Joe Sonken photo courtesy of the Hollywood Historical Society/Restaurant photo courtesy of the Myrna and Seth Bramson Collection. "Respectfully, you understand. Former Chicago mob hitman Nicholas Calabrese has died, a source said Monday. In 1972 Sonken was arrested by Broward Sheriffs undercover deputies and charged with operating a gambling house out of his restaurant. Sporting a large neon sign in the front, the building was designed in the 1950s. called Lt. Neil Robar of the Hollywood Police, ordering his officers to stand down. Broward County increasingly tantalized organized crime families. That restaurant closed in 2001. Spoiled by mobsters, Meyer Lansky's daughter recalls family men, not It sold last month for $1.2 million. MEYER LANSKY WAS THE antithesis of Al Capone, but no less dominant a figure in the annals of organized crime. There was a question about jurisdiction, but by 1937 Hollywood wasnt allowing gambling in the city. The restaurant was later sold and now has a new name. His mission was to collect enough evidence from mafiosi and underworld players, to disrupt the invasive species at the roots. Last hurrah, 70 years ago, for Jack Cole at Florida's Colonial Inn It was there that he met the infamous organized crime figure Meyer Lansky who was also a resident of Miami Beach. Scarfos Fort Lauderdale house was up for sale but is temporarily off the market until more than $1 million in liens are settled with the homes owner of record, Leonard J. Mercer Jr. A smooth-talking businessman with a long history of big plans and big debts, Mercer is serving a four-year federal prison sentence for obtaining a loan under false pretenses, perjury and income-tax fraud. Sonken didn't hold grudges. The Inn was neither colonial nor an inn. The building was repaired and reopened but the old sign was torn down and replaced with a plain sign lower to the ground. It is located . In the next paper, on March 12, 1937 the headline states that Hollywood merchants did not want a lid on gambling in Broward. In contrast to Mafia dons who are constantly accompanied by bodyguards, Lansky was often seen walking his little dog alone along busy Collins Avenue. Meals were eaten and deals were made. Meyer Lansky's House (Former) - Virtual Globetrotting For rent This 2148 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The Pennsylvania Crime Commission said in 1987 that his use of naked brutal power and blatant and undisciplined violence is what ultimately undermined his regime. His biggest claim to fame here, according to Dr. Joan Mickelson, local historian and volunteer archivist for the Hollywood Historical Society, is that in 1929, the city of Hollywood, which was having a hard time financially, leased the Hollywood Beach Golf and Country Club to his people. Please note: although its rumored that J. W. Young built a sound stage in Hollywood (Florida) in order to make movies, there is absolutely no record of this in Youngs numerous publications. The son of a millionaire commodities commission agent, Kaufman supposedly didnt have to work but did, trading in the potato market hence the nickname then in criminal underwriting and deal making, and then in gambling. Sonken claimed entrapment because undercover police had sold him the food and Circuit Court Judge Arthur Franza agreed, throwing out the case and chastising police for an abuse of power that "really shivers the spine of the Constitution." PERHAPS THE MOST VICIOUS mob boss in the country, this diminutive don (he hates being called Little Nicky) lived part time in his two-story, four- bedroom, five-bath waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale from 1985 until his arrest in New Jersey in January 1987 on charges of extortion. But it wasnt really Hollywood which became the center of Broward Countys illegal activity going into the 30s. 4,646 views 0 faves 0 comments Taken on December 17, 2008 All rights reserved Additional info Viewing privacy Public Safety level Safe Content type Photo License History S Search Photo navigation < > Thumbnail navigation Z Zoom B Back to context He would go in under an assumed identity and become a regular. People fled. In case its hard to read, it says the Club Greenacres is located 1 1/2 miles west of the Federal Highway on Hallandale Road (Follow the White Arrows), open all night.. But the presence of the larger-than-life mobsters the knights errant of modern life always stood out. He coordinated previously disjointed illegal gambling operations, creating layers of employment, legitimate and otherwise, in a farmland area that had long been depressed. According to