Monday, July 22, 2019

Pritzker, Crown, Bazelon: All Mobbed Up

Ron Unz did a bit of light reading lately, and has become very familiar with the Mobs of Chicago and California.

In his 13,000 word essay (gasp!) he reviews two books by Gus Russo:  The Outfit and Supermob.  With that reading, he learned something important:  much of the Mob was run by Russian Jews who had immigrated to the US.  The Italians did the 'wet' work.  The Russkis?  The brain stuff.

You've heard of General Dynamics?  Mobbed up.  The Pritzker family?  "Family," indeed.  Crown Cork & Seal?  Mob, as was its predecessor, Chicago Sand and Gravel.

How about that Kennedy victory in the '60 election--gained in Chicago?  Or that assassination in November '63?  Pat Brown in California?  Yup.  Truman in K.C.?  Of course!

Oh, yes, Judge Bazelon, Chief of the DC Circuit.  He made a fortune by disposing of the assets seized from the Japanese by Roosevelt during WWII.  And he parlayed that into a nice, comfy, judge-job, for which he was eminently un-qualified.

Read the article.

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