Tough Jews Book Summary

Tough Jews by Rich Cohen delves into the gritty world of Jewish gangsters in America, exploring the lives of iconic figures who navigated the underbelly of organized crime during the 20th century. Through vivid storytelling and rich historical context, Cohen reveals how these men shaped both their communities and their own destinies. The book uncovers a tapestry of ambition, loyalty, and moral complexity, challenging the stereotypical narratives often associated with Jewish identity. With each chapter, readers are drawn deeper into a unique cultural legacy intertwined with danger and resilience. Get ready to discover a side of history that is as captivating as it is tumultuous.

By Rich Cohen

Published: 1999

"'In a world that often demands softness and compliance, the toughest among us carve their own path, embodying the relentless spirit of resilience and defiance.'"

Book Review of Tough Jews

In an L.A. delicatessen, a group of Brooklyn natives gets together to discuss basketball, boxing, the weather back east, and the Jewish gangsters of yesteryear. Meyer Lansky. Bugsy Siegel. Louis Lepke, the self-effacing mastermind of Murder, Inc. Red Levine, the Orthodox hit man who refused to kill on the Sabbath. Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, who looked like a mama's boy but once buried a rival alive. These are just some of the vibrant, vicious characters Rich Cohen's father reminisced about and the author evokes so pungently in Tough Jews. Tracing a generation of Jewish gangsters from the candy stores of Brownsville to the clubhouses of the Lower East Side--and, occasionally, to suites at the Waldorf--Cohen creates a densely anecdotal and gruesomely funny history of muscle, moxie, and money. Filled with fixers and schlammers, the squeal of tires and the rattle of gunfire, his book shatters stereotypes as deftly as its subjects once shattered kneecaps.

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'In a world that often demands softness and compliance, the toughest among us carve their own path, embodying the relentless spirit of resilience and defiance.'

Tough Jews

By Rich Cohen