Mickey Cohen

Mickey Cohen (July 29, 1914-1976) was a gangster in 1940s and 1950s Los Angeles.

Born in Brownville, New York on July 29, 1914 Cohen lived in Brooklyn until Cohen's family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1920 where his family ran a drug store. Cohen delivered alcohol from the pharmacy's gin mill his brother operated until his arrest at the age of nine. However with his brother's local connections Cohen was never charged with the crime.

As a teenager Cohen began to box in illegal prizefights before heading for the east coast to train as a professional boxer, fighting in the Midwest, before arriving in New York where he lost a match against World Featherweight Champion Tommy Paul. While in New York, Cohen became associates with Tommy Dioguardi, brother of New York labor racketeer Johnny Dio, and later Owney Madden.

Cohen became involved in organized crime working as an enforcer for the Chicago Outfit, where he briefly met Al Capone, before being arrested in a gunfight during a card game where several mobsters were killed. Released shortly afterwards Cohen began running card games and other illegal gambling operations later becoming an associate of Mattie Capone, a younger brother of Al Capone. While working for Jake Guzik, Cohen was forced to flee Chicago after an argument with a rival gambler. In Cleveland Cohen again worked for Lou Rothkopf, an associate of Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel, however as there was little work for him Rothkopf arranged for him to work with Siegel in California.

Returning to the West Coast, Cohen became the bodyguard of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel taking control of Siegal's gambling operations upon his death in 1947. Cohen reacted violently to Siegal's murder later enter the Roosevelt Hotel, where he believed the killers were staying, and fired two 45. automatic pistols into the ceiling of the lobby demanding the assassins to meet him outside in ten minutes. However as no one appeared Cohen was forced to flee after police arrived on the scene.

After the Los Angeles crime syndicate was taken over by Frank Carbo of the Dragna crime family, Cohen continued to run its gambling operations. However his violent methods came to the attention of state and federal authorities investigating the Dragna crime families operations. During this time constant attempts were made on his life including his home being bombed. Cohen soon converted his home into a fortess installing floodlights, alarm systems, and a well equipped aresenal as well, as he often joked, next to his 200 tailor made suits. He also hired bodyguard Johnny Stompanato briefly before he was killed by Lana Turner's teenage daughter Cheryl Crane. While he paid for Stompanato's funeral he ordered a cheap coffin and sold Lana Turner's love letters to the press.

Cohen was later investigated by the Kefauver Commission in 1950 and, as a result, was sentenced to prison for four years for tax evasion. He was again convicted for tax evasion in 1961, serving part of his sentence at Alcatraz during which an inmate had attempted to kill Cohen with a lead pipe. He was released from the Atlanta Penitentiary in 1972, where he spoke out against prison abuse, and died in his sleep in 1976.

He appears as a minor character in some of James Ellroy's novels, such as The Big Nowhere.

Further reading

• Ed Clark, "Trouble in Los Angeles", LIFE Magazine, 1950 (seen at LIFE Books - Mobsters & Gangsters: At Home with Mickey Cohen (http://www.life.com/Life/lifebooks/mobsters/gallery2/))
• Mickey Cohen and John Peer Nugent, "In My Own Words", Englewood Cliffs, 1975

External links

• Benny's Shadow: All about Mickey Cohen (http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/mickey_cohen/1.html) by Mark Gribben
• The Biography Channel - Mickey Cohen (http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/new_site/biography.php?id=806&showgroup=593)
• Mickey Cohen: The West Coast "Dapper Don" (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/organized_crime/81801) by Ron Lombard
• Organized Crime Issues - The Two Faces of Mickey Cohen (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/organized_crime/81924) by Ron Lombard
• Mickey Cohen quotes (http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/mickey_cohen/)
• Mugshots.com - Mickey Cohen (http://www.mugshots.com/Gangsters/Mickey+Cohen.htm)
• FindaGrave.com: Mickey Cohen (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3518)
• Mickey Cohen's Grave (photo) (http://www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/MickeyCohenGravePhoto.shtml)
• Mickey Cohen's grave (http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/HillsideObituaries/mickeycohen.htm)