking the heads of our adversaries。 If Mr。 Benson had written our school text books when I was in school 40+ years ago， we would have had truer view of our USA & the world。 Thank you Mr。 Benson for an excellent read。 。。。more

Sasha ，

〰️Back in the 30’s， as Hitler rose to power in Germany， many people in America were convinced that Hitler had the right idea; that the Jews were to blame for many of the problems that the country was facing。 As these anti-Semitic group began to grow in number and spread across the country a surprising group–the mob–decided， with a bit of encouragement from some unexpected sources， to take matters into their own hands， waging their own war against the Nazi groups as they attempted to spread their 〰️Back in the 30’s， as Hitler rose to power in Germany， many people in America were convinced that Hitler had the right idea; that the Jews were to blame for many of the problems that the country was facing。 As these anti-Semitic group began to grow in number and spread across the country a surprising group–the mob–decided， with a bit of encouragement from some unexpected sources， to take matters into their own hands， waging their own war against the Nazi groups as they attempted to spread their massage of hate throughout many major cities in the United States。📖Story: If Gangsters vs Nazis was the sort of history that was taught to me as a child I would have had a love for history that I simply did not have。 This book was fascinating and extremely informative。 I liked the way in which the novel was set up， focusing on one area of the country at a time。 I also liked that it was full of factual information without coming across as dry or boring; I was hooked rather quickly and intrigued by the topic， especially the mob aspect of things。 Gangsters vs Nazis was a page-turner that I really enjoyed。🎧Narration: Gabriel Vaughan’s narration was well done。 The tone used was very fitting to the topic–it almost sounded like a news report–and it flowed well as I listened to the novel。 While minor， I also liked listening to the pronunciation of names and places that I would have never known how to say。 〰️If you enjoy novels about history or the mob I highly recommend Gangsters vs Nazis by Michael Benson; it is an entertaining and informative novel。 Thank you to Citadel Press and Kensington Books for gifting to me an early copy of Gangsters vs Nazis， as well as NetGalley and Tantor Audio for gifting to me an advanced audiobook， both given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Nick Crisanti ，

**I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway。**

Katherine ，

An enlightening read that highlights further issues in American history。 Disturbing echoes in history are recounted with eerie parallels in recent events。 A valuable read/listen for any American。

Ira Smith ，

One of the least boring non fiction books I’ve ever listened to， Gangsters vs。 Nazis is superbly narrated by Gabriel Vaughan。 It’s an excellent retelling of a little known chapter in American history in the years leading up to WW2。 Jewish gangsters were recruited by a Jewish judge to literally fight the pro German organizations in the US， who were espousing Hitler’s antisemitic garbage。 They broke up rallies （violently but short of killing）， and supporters also helped infiltrate the German Ameri One of the least boring non fiction books I’ve ever listened to， Gangsters vs。 Nazis is superbly narrated by Gabriel Vaughan。 It’s an excellent retelling of a little known chapter in American history in the years leading up to WW2。 Jewish gangsters were recruited by a Jewish judge to literally fight the pro German organizations in the US， who were espousing Hitler’s antisemitic garbage。 They broke up rallies （violently but short of killing）， and supporters also helped infiltrate the German American Bund， and also the Silver Shirts， an antisemitic organization。 The book gives background to many of the main characters on both sides， and recounts the nationwide effort at bringing down these groups。 Some of the narration was very humorous。 An excellent addition to Jewish American history。My thanks to Tantor Audio and to Netgalley for providing an ALC of this excellent book。 。。。more

