Mickey Cohen FBI Files

Description

Mickey Cohen FBI Files

The FBI files on Mickey Cohen consist of a substantial 1,755 pages that detail various aspects of his life and criminal activities.

Mickey Cohen was born on July 29, 1914, in Brownsville, New York. When he was just six years old, his family relocated to Los Angeles, where they established a pharmacy in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. During the time of Prohibition, Cohen’s older brother operated an illegal gin mill from the back of their pharmacy, and young Mickey was responsible for making deliveries. His first brush with the law occurred at the age of nine when he was caught delivering contraband. As a child, Cohen developed a strong fascination with boxing. After achieving some success in underground prize fights, he decided to head back to the East Coast to further pursue a career in boxing.

This involvement in the boxing scene introduced him to various mobsters from the New York area, including notable figures like Tommy Dioguardi, Johnny Dio, and Owney Madden. However, when Cohen found that his street fighting prowess did not translate into victories against professional boxers, he realized it was time to explore other career options. Mickey Cohen relocated to Chicago where he took on the role of an enforcer for gambling operations linked to the mob from the eastern United States. Following a botched assassination attempt against him, he decided to move to Cleveland for safety.

In Cleveland, Cohen became associated with Lou Rothkopf, who had ties to notorious figures Benjamin Siegel and Meyer Lansky. Rothkopf eventually sent Cohen back to Los Angeles to collaborate with Bugsy Siegel. Together in Los Angeles, Cohen and Siegel served as the western arm of the east coast crime syndicate. They introduced methods from the east coast into various illicit activities, including gambling, drug trafficking, labor union manipulation, and political corruption along the west coast. After Bugsy Siegel was murdered in 1947, Cohen stepped up as the primary enforcer for the east coast mob on the west coast. When Frank Carbo of the Dragna crime family established dominance over the region, Cohen continued to oversee their gambling operations. His aggressive tactics caught the attention of both law enforcement and the media. As a result of increased scrutiny, there were multiple assassination attempts on Cohen, and his residence was subjected to a bombing.

The investigation led by the Kefauver Commission in 1950 ultimately resulted in Cohen receiving a four-year prison sentence for tax evasion. Later, in 1961, he was sentenced to 15 years for the same offense and was incarcerated at Alcatraz. While serving his time, Cohen was attacked by another inmate wielding a pipe, which left him partially paralyzed. He was released from prison in 1972 and passed away in his sleep in 1976. The files comprise roughly 1,300 pages of narratives and span the years from 1949 to 1976. The content within these documents includes a memorandum detailing the incident involving Cohen’s shooting in 1949.

There are also memos from 1949 that discuss the surveillance of Cohen throughout the 1940s, raising questions about whether he was aware of the listening devices being used against him. Furthermore, one memo from 1950 recounts an explosion at Cohen’s residence in Brentwood. Additionally, there is an investigation into a reported kidnapping case where someone was allegedly taken from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to ensure a gambling debt owed to Cohen, although the supposed victim denied that the event ever took place.

In 1960, a comprehensive report consisting of 280 pages was compiled, with subsequent updates released in 1961. This report encapsulates various facets of Mickey Cohen’s life, including his background, family members, military service, job history, and a criminal record tracing back to 1933. It details his offenses, traffic violations, and even murders he is suspected of being involved in.

Furthermore, it covers civil lawsuits filed by Cohen or involving his associates and lawyers, as well as his engagement in black-market dealings during World War II, his bookmaking and gambling enterprises, connections with Bugsy Siegel, and various gambling venues located in Los Angeles. The report also sheds light on illicit union activities, prostitution, vending machine operations, financial records, his collection of vehicles, legitimate businesses, income tax evasion, favorite local spots, social habits, and other idiosyncrasies. The collection includes documents related to the FBI’s involvement in the 1961 tax evasion case against Mickey Cohen, which resulted in his conviction and a lengthy prison sentence of 15 years.

Among these files are accounts detailing how a prison nurse facilitated the smuggling of illegal items into the facility for Cohen, with assistance from Harry Cohen, as well as instances where this nurse acted as a conduit for communications from Cohen. Furthermore, there is information about a $10 million lawsuit filed by Cohen against the government, which he argued was due to negligence after he endured a severe beating at the hands of another inmate while serving his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. The collection also contains summaries of interviews and memos regarding an investigation into an illicit mortgage scheme operating in Florida. Additionally, it features details about Cohen’s connections with Frank Sinatra.

