By Marla Eggar

The glitz and glam of Hollywood is hard to resist. This was particularly true for mobster Benjamin Siegel known as “Bugsy.” The notorious and iconic mobster was born on February 28, 1906 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York. In his youth, Siegel was known as a street thug and rose through the ranks to become a feared murderer, bookmaker and Hollywood playboy. Siegel was not only prominent in the Jewish mob, but with childhood friends like Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano he had influence in the Italian mafia as well. Siegel was part founder of another organization known for its muscle and violence, Murder Inc. While Siegel was linked to several high-profile murders, his only conviction, was in Miami, when he was arrested for gambling and vagrancy. It’s believed that Siegel played a role in around a dozen killings during his rise in the 1920s and 30s.