authorities, Pro- venzano regularly was host for meetings of mobsters at his Sea Inn restaurant next to the Gulfstream Park racetrack. Right, Beach City by Moonlight, Atlantic Ocean at left. Physical Description. It states that architect Addison Mizner had opened an office on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach with Robert L. Weed. Growing up on tough streets, he eventually became an organized crime figure instrumental. Called the Plantation, it became one of the eras most famous casinos. The site, a city block at Washington Street between the Atlantic Ocean and A1A, is now a city park and rec building. Also in March, 1920, chief Boatswains Mate Anton Christopher Mickelson receives an Honorable Discharge from the U. S. Navy, which he had joined before World War One. Mobster Meyer Lansky's letter to his daughter up for auction | Miami Herald Kaufman lived at 1321 Tyler Street. Below is a little information I gleaned from websites. "'The Life' was glamorized," explains Richard Mangan, professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. So whats the connection? But it didn't work. In addition to Hollywood stars such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Cary Grant, some of the mob's heavy-hitters, like Meyer Lansky, Vincent Alo, and Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone, would frequent Joe Sonken's Gold Coast Restaurant. A man on a walk to get a newspaper saw them and called the police from a pay phone. 5 - 7, 91781 Weissenburg in Bayern, Bavaria, Germany. And below is one of my favorites, with raised vertical trim, and complete with portholes.. In 1935, after the Fair, it and other Worlds Fair houses were carried by barge to the Indiana Dunes, where they are being restored, as National Landmarks. It is located across from the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat main entrance. For several years now, I've had an odd contact in my cell phone: the Miami Beach address of the long-deceased gangster Meyer Lansky. In keeping with the Streamline concept of the Modern style is the flat roof with metal railing, suggesting the deck of an ocean liner. Pivotal moments in mob history transpired over homemade ravioli and Gold Coast's famous Chicken Vesuvio (baked with potatoes and onion). The boom years for Wolfies and all of Miami Beachs deli-style eateries came after World War II when Jewish veterans and retirees, mostly from New York and the Northeast, flowed into Miami Beach by the thousands as permanent residents, snowbirds, and tourists. She holds a Master's degree in Social Media Management from the University of Florida and a Social Media Professional Certificate from the University of Miami. Catena was the underboss, or number two man, in the mighty Vito Genovese Mafia family of New York. one of the robbers yelled as they made their way to Pendleton's car. So your age is between 70s and 90s. He was tough, protective of his customers and their privacy, and a master at publicity. These addresses are all public knowledge, by the way. In the early 1950s, the Kefauver Committee heard Broward Sheriff Walter Clark confess that, from 1933 to 1952, he had provided special policing for Lanskys illegal gambling houses and even deputized the Lansky men who ferried cash in armored cars from the casinos to banks. He is the coordinator of the message center.. "They are here to make money." I don't bother nobody. A LITTLE HISTORY FROM THE INTERNET (credit goes to the writer's of the information, not me.). You could go to any intelligence center in the country and they have something on Joe Sonken, Green says. Already seen the wiggles at the Mai-Kai, the jiggles at R Donuts? Once the car with the robbers and hostages began to move, police resumed their positions and opened fire, shooting at the tires. Meyer Lansky, gray eminence of organized crime, died of lung cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, in 1983. For decades he was thought to be one of the most powerful people in the country. Now, although most of the Alo-Lansky establishments were in Hallandale, whats interesting to this blog is that the proprietors actually made their homes in Hollywood. He had three children from his first wife, Anna,. "Oh, it was Joe Sonken's," he explained later. After Genoveses death in 1969, Catena was regarded as the most powerful mobster in New Jersey, and reputedly controlled pillage, loansharking and gambling at the port in Newark. Meyer Lansky's Mafia Secrets Exposed By Daughter Houses in this Modern style can be found all over Hollywood, both single-story and two or more stories. He had major interests