- Murdered over a $320,000 gambling debt he refused to pay.
- Believed to have rigged the 1919 World Series baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. It became known as the "Black Sox" scandal.
- As he was dying, he refused to identify his murderer, responding to police queries with "You stick with your trade, I'll stick with mine".
- Became a millionaire by age 30.
- Had an older brother who became a rabbi.
- His father Abraham was a wealthy businessman who served as chairman of the Board of New York's Beth Israel Hospital. He was famous for his philanthropy and honest practices.
- Inspired the character of Meyer Wolfsheim in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby".
- After his death, his associates [Meyer Lanksy], Frank Erickson and [Bugsy Siegel] inherited his enterprises.
- He was given an Orthodox Jewish funeral out of respect for his family.
- When Prohibition became less lucrative, he started importing narcotics and gained almost total control of the drug trade.
- Generally considered one of the most influential organized-crime bosses in US history, as he was the first to see the potential for enormous wealth from crime.
- Was intensely jealous of his brother Harry growing up, as he believed his parents loved him more.
- Is reputed to have rigged most of the games he played and won at.
- He dropped out of school at age 16.
- Was played by Michael Lerner in Eight Men Out (1988), F. Murray Abraham in Mobsters (1991) and Michael Stuhlbarg in Boardwalk Empire (2010).
- He was nicknamed ''Big Bankroll'' due to carrying a wad of $100 bills.
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