When you lose your money, you lose nothing. When you love your health, you lose something. When you lose your character, you lose everything. -Mayer Lansky
@@berzerker1100 what you want Lansky to incriminate him self on tv? Lol. You're a moron. He worked for the us gov during the ww2, which was one reason the gov never went after him hard.
@@SandorSoptei he was untouchable because a banking and media cartel protected him. America'ls had already been hijacked by corrupt people not just Lansky. Lansky is tied in with the JFK murder but this reporter who was probably also part of the media cartel would never get into Lansky connections to Ruby, Permindex, CIA and FBI traitors even up to LBJ. I can only describe it as a banking and media cartel that Lansky was a supporting component
It's really funny-all these kid singers today claiming to be "Gangstas", holding a gun at a 45 degree angle and such. Meyer, Al,Charley and the rest claimed there was no such thing as organized crime and they were simply "businessmen". You gotta love it.
jetshockey5 you are wrong, Capone would be a billionaire in today's money. the most intelligent business man of the 20th century!!!! self made rags to riches gangster until the day he died
@Operation Agathasounds like someone is triggered at Israel here.. but he was a ganster and a thug but he was also highly intelligent. He is one of the few figures in the organized crime who wasn't wacked or didn't end up jail, despite being near the top almost all of his life. You don't accomplish that with average intelligence.
Gotti didn’t go “public” he was n the wrong era … he kept catchin cases n beatin them that’s how he became famous for winning trials against the feds nobody was doin that n still not
@@JosePremo0813 really.. that man does not deserve your protection... PERIOD... He was the mouth that killed the Italian thing.. he is Napalitan... the snake lies coiled in Naples.. stop protecting them.. your Scottish ancestry has its own bullies to contend with.. let us Sicilians deal with ours.. ty
One of the most dangerous men in History.This man was cold,calculating and smart not like the rest of the mafia of his era he was never convicted of any crimes
Lansky was the smartest gangster of them all. He weaved his way around the law his whole life and helped build an empire. Others like Luciano, and Genovese went to jail. Lansky was never convicted of a major crime.
+Jim Perry He never went to jail because he had something on everybody in power, and connections who warned him whenever anything was going to go down. Or could threaten their families or someone they cared about. Friendship has no hold when you get to that level. Only fear.
+El Comandante Hannibal Shaka-Sakanouye no Tamuramaro-Zulu he didn't need to be educated you do realize he revolutionized gambling don't you? He pretty much invented the modern casino and casinos all over the world started using his methods and games even in Monte Carlo.
It's absurd that the interviewer actually thought he'd get Lanskey to just casually admit that he's a gangster. Nobody with half a brain would just admit they are one of the most powerful living mob figures in America on a televised interview.
Godzilla52 You don't know the context. Uri Dan did not think he would admit it. He spend over a year with Lansky preparing to write a book on him. Few people know him better. Lansky wanted to put his side of the story.
He actually gave the interviewer the questions to ask him. He was trying to clear his name. U think he would sit down on camera with a guy asking questions blind?
At this point Lansky was broke and powerless. He lost all his money in the Cuban revolution and he lost all his power when his partner Frank Castello was pushed out of the commission by Vito Genovese. What Mayer meant to say is 'Yes, 20 years ago I was one of the most powerful men in all of organised crime, but times have changed and now I'm just retired gangster who is lucky to still be alive, now please leave me alone.'
What a Genius!! R.I.P Meyer! What a Life, billionaire, but act like a normal Guy who has not to much like any other. Thanks for Upload. Support from Germany, Hamburg
Just because they were killers does not mitigate their organizational acumen. Luciano and Lansky directed the establishment of a criminal empire that at its height of power was earning billions of dollars a year. Killers, yes they were but you cannot deny their intelligence.
Pretty surreal to actually hear the voice of one of these legends. The real deal. We never got to really hear the voice of any of those old school guys like this.
Joe Bonnano, whom grew up at the same time as Lansky and had an arguably more senior position in the 1920s and 30s, could have googled himself. He died in 2002. A 1930s mobster who died in 2002!