in gambling, especially in Florida, pre-Castro Cuba, Las . The result is 2019's "Meyer," for which Lang wrote the story and text (illustrations by Andrea Mutti and Shawn Martinbrough), a fictionalized account of Lansky's last days hiding out in a Miami . Accetturo recently left town, and authorities speculate that there could be a contract on his life. "We're coming out!" Then there was the fenced-in "cur lot" for diners to leave their dogs outside. Nope, sorry. It would be wonderful if someone would catalogue them, locate the architects, and provide accurate dates, before they are all torn down, as another of my favorites was (it was on the south side of City Hall Circle). Alo had been the overseer of clubs, speakeasies and illegal gambling in Brooklyn according to Wikipedia. Gold Coast attracted Bertucelli and his team like moths to flame. Then, in 1976, based on evidence that he would never be healthy enough to stand trial, the Las Vegas skimming charge was dismissed. Each dish that came out of the kitchen was meant to be a masterpiece, and Sonken showed a knack he'd nurtured at Mother Kelly's for attracting celebrity clientele. It was called other things too: "notorious," for example, and a hangout for stars such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. After reaching North Miami Beach, the thieves released the hostages and traveled on foot until they were picked up by an accomplice. In the last week of March, 1920, Selznick Pictures Corporation is filming scenes for a movie The Flapper with Olive Thompson. When his case came to trial, Accetturos doctors claimed that he was suffering from Alzheimers disease. [3] As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,113. Ralph Morse, LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images T. J.. Cars owned by visiting Mafiosi used to line the dead-end street, and some bigger gatherings were professionally catered. Poker games and parties were common at the Capone estate. Provenzano was identified by authorities as a captain in the Genovese crime family, and served 4 1/2 years in prison in the 1960s after his conviction for extortion of a trucking company executive. And months before the sale, the mayor had said, Capone is no worse than a lot of others down here.. If South Florida was the mob's version of Switzerland, Gold Coast was its United Nations, where rival wise guys agreed to get along. I hope I have replied to everyone. They were simple frame structures with canvas roofs. Tony Pro flew to Florida and held a poolside press conference at his Hallandale home to proclaim his innocence. Once, when Sonken heard a reporter snooping around the restaurant asking about the mafia, the boss waved the phone receiver from behind the bar and announced loudly, "Call for Mr. Capone, telephone call on line two for Mr. Al Capone!" He gave the boot to Frank Sinatra and his crew for being disruptive. Carl Fishers Alton Beach Realty Company is developing land on the beach. meyer lansky house hallandale. While Hallandale was home to most of the gaming establishments in the 20s and 30s, Hollywood was also pretty busy. When New York State officials began cracking down on organized crime in the 30s, Bugsy Siegel moved to Los Angeles, where he was assassinated in 1947. Now Scarfos crime family is in a shambles and the search for a new boss has begun. PRESIDENTS, GAMBLERS, ARCHITECTS | FLORIDA'S HOLLYWOOD: HISTORY and PEOPLE The modest, pallid gold exterior at 606 N. Ocean Dr. (now GG's Waterfront Bar & Grill) gave no indication of its capacity, which reached 300 after several expansions. I would expect him to give advice and counsel to anyone who wants it, says Colonel Pagano of the New Jersey State Police. Julian Kaufman was a Chicagoan who was on the run from Al Capone. Catena, he said, had more fing money than God.. Hallandale Beach, Florida - Wikipedia And they also ran the Club Boheme and the Club Greenacres. 1907-1958 Wertheimer was their name. His arrest record dates back to 1956, yet he seldom has been convicted, and his longest sentence was four months, served at Eglin Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security federal institution in North Florida. He was short of stature and balding, with a face that was at times pugnacious, and usually inscrutable. independent local journalism in Miami. But the police weren't done by a long shot. On paper, he was worth almost nothing. Meyer, Bernard & Paul Lansky. After nearly 50 years of involvement with organized crime, Meyer Lansky was never found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling. Show prices. As you can see, these arent pup tents or camping tents. Meyer Lansky, known as the Mobs Accountant, became important in the gambling scene in Miami, while his brother Jake lived and worked in Hollywood. 