Glenn Stenquist ，

Extremely informative， interesting and enjoyable to read 。 A+

Jan ，

This is the way that nonfiction history OUGHT to be presented！Certainly， there is some salty language， violence， attitudes no longer acceptable （some never should have been but were）， and some VERY unpleasant truths。 But all in all， it is a terrific read！ The intro ties it all with some attitudes of today by telling us that in Captain America Comics #1 which hit the newsstands a full year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor when so much of the US was still in denial about the vile things happenin This is the way that nonfiction history OUGHT to be presented！Certainly， there is some salty language， violence， attitudes no longer acceptable （some never should have been but were）， and some VERY unpleasant truths。 But all in all， it is a terrific read！ The intro ties it all with some attitudes of today by telling us that in Captain America Comics #1 which hit the newsstands a full year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor when so much of the US was still in denial about the vile things happening in Europe， and The Captain showed what needed to be done and threw the first punch （but not the last）。From there on， the lesser-known history of the happenings in the US is presented clearly and bluntly but with wit and attitude。 The publisher's blurb does a good job of getting readers interested， but you have to read the book to really appreciate it all。 Great read！I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Citadel via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more

Ilean ，

Abandoned。

Avis Gill ，

This historical non-fiction book tells about the fearless Jewish gangsters， with the help of the Mafia， that I’ve never heard about in any of my history classes while in school。 This book should be used as a teaching of historical events and how some Americans were for Hitler and tried to infiltrate the Nazi agenda。 Those people should have been deported as traitors and not allowed to remain in Our Country。 Yes， I know about the mafia and their crimes and I’m not saying what they did in most of This historical non-fiction book tells about the fearless Jewish gangsters， with the help of the Mafia， that I’ve never heard about in any of my history classes while in school。 This book should be used as a teaching of historical events and how some Americans were for Hitler and tried to infiltrate the Nazi agenda。 Those people should have been deported as traitors and not allowed to remain in Our Country。 Yes， I know about the mafia and their crimes and I’m not saying what they did in most of their crimes was right—-but—-they did step up to the plate when it came to helping our government prevent being taken over by Nazi propaganda and bring Our Country to be ruled by Hitler。 You’ll read about Hollywood stars， producers， rallies and little known facts of the 1930’s and early 40’s who were Nazi sympathizers。 During these times few Americans dared to speak out or fight back—until an organized resistance of notorious mobsters waged their own battle against the Nazi’s in their midst！Fascinating， eye-opening information about the violent struggle between home-brewed storm troopers and an army of unlikely patriots！ Highly recommend read。 。。。more