True legend. I mean this guy used to hang out with lucky Luciano, Albert Anastasia, bugsy Siegel, Dutch Shultz, Carlo Gambino, even Al Capone. He was there when it all began, and lived through the golden age of the underworld. Can you imagine the stories this guy had to tell in private?
This interview is from the time Lansky was attempting to get Israeli citizenship as he was wanted in the US. The irony is that once he was deported back to the US, he was found not guilty.
Lansky was 69yrs of age in this '71 interview, having been born in Belarus in 1902 fluent in Russian/Yiddish/English and as a mathematical savant, capable of vigorishly running numbers in his mind against all odds.
@@hanzen5174 He's talking about gambling, he could count cards in his head and likely had a high IQ, there's no arguing that he's one of the most intelligent criminals to ever live.
One more thing... Lansky's word was gold. He was relied on by everybody. His casino's were run honestly unlike almost all others. Skim, of course. But you could play there. Drugs and sex et al were low priority around his joints. He hired a math teacher (dropped out after 8th grade) to tutor him and always studied his whole life--Loved Napolean. Spent a total of 3 mos in jail, mostly for ulcer medication w/o a perscription.
What amazes me about Lansky is he started with absolutely nothing and at his peak was worth more than $300 million dollars. He helped turn the mafia into a multi-billion dollar business. It is extremely rare for a mobster to live a full life without doing time or being killed early on in their career. I've noticed the mobsters that manage to do this are quiet and they know when to get out of a bad situation before it gets worse. Lansky was Luciano's right hand man and main adviser when it came to running the mob. Everyone knew that he was a very important figure in their organization and killing him would be committing suicide financially.
RED DAWG lol knew what you was getting? You dumb arse he spent his whole life under the public eyes radar n was a genius at not letting people know what he was all about - u would not know shit about a modern day Lansky - just lies and bull shit like any other politician
This was a man who absolutely kept his word. You can say whatever you want, but he was known that his handshake on a deal was worth more than any contract.
@@santinorocco497 Two figures who had tremendous effects on modern American history but they stuck to their code and avoided cameras. Obviously, Lansky made a move on Israeli TV as a plea to stay there, and he likely figured in 1971, considering those days, there wasn't any conception of a RUclips or re-airing such a clip outside of Israel if it ever re-aired even in Israel.
Hyman Roth Meyer Lansky was a hero in the '30s when his men fought the Ultramagas of the era and during WW2 stopped Ultramaga sabotage of ships at NY waterfront.
Lansky was a very wealthy and powerful Jewish mobster, but he had nothing compared to Arnold Rothstein. AR was the one that schooled Luciano and Lansky.
bodhitaichi No, I read books, not tv & movies. Rothstein schooled Lansky and Luciano; They admired him and he was their mentor. He was shot over a gambling debt and you mentioning Lansky being behind it is the first time I've heard that.
You know, you're absolutely right. Nobody really went down for AR's murder. I haven't read about Prohibition gangsters in forever and for reason I had it in my head that they killed him as I thought they got most of his rackets. But then again Dutch Schultz benefited. Hmm. Maybe I'll check out Boardwalk Empire. :) Sorry if it came off like I jumped on you there. I didn't intend to. There's a few mob forums that I'm a member and I'll ask some of the researchers their opinions. I'm kinda curious now. Regards.
bodhitaichi Quite alright, my good man. I love Boardwalk Empire. I enjoy reading about mobsters in those days. They were classier and they stuck to their code of omerta stronger than they do today. Luciano and Rothstein always fascinated me the most. I won't talk your head off. Have a good one, bro.
I Don't Have Man Boobs +bodhitaichi Just my two cents: "Boardwalk Empire" was great entertainment, but keep in mind, it was fictionalized (pardon me, if you know this already) stories about the real life gangsters of that time. It touched on real events, but again most of it was just well crafted stories. For something just as entertaining and more *factual* (and if you don't know about it already), check out: "The Making of the Mob: New York". It tells the story of Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and the other gangsters forming and running organized crime in the '20s and '30s. It has actors playing Luciano and the infamous gangsters of the time and telling mob stories through reenactments and showing crime scene photos/film. Also it has crime reporters/ historians, etc., commenting on the various gangster battles and drama. It's shown on the AMC channel. Ray Liotta is the narrator (Henry Hill - "Goodfellas" (1990)). And in my opinion, it's entertaining (so far).