'Lansky' Film Takes Closer Look at the Financial Wizard - HistoryNet THE RELATIVES ARE VISITING AGAIN AND youre stumped as to where to take them. Im a truck driver.. In 1928 Lansky was charged in connection with the shooting of a gangster, but after his recovery the victim refused to testify. With the spread of air conditioning and jet travel, it became easier to visit or live year-round, spurring a construction boom for which the mob was perfectly positioned. On March 18, 1937 the Hollywood Herald said that beach area landlords were up in arms against the establishment of a trailer park on the site of Beach/Tent City. Meyer Lansky's former home at 612 Hibiscus Drive, Hallandale Beach. In 1978 agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement raided Sonkens restaurant, saying they suspected him of stocking his storehouse with stolen groceries bought at cut-rate prices. Flamingo Las Vegas. The boss protected his clientele's peace and privacy. Upon their arrivals, all began to give generously to Hollywoods churches, synagogues, fraternal organizations, hospitals, and more. And why would they when they could have electricity and maid service in Beach/Tent City! In 1968, the same year Sonken gave one of his many English bulldogs to a state senator, the Florida Legislature convened an organized crime committee and called in Sonken. Bertucelli had convinced a former colleague, Dave Green, to join his department. . "I'm 65 years old. Meyer Lansky was born in 1902 in Grodno, Russia (present day Belarus), immigrating to America as a child. He was tough enough to be violent when he had to be violent, says Col. Clinton Pagano, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. Theres no record of individuals pitching tents on the beach. The shots missed their mark, and a high-speed car chase that included local cops and even a helicopter ensued down A1A. OTHER MARCH NEWS Another topic causing some uproar had to do with the site of J. W. Young's Tent City, or Beach City, as it was also called. "You better not hurt the hostages!" It was Hallandale Beach, a farming city, which soon had speakeasies, drinking establishments and gambling casinos up and down its eponymous Boulevard. It didnt last long, since patronage was limited to the groups invited guests, and the city rescinded the lease in 1931. Now 81, she still lives in their Imperial House condo. Finally, a notice in the Miami News of March 5, 1931, that I find truly exciting. Neighbors described Accetturo as a nice guy. Hallandale was a gamblers paradise and soon became known as the Wall Street of South Florida, due to the many banks and other financial companies that had opened there to support the illegal gambling trade. Jake kept a low profile compared to his brother, but was known to be at his side and also a money-counter both in Florida and later in the familys Las Vegas operations. Six years earlier, Green had dropped out of undercover work. "Don't take two," said Sonken. Hotel Garni Am Ellinger Tor. Art Mooney, a well-known bandleader and singer who performed at Gold Coast, recorded a bouncy song inspired by Sonken called "I Never Had a Worry in the World.". The gunmen handcuffed the two bartenders and the night manager, Gale Pendleton. He was important in the Chicago underworld, running one of the ritziest casinos in the city. So you are in your 80s? Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House was not the same as the original Wolfie's, another famous Jewish deli and restaurant in Miami Beach, also started by Wolfie Cohen, on the corner of 21st Street and Collins Avenue (closer to South Beach), For several years, Wolfie's featured a sign that read "The only thing that needs to come dressed is our chickens! (meaning dining was casual, not clothing optional). Copyright var creditsyear = new Date();document.write(creditsyear.getFullYear()); The local farmers often made good profits selling their products to the casinos, and other local residents were happy to take advantage of the employment opportunities provided by the illegal establishments. Sonken once opened a bag of bagels on a Sunday morning, sniffed, and threw them against the wall. Millions. While Capones thugs machine-gunned seven members of the rival Bugsy Moran gang in Chicago, a half-dozen bodyguards served champagne to Capones guests, providing him with scores of witnesses who could account for his whereabouts at the time of the killings.