thewanderingjew ，

The book was not only informative， it was entertaining， which was a hard thing to accomplish when one considers the subject matter。 Still， the author did just that。 For me， the book was particularly engaging because I am Jewish， my dad was a contemporary of many of the gangsters and an immigrant from Russia， like so many of them。 While we did not associate with them， we knew of them。 We lived in Brooklyn， and I was familiar with the areas mentioned in the book。 My uncles fought in the Golden Glo The book was not only informative， it was entertaining， which was a hard thing to accomplish when one considers the subject matter。 Still， the author did just that。 For me， the book was particularly engaging because I am Jewish， my dad was a contemporary of many of the gangsters and an immigrant from Russia， like so many of them。 While we did not associate with them， we knew of them。 We lived in Brooklyn， and I was familiar with the areas mentioned in the book。 My uncles fought in the Golden Gloves。 My aunt had Bugsy Siegel’s picture in her photo album。 Abe Reles’ family lived within walking distance from my house， albeit with a change of last name。 After reading this book， I learned that the lives of my family and the lives of the gangsters had many different dimensions。 I didn’t know about the German organizations that had tried to spread Hitler’s Aryan supremacy in the United States。 I had not heard of the German Bund in America or of the Silver Shirts， before reading this book。 I didn’t realize the breadth of my father’s fear of the taint of Communism until after I read it。 Also， at one time， I lived in Minnesota， near St。 Louis Park。 I learned that it was once a haven for Gentiles who didn’t want Jews in their neighborhood。 Ironically， when I lived there， it was a haven for religious Jews and was called St。 Jewish Park behind closed doors。I have read extensively on anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and still never knew about this part of America’s history with mobsters fighting Nazis。 I did not know that there were German-American organizations actively recruiting people to support Hitler’s National Socialism。 I knew that Minnesota had a large pro- German， Nazi contingent， and anti-Semitism was alive and well there when I lived there too， but I did not know about the Nazi camps in the Catskills that taught children to hate。 They inserted themselves in The Borscht Belt， the Jewish Haven， to recruit and convert them to Hitler’s demented plan。 The book gave me a whole different viewpoint about the idea of Jews going to the slaughter like lambs， during the Holocaust。 These Jews fought back， albeit in America。 In Germany， it was almost impossible to resist the mounting hate and anti-Semitic policies， but there was a strong Underground effort to stop Hitler。 The mood of America， politically however， was anti-war， and the powers that be were also not always for the cause of Jews。 In some ways， the current war in Ukraine is suffering from the same malaise in world opinion。I grew up being ashamed of Murder Inc。， not wanting to be associated with hoods in any way。 After reading this book， I wish that most of them had not ended up so badly， because when they were called upon to defend against antisemitism， they did not shrink from the responsibility。 As the reader gets to glimpse into their lives， they will discover that wherever they lived and “worked”， they were not cowardly thugs， but sometimes brave men willing to fight for their Jewish brethren when others would not or could not。 In fact， no one is all bad or all good。 In America， incongruously， a judge， a rabbi， and a gangster made strange bedfellows， but they indeed slept together to fight hate。 How they did it is the subject of this book， and it is a wild story that takes place， largely， over a short period of time。 The author tells it with a sense of humor。 He traces the history of these gangsters and he softens their edges， as he explains how they fought the influence of the Nazis in America， even when FDR did not。 These were men who had been guilty of some pretty heinous crimes， but they rose to the occasion and performed heroically when called upon。 Many of the names will be new to the reader， but some like Mickey Cohen， Meyer Lansky， Bugsy Siegel， Abe Reles， et al， will be on the tip of everyone’s tongues。 Suffice it to say， these hoodlums and gang members knew how to be heroes as well as villains， and they worked well with their counterparts， who worked for law and order， in order to humiliate and stop the anti-Semitic effort of some wrongheaded Germans in the United States， Germans who were trying to awaken Hitler’s Aryan dream in America。Judge Nathan Perlman， Rabbi Steven Wise and a gangster， Meyer Lansky， engineered a plan and worked together to fight Nazis。 They worked tirelessly to organize the only people who could get away with the effort to defeat the pro-Hitler American-Germans who strutted in their uniforms and displayed their swastikas while shouting Heil Hitler。 It is sad to think that there was so much support for Hitler in my own America， but happily， there was a group that could work under the radar to show them that Jews were not to be trifled with， by anyone， ever。 。。。more

Laura ，

I was looking forward to learning about this interesting part of WWII history and I was not disappointed。 This book is really informative and easy to read。 I am not sure about some of the author's claims， such as Henry Ford being the greatest Fascist in America， but overall it was well written and very enjoyable。 If you like history， I really think you should try this one。 I was looking forward to learning about this interesting part of WWII history and I was not disappointed。 This book is really informative and easy to read。 I am not sure about some of the author's claims， such as Henry Ford being the greatest Fascist in America， but overall it was well written and very enjoyable。 If you like history， I really think you should try this one。 。。。more

Martha ，

I found this book fascinating。 I had always heard about the "Gangsters" helping out during WWII， but never realized how much they did until reading this book。I really enjoyed the history， and learning the things I learned from it。 I found this book fascinating。 I had always heard about the "Gangsters" helping out during WWII， but never realized how much they did until reading this book。I really enjoyed the history， and learning the things I learned from it。 。。。more

Mary Nee ，

An easy to read page turner that was both entertaining and informative！

Bob Duncan ，

I enjoyed this book very much。 I learned a lot of history。 I never knew this side of history before。 I would highly recommend this book。 Thanks