First time i heard him talk, after i’ve seen dozens of videos about him and sure enough he seems like a very thoughtful clever man that totally knew what he was doing. Thats exactly the reason why he never set a foot on a prison like the other so called "gangsters”
One key difference I noticed between Lansky(as well as Carlo Gambino) and a lot of the other gangsters from his time, like Bonnano, Costello and Genovese: All those other gangsters seem very intimidating. If I was in a room with any of them, I would be absolutely terrified of saying the wrong thing, or upsetting them in some way. Lansky, by contrast, seems so deceptively harmless and charming, that he would totally disarm you. That quality probably played a huge factor in how he lasted as long as he did.
@@dannnyboyyyyy7877 He was the product of a smart and greedy man with a twisted moral compass. He is not a good person in any way, its like saying you respect Ted Bundy.
@@Napoleonvanderbilt i never said he is a good person nor that i respect him. new york was the belly of the beast back then that created the best gangsters. al capone who was in the same neighborhood gang as lucky Luciano literally took over Chicago by murdering the genna family weeks apart. new york bred entire generations of gangsters across all religions and race. thats product of environment. hard for you to relate u might be a university person who knows
@@Napoleonvanderbilt obviously the slums forced them to adapt in a different way, but it was necessary for survival. so before you judge you have to put yourself in those shoes
My grandfather, an incredibly straightedge man worked for a Meyer in south Florida. Did all his electrical work and Alot of renovation work. He also owned a gun shop the Meyer and his associates often visited. Point is - my grandfather always spoke well of Meyer, liked him Alot. The old timers knew how to keep the civilians out of the bullshit.
After Lasnky died, the FBI looked for his hundreds of millions they were sure he had, and after not finding a dime, they concluded: "Lansky didn't own money, he owned people." That may also be true but the FBI didn't want to admit Lansky hid his fortune to never be found by the government. The man was a financial genius precisely cause he was always 10 steps ahead of the government.
These modern gangsters / rappers could learn a thing or 2 about real gangsters like this . They didn’t murder innocent people , or children , they didn’t snitch on themselves by bragging about what they did . Cool, calm, and collected
He was a lot more then likable than Hyman Roth. Godfather 2 wouldn’t have been as fun if they made Hyman more true to Lansky. Would have been rooting for him over Michael.
I consider myself a godfather aficionado. I can repeat line for line every spoken word of 1 & 2 (3 was blah). I've seen each of those movies well into the hundreds of times. I'm ashamed to admit I (up until I saw this) never realized Roth was modeled after Meyer.
For most of world history criminals had to outsmart the people around them, or they got strung up in the street, beaten to death, or rotted in prison. Career criminals had to outsmart everyone, especially the other criminals.
@@wolfeyes9357 You think any of these gangsters weren't psychopaths? They kill and torture for god sake. A smart fella like him could have made his millions legally.
I highly recommend Hank Messick's book, Lansky. It makes great sense. Were talking about things people want hidden. He let the Italians catch the heat while he collected reliable men to work with and bribed pols/cops/communities. Started and headed the NCS, National Crime Syndicate which was national/global. Italians on the board. Most of the big events we've heard about were the official story almost all wrong. According to Messick Lansky/Luciano/Bugs took down Rothstein. Later Lansky got Lucky out during WW2 to 'help' Naval Intelligence; they tricked ONI--very little help. Lansky brought down Anastasia, who always was an enemy. On and on. He met Siegel the night before he was shot. He gave the word--Bugs was crazed at that point. Capone was a figurehead to catch heat which he did. One by one he got rid of all competition. He put together projects with multiple partners to keep everyone working together. Each casino/hotel was a puzzle piece of owners like a mozaic keeping the peace, and the money. Appalachen was set up by Lansky to get all the young upstarts arrested and known to the police. He bribed Dewey and helped get him Governor and out of the DA's office in NY. It goes on and on. He could have been head of the Mossad--they have guys like him. Never kill or make enemies when you can have a partner or bribe. All smart things. The Brain Rothstein did teach him and Lucky a lot of similar things, but Lansky perfected them and invented all the rest. Set up Murder Inc but it was only sub out by the NCS, not part of it. Smart. Get Messick's book (1971). Lansky was all over the world setting up casino/resorts because he wisely left NY to the Mafia and let them get famous. He banked in Switzerland with dirty banks in Fla etc. Btw Rothstein didn’t do the Black Sox but gladly took credit for it. Wasn’t really a fix any way.
2:30 He was the true Boss of Bosses. The FBI and the Justice Department could never nail him. But after his very close friend Lucky Luciano died, the mob was entirely under his control. Without a doubt, he was the top. Make no mistake.
@@googleownsyou8510 - That's not true. Did you ever hear of the Bug and Meyer Mob? That's what he and Siegel originally headed. But as I said, after he teamed up with Luciano, his power grew enormously. He was the one who organized the 1948 Havana Conference. He was even supposed to be at the infamous Apalachin meeting in 1957, but (conveniently) declined.. The police thought he was behind the Albert Anastasia murder. The murder has since been pinned on Genovese, but is it said Genovese first sought Lansky's approval before telling Gambino to go ahead, so the cops were probably not too far from wrong. It is even rumored that he, Luciano, Costello, and Gambino conspired to have Genovese framed. Jimmy Fratianno claimed Lansky had his own "family" made up of Jewish mobsters, but that has never been confirmed. But don't be fooled. Lansky was no small fry.
@Douglas Brown - That's one story. Another one was he had his own "family" made up of Jewish fronts. There is no question he held a high status, largely due to his close to Luciano. He was more than a mere "advisor". He used to order hits on made guys, and the cops at first suspected (and I think they were right) he gave the go-ahead on big hits like Anastasia. Don't be fooled.
@Douglas Brown- Exactly. In their heyday, Luciano and Lansky formed the Syndicate, which was a loose conglomeration of the Italian and Jewish mobs, who in those days were still pretty powerful. In fact, Luciano wanted to dispense with the Cosa Nostra oath, but Lansky was the one urged him to keep it. Lansky and Luciano were very close - to the point where they would finish each other's sentences. While Luciano for sure was the top dog, it would be a mistake to assume Lansky's power diminished after Luciano was deported. It is said that Luciano, Costello, Lansky and Gambino were all closely allied, and they were the ones behind the framing of Genovese, which stands to reason. Luciano died in the early 60s and Costello was out as boss, although he was still around. My own speculation was that during the 60s, Lansky and Gambino continued their alliance, which partly explains how Gambino became so powerful in the 60s and early 70s.
is this on israeli tv? and is there a longer version than 4 minutes? please give me info on this interwiew, cause im assuming this is the only time he ever was on tv or got his voice recorded...
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
When you lose your money, you lose nothing.
When you love your health, you lose something.
When you lose your character, you lose everything. -Mayer Lansky
😂
@@charliem4867 🤣
When you lose your SOUL you lose everything forever
Remember that
He chooses every word so carefully. He seems like a very cautious and thoughtful man. Helps explain why he was never really busted.
thenewwoodsman Jew with a back of gold in America, that is why kwa never busted him.
Tay Sachs
Kwa? What is that, some special gang squad I've never heard of?
+thenewwoodsman he was smart hell smart gangaster.
+thenewwoodsman he was a mastermind. God bless Meyer.
he was also known as being absolutely honest. If he made a deal he absolutely kept it.
"When you start making money, don't tell anybody"
best advice
Wise words
In a nutshell
Well said sir bender
Have a beer Bender...
Damn he just convinced me he wasn't a gangster. Newspaper Man always lying.
Sounds awfully similar to Trump FAKE NEWS the newspaper man lol....
He smiles every time he lies lol
@@berzerker1100 what you want Lansky to incriminate him self on tv? Lol. You're a moron. He worked for the us gov during the ww2, which was one reason the gov never went after him hard.
@@SandorSoptei he was untouchable because a banking and media cartel protected him. America'ls had already been hijacked by corrupt people not just Lansky. Lansky is tied in with the JFK murder but this reporter who was probably also part of the media cartel would never get into Lansky connections to Ruby, Permindex, CIA and FBI traitors even up to LBJ. I can only describe it as a banking and media cartel that Lansky was a supporting component
@@homerosanchez204 a Jewish one ,right
Can you imagine the stories he has. Id love to have heard them.
I’m a wealthy man. I would give my wealth to heat them stories
given his personality, he would never tell you
@@victaaakershaw9651 wealthy men don’t talk so stupidly
The old time gangsters spoke very calm collected and very very carefully
the white mike tyson this kept them alive
And that's what makes him so deadly
One couldn't fathom how dangerous these men were
You also must note how smart Meyer Lansky is..... Meyer Lansky,
i'm sure the new time gangsters are the same way, that's why you dont know who they are.
he seems like a well educated man, he was one of the biggest players in his time
Hi Cassie,
That’s true mamasita.
He wasnt called the accountant for no reason lol
I don't think he even finished high school.
@@rman52 so what? Some highly intelligent people don't finish high school (especially back then), and you can learn in other ways than school.
I'm a retired investor living on a pension.
Michael Corleone wants you to have this ..
heyman roth..whata sweetheart
😂🤣😃😄
EnergeticWaves godfather nailed it!!
Bang
back then people took "keeping your mouth shut" really seriously
Thats real serious still in that type of world
"Omerta"
Smart people still do today
My grandparents rented an apartment in Miami right next to Meyer in his last years. Said he was a very normal, polite and charming old man.
with many murders done by him
Yeah. He was " a retired investor living on a pension."
@@broughmar Come on, we know it's not true, but you gotta love him.
Lee Strasberg did it better
Forget about it
It's really funny-all these kid singers today claiming to be "Gangstas", holding a gun at a 45 degree angle and such. Meyer, Al,Charley and the rest claimed there was no such thing as organized crime and they were simply "businessmen". You gotta love it.
+Darkzz Lord And who's proud of what?
+Darkzz Lord Darkzz Lord-Where are you from? I know for sure you're a real winner!
+pranksterguy1 hahahaha
jetshockey5 you are wrong, Capone would be a billionaire in today's money. the most intelligent business man of the 20th century!!!! self made rags to riches gangster until the day he died
pranksterguy1 however the aka Rapper who talked about better yourself (Black) Rappers never are heard from I wonder why ???
Even criminals had brains back then , hear how this man talks, amazing.
El Chapo fuck you too. Worshipping a piece of shit like el chapo.
@Operation Agathasounds like someone is triggered at Israel here.. but he was a ganster and a thug but he was also highly intelligent. He is one of the few figures in the organized crime who wasn't wacked or didn't end up jail, despite being near the top almost all of his life. You don't accomplish that with average intelligence.
Operation Agatha Lansky was much more than a thug you uninformed moron
Yeah Meyer Lansky was a gangster when they took seriously and when it was a thing of honor
Meyer was a classy gangster who knew how to dress and behave, quite unlike street gangstas.
After listening to this man you realise how stupid John Gotti was for being too public
Gotti didn’t go “public” he was n the wrong era … he kept catchin cases n beatin them that’s how he became famous for winning trials against the feds nobody was doin that n still not
Gotti was totally public.. even was quoted as calling the people his fans... arrogance, personified.
@@teedepefanio4974 they made him a public figure he had fans from beatin cases he didn’t go out n promote it he denied it every time
@@JosePremo0813 Sammy "the bull" would disagree. :)
@@JosePremo0813 really.. that man does not deserve your protection... PERIOD... He was the mouth that killed the Italian thing.. he is Napalitan... the snake lies coiled in Naples.. stop protecting them.. your Scottish ancestry has its own bullies to contend with.. let us Sicilians deal with ours.. ty
Lol Lansky straight up going with “fake news”
He was way ahead of that shit stain trump.
@Justin Bergman thanks for the comment lady
Weren’t there rumors that Trump used to have ties to the mafia? Makes sense he would use tactics right out of their playbook.
@@HD-ct2un you're a racist
@@willysnowman leave trump alone, he didn't do anything to you.