This collection offers a comprehensive text transcript of all the visible text found within the graphic images of each document page, making it easier to search through the materials. Users can conduct text searches throughout the entire collection.

Timeline of Events

• July 29, 1914: Mickey Cohen is born in Brownsville, New York.
• c. 1920: Cohen’s family moves to Los Angeles, where they open a pharmacy in Boyle Heights.
• Prohibition Era: Cohen’s brother runs a gin mill in the back of the pharmacy, and young Mickey makes deliveries.
• Age 9: Mickey Cohen is first arrested while making a delivery.
• Early Years (Specific dates unknown): Cohen becomes involved in illegal backroom prize fights.
• Early Years (Specific dates unknown): Cohen moves back to the East Coast to pursue a boxing career. He meets mobsters like Tommy Dioguardi, Johnny Dio, and Owney Madden.
• Early Years (Specific dates unknown): Cohen’s boxing career is unsuccessful, leading him to seek work as an enforcer for East Coast mob gambling interests in Chicago.
• Chicago (Specific date unknown): After an attempt on his life in Chicago, Cohen relocates to Cleveland.
• Cleveland (Specific date unknown): Cohen works for Lou Rothkopf, an associate of Benjamin Siegel and Meyer Lansky.
• Pre-1947: Rothkopf sends Cohen to Los Angeles to work with Bugsy Siegel. They bring East Coast-style gambling, drugs, union, and political corruption rackets to the West Coast.
• 1947: Bugsy Siegel is killed. Mickey Cohen becomes the East Coast syndicate’s main muscle on the West Coast.
• Post-1947: Frank Carbo of the Dragna crime family asserts control over the West Coast, and Cohen runs their gambling interests.
• Post-1947: Cohen’s violent tactics attract law enforcement and media attention. Multiple attempts are made on Cohen’s life, and his home is bombed.
• 1949: Cohen is shot (mentioned in an FBI memo).
• 1940’s: Cohen is subject to bugging by law enforcement (mentioned in 1949 memo).
• 1950: Cohen’s Brentwood home is bombed (mentioned in a memo).
• 1950: The Kefauver Commission’s scrutiny leads to Cohen being sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion.
• 1960-1961: A 280-page FBI report is compiled on Cohen’s life and activities. Updates are issued in 1961.
• 1961: Cohen is sentenced to 15 years in prison for tax evasion and sent to Alcatraz.
• During 15 Year Sentence: A prison nurse smuggles contraband for Cohen with the help of Harry Cohen, also passes messages from Mickey Cohen.
• During 15 Year Sentence: Cohen is attacked by another inmate with a pipe, resulting in partial paralysis.
• During 15 Year Sentence: Cohen files a 10 million dollar lawsuit against the government for negligence after the attack.
• 1972: Cohen is released from prison.
• 1976: Mickey Cohen dies in his sleep.

Cast of Characters

• Mickey Cohen:Born July 29, 1914, in Brownsville, New York.
• Moved to Los Angeles as a child.
• Began in illegal activities in his youth, first arrested at age 9.
• Aspiring boxer turned mob enforcer.
• Worked for various mob figures in Chicago, Cleveland and Los Angeles.
• Became a major mob figure on the West Coast, notorious for violence.
• Convicted of tax evasion and served prison time, including a stint in Alcatraz.
• Died in 1976.
• Tommy Dioguardi (Johnny Dio):New York area mobster who Cohen met through his boxing pursuits.
• An associate of the larger organized crime world that helped guide Cohen’s early career.
• Owney Madden:New York area mobster whom Cohen met through boxing.
• Another associate who introduced Cohen into the world of organized crime.
• Lou Rothkopf:Mob associate based in Cleveland.
• Associate of Benjamin Siegel and Meyer Lansky.
• Sent Cohen to work with Bugsy Siegel in Los Angeles.
• Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel:East Coast mobster who moved to Los Angeles.
• Partnered with Mickey Cohen in establishing mob operations on the West Coast.
• Killed in 1947.
• Meyer Lansky:Mob figure associated with Rothkopf.
• Part of the overall organized crime world.
• Frank Carbo:Associated with the Dragna crime family.
• Took control of West Coast operations after Bugsy Siegel’s death.
• Cohen continued to run gambling for him.
• Harry Cohen:Associated with Mickey Cohen.
• Supplied a prison nurse with contraband for Cohen.
• Helped to pass messages from Cohen while he was incarcerated.
• Frank Sinatra:Singer, mentioned in FBI files for his relationship with Cohen.

This timeline and cast should provide a detailed overview of the information contained in the provided excerpts.