Zeb Kantrowitz ，

This book is as much fun as the title implies。 During the middle 1930s， a lot of the gangs that ran numbers， alcohol and gambling were headed by Jews。 Bugsy Siegal and Myer Lansky are the two who come to mind。 These are some of the Jews who made up the tough Jews who included many boxers and athletes。 These guys were no pushovers and they proved it to everybody。But this was also the times of Henry Ford and his anti-semetic newspaper， Father Coughlin and his radio broadcasts， and the Nazi Bund on This book is as much fun as the title implies。 During the middle 1930s， a lot of the gangs that ran numbers， alcohol and gambling were headed by Jews。 Bugsy Siegal and Myer Lansky are the two who come to mind。 These are some of the Jews who made up the tough Jews who included many boxers and athletes。 These guys were no pushovers and they proved it to everybody。But this was also the times of Henry Ford and his anti-semetic newspaper， Father Coughlin and his radio broadcasts， and the Nazi Bund on Long Island。 A Rabbi in New York thought it was a good time to show these wanna-be Nazis that they couldn't just go around bad-mouthing Jews。 This was America， not Germany。 So many of the Jewish hoods formed groups who would go in an break-up meetings and recruitment by these groups （The Silver Shirts）。 They were very successful to the point that in some cities they were never heard from again。 It's a fun story。 。。。more

Helaina Chiofolo ，

The pros: historical non fiction written bill orilley style， with a flair that makes you feel like you’re reading fiction。 Packed to the brim with facts。 Descriptive scene setting， often i felt as if i was plucked from my couch and placed in 1930s Chicago （or Newark or Brooklyn）， watching some hot shot tough guys beat up sniveling nazis in the streets。 The cons: it was a little too descriptive at times， adding too many details per Jewish gangsters kept derailing me from the point of the story。 A The pros: historical non fiction written bill orilley style， with a flair that makes you feel like you’re reading fiction。 Packed to the brim with facts。 Descriptive scene setting， often i felt as if i was plucked from my couch and placed in 1930s Chicago （or Newark or Brooklyn）， watching some hot shot tough guys beat up sniveling nazis in the streets。 The cons: it was a little too descriptive at times， adding too many details per Jewish gangsters kept derailing me from the point of the story。 After a while they all ran together in my head and one name was just interchangeable for the next guy in line。 The conclusion: with wayyyyyyy more pros than cons， I’d give this book four and a half stars。 I really never knew Jewish gangsters were a thing， let alone the ones responsible for keeping nazi-ism off our streets。 Great book。 。。。more

Nikita Wells ，

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads， and was excited to get it。 I was disappointed to find however， vile language （sh**） in a quote on the very first page。 In later chapters， there's also reference to the graphic atrocities committed by Nazi pervs to American children。 This book went straight in the trash。 I won a copy of this book through Goodreads， and was excited to get it。 I was disappointed to find however， vile language （sh**） in a quote on the very first page。 In later chapters， there's also reference to the graphic atrocities committed by Nazi pervs to American children。 This book went straight in the trash。 。。。more

Kelly ，

I won a copy of this book but my review is my own personal opinion。 I am a WWII era fanatic dating back to my early teens。 I wish this book existed when I was a teen because it would have fueled my desire to learn more。 Admittedly， I took a lot of happiness is reading how Nazi's and Nazi sympathizers were handed their butts throughout the country。 I feel like， given the current political climate in the United States， we are seeing this more and more with the rise of the right-wind extremism whic I won a copy of this book but my review is my own personal opinion。 I am a WWII era fanatic dating back to my early teens。 I wish this book existed when I was a teen because it would have fueled my desire to learn more。 Admittedly， I took a lot of happiness is reading how Nazi's and Nazi sympathizers were handed their butts throughout the country。 I feel like， given the current political climate in the United States， we are seeing this more and more with the rise of the right-wind extremism which made this book feel very relevant。 This book is not a fast read。 It is heavy in both characters， dates and information。 I wouldn't call it slow per say， but you do need to be paying attention to the details。 Overall I absolutely loved this book。 。。。more