One of the most dangerous men in History.This man was cold,calculating and smart not like the rest of the mafia of his era he was never convicted of any crimes
This is a real gangster here.
an absolute OG
Imagine being such a high profile gangster that you have to lie when they claim that you‘re the head of organized crime
you have to understand real gangsters aren't scared of prison but don't wanna waste their time in prison.
And a good actor too. You gotta love him.
After watching this, I see where Lee Strasberg got his Hyman Roth for Godfather II.
The whole Hyman Roth plot line is based on Lansky, with his casinos in Cuba etc.
....not Lee Strasberg, but Mario Puzo.
This is great seeing how spot on Strasberg read was.
@@nrm55 I think he meant the deliberateness of the characterization
👌👍
Lansky was the smartest gangster of them all. He weaved his way around the law his whole life and helped build an empire. Others like Luciano, and Genovese went to jail. Lansky was never convicted of a major crime.
Jim Perry Last time I checked that wop Charles Reed died in Sicily.
Luciano had a heart attack in Italy waiting for a movie producer to come about a movie on his life lol
TheJbkilla42087 Anthony Quinn was a buddy for his pal Costello. His other buddy Bugsy was also fucking some actress and very interested in movies.
+Jim Perry He never went to jail because he had something on everybody in power, and connections who warned him whenever anything was going to go down. Or could threaten their families or someone they cared about. Friendship has no hold when you get to that level. Only fear.
+Jim Perry u know what Zionism is? Then u should know how he made it through it..
This was actually so surreal to watch. One of the most interesting historical people imo. Its weird hearing his voice.
***** yup.. just like the guys these days that get busted running 9 figure cocaine rings that talk like they're fresh out of the projects...
***** Maybe not "educated" by todays standards but the guy had to be a genius to find a way to make millions illegally without going to prison
+El Comandante Hannibal Shaka-Sakanouye no Tamuramaro-Zulu he didn't need to be educated you do realize he revolutionized gambling don't you? He pretty much invented the modern casino and casinos all over the world started using his methods and games even in Monte Carlo.
too bad there's nothn recorded from lucky Luciano or Al Capone
MARTIN MILLIGAN there's gotta be
One of the greats who never spent a day in prison yet a known gangster
Back in the days when even gangsters had class and brains.
It's absurd that the interviewer actually thought he'd get Lanskey to just casually admit that he's a gangster. Nobody with half a brain would just admit they are one of the most powerful living mob figures in America on a televised interview.
it's ridiculous
Godzilla52 You don't know the context. Uri Dan did not think he would admit it. He spend over a year with Lansky preparing to write a book on him. Few people know him better. Lansky wanted to put his side of the story.
Mike P Sarcasm, right? But I don't feel it..
"We're bigger than US Steel"
He actually gave the interviewer the questions to ask him. He was trying to clear his name. U think he would sit down on camera with a guy asking questions blind?
"I wish I had a million dollars" - I was laughing my ass off
There’s still smart criminals out there.
When he died his Estate was worth $57,000.
@@77-ty7gb He lost just about everything in Cuba. His grandson Meyer II said that if there were millions, he didn't get any of it
@@fenian123 Good ol Fidel.
@@77-ty7gb a fortune compared to what her started with as an immigrant kid i suppose.
Yes, that man has a way with words, very calm and comes a cross like an ordinary guy.
He s at home.
What Myer meant was, "Yes. I'm one of the most important figures in the underworld, and I made a shitload of money."
+Ksus Susk He didn't even have enough money left for his son to live on after his passing
+Ksus Susk
Whoa!?
If true, what was the reason?
@@You-Toober he lost it in cuba when fidel castro started his revolution
Haha helllll yeah
At this point Lansky was broke and powerless. He lost all his money in the Cuban revolution and he lost all his power when his partner Frank Castello was pushed out of the commission by Vito Genovese. What Mayer meant to say is 'Yes, 20 years ago I was one of the most powerful men in all of organised crime, but times have changed and now I'm just retired gangster who is lucky to still be alive, now please leave me alone.'
What a Genius!! R.I.P Meyer!
What a Life, billionaire, but act like a normal Guy who has not to much like any other.