Judi ，

Perhaps because this was a pre-publication version， further editing was needed。 Many spelling errors， and I wish there had been photos of some of the main characters。 Nonetheless， interesting and entertaining。

Ronda Six Garnett ，

If you are interested in reading what really happened in the US during this time。。。this is the book you need to read。

Akiva ，

What do Boardwalk Empire and The Plot Against America have in common？ Gangsters vs。 Nazis tells the riveting true story of how Jewish mobsters broke up Nazi meetings and Nazi bones， from New York to LA and many points in between， in the lead up to World War II。Read about the judge who saw the USA's free speech protections being abused to endorse Hitler's genocidal ideology， and reached out to mob bosses like Meyer Lansky and Longie Zwillman for help sending a message in terms the fascists woul What do Boardwalk Empire and The Plot Against America have in common？ Gangsters vs。 Nazis tells the riveting true story of how Jewish mobsters broke up Nazi meetings and Nazi bones， from New York to LA and many points in between， in the lead up to World War II。Read about the judge who saw the USA's free speech protections being abused to endorse Hitler's genocidal ideology， and reached out to mob bosses like Meyer Lansky and Longie Zwillman for help sending a message in terms the fascists would understand。 Read about the mob enforcers， boxers， and daring undercover journalists who broke up a rising tide of fascist organizing with not just exposés in the press， but also fists， broken pool cues， baseball bats， and smoke bombs。 Read the story behind that shocking film reel of Isadore Greenbaum going up against the head of the German-American Bund in Madison Square Garden， and the riots that broke out afterward （https://anightatthegarden。com/）。When it seems like contemporary US society is offered a choice between two extremes， and the self-appointed allies of the oppressed fight with each other over whose advocacy is "purer" or non-problematic， this look at history is a bracing challenge to purity politics。 What did it take the last time we had to stop fascists cold？ Not a million letters to the editor （ahem， Twitter "mobs"）。 Not a reasoned public debate。 Not just "more speech to out-weigh bad speech。" Stopping the growing Nazi movement in the 1930s USA took some objectively bad people （including addiction profiteers， pimps， wife-beaters， etc） beating the crap out of "respectable" citizens who had allied themselves with genocidal autocracy。 It took denying the Nazis a platform， hounding them out of every place they tried to gather， until they took their hate into hiding and later pretended they were Swedish and would never have supported Hitler。 Michael Benson embraces his subject matter with gusto。 It's clear in his telling who is on the side of evil， so outlaws become unlikely heroes （at times with the encouragement or tacit acceptance of the law）， while not pretending they were upright。 With its rat-a-tat reportorial tone and Damon Runyonesque mobster jargon， Gangsters vs。 Nazis is a fast-paced tour of late 1930s Jewish gangster notables and how they rose to the occasion when freedom was under threat。 While the kids were reading about the newly created Superman and Captain America fighting villainy， America's real heroes were notorious gangsters who were more likely to be on an FBI WANTED list than win a Congressional Medal of Honor。 They were known in the neighborhoods they protected， and finally， their story is collected here for us all。Recommended for readers or fans of: Boardwalk Empire， The Plot Against America， Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White SupremacyThanks to Kensington Press for an ARC of this book。 I liked it so much， I bought a copy to support the author when it came out！ 。。。more

Karen Kuhn ，

I won this book through GoodReads and enjoyed it more than I thought I would。 The chapters on the gangsters were especially interesting and entertaining to me but the entire history of nazi-ism in America in the 30's was interesting and the use of gangsters/mobsters who were/are so good at violence and targeting specific groups was actually encouraging。 I hope to have gangsters on "America's side" when we need them next。 I won this book through GoodReads and enjoyed it more than I thought I would。 The chapters on the gangsters were especially interesting and entertaining to me but the entire history of nazi-ism in America in the 30's was interesting and the use of gangsters/mobsters who were/are so good at violence and targeting specific groups was actually encouraging。 I hope to have gangsters on "America's side" when we need them next。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America

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The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0