Thanks for Upload. Support from Germany, Hamburg
Pure evil is now .....genius !?
Meyer Lansky and Charles "Lucky" Luciano created the modern day Mafia. Both men were brilliant and ruthless.
i think lucky was more of the ruthless one while lansky was more the brilliant one.
Just because they were killers does not mitigate their organizational acumen. Luciano and Lansky directed the establishment of a criminal empire that at its height of power was earning billions of dollars a year. Killers, yes they were but you cannot deny their intelligence.
Lansky was the head.
BIRISHPM what about Benny Siegel??
smith lovy, as lansky's sidekick bugsy siegel used to say "don't worry we only kill each other"
Yup Lansky was one the most powerful and most respected mob figures of them all.
He was the real deal, keep everything out of the press and never ratted out ANYBODY.
They don't make them like Meyer anymore.....and never will!
Pretty surreal to actually hear the voice of one of these legends. The real deal. We never got to really hear the voice of any of those old school guys like this.
It's said that Lansky would have been an extremely wealthy and successful legitimate business man had he chosen that path. He was a financial genius.
Fascinating on so many levels. Most of the OGs didn't live long enough to do a TV interview. Thanks for uploading.
Joe Bonnano, whom grew up at the same time as Lansky and had an arguably more senior position in the 1920s and 30s, could have googled himself. He died in 2002. A 1930s mobster who died in 2002!
True legend. I mean this guy used to hang out with lucky Luciano, Albert Anastasia, bugsy Siegel, Dutch Shultz, Carlo Gambino, even Al Capone. He was there when it all began, and lived through the golden age of the underworld. Can you imagine the stories this guy had to tell in private?
Yes! Horror stories if he was into harming ppl. legend? Where do u think he s now?
💯
My most loyal Friend lol so good to hear you speak meyer that was great
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Stop.
good times
This interview is from the time Lansky was attempting to get Israeli citizenship as he was wanted in the US. The irony is that once he was deported back to the US, he was found not guilty.
Because he was rediculously smart and cunning
Operation Agatha f
Fuck you asshole
Alan Heath Good.
@@raysterE176Tremont thats right bitch
The only reason he was found not guilty is because the Israelis and American Jewish elite wanted him free because he can be useful to them.
First time I hear Lansky speak. Never thought I’d come across this.
Meyer Lansky: "Fake News is out to get me!" 1971 version.
Mafia guys back then acted with decorum, charm and wit. Fascinating.
Not all of them
Brilliant businessman & gangster LEGEND
John D
Lansky was 69yrs of age in this '71 interview, having been born in Belarus in 1902 fluent in Russian/Yiddish/English and as a mathematical savant, capable of vigorishly running numbers in his mind against all odds.
He was a Polish Jew
mathematical savant are you joking. any decent accountant on the planet could do what he did in terms of the trade
@@hanzen5174 He's talking about gambling, he could count cards in his head and likely had a high IQ, there's no arguing that he's one of the most intelligent criminals to ever live.
@@hanzen5174 meyer lansky is a notorious legend who made 300 million dollars and you're saying any accountant can do what he did? so why dont they
@@shuarma0 because they are honest decent people. how much money did escobar make compared to lansky. hundreds of times more?
The greatest interview ever! Thanks Mr. Lansky taught me how to talk. R.I.P Meyer
He was a ruthless criminal who caused the death of at least 30 other criminals, and probably 3 or so non criminals.
Pretty good liar under pressure.
One more thing... Lansky's word was gold. He was relied on by everybody. His casino's were run honestly unlike almost all others. Skim, of course. But you could play there. Drugs and sex et al were low priority around his joints. He hired a math teacher (dropped out after 8th grade) to tutor him and always studied his whole life--Loved Napolean. Spent a total of 3 mos in jail, mostly for ulcer medication w/o a perscription.
What amazes me about Lansky is he started with absolutely nothing and at his peak was worth more than $300 million dollars. He helped turn the mafia into a multi-billion dollar business. It is extremely rare for a mobster to live a full life without doing time or being killed early on in their career. I've noticed the mobsters that manage to do this are quiet and they know when to get out of a bad situation before it gets worse. Lansky was Luciano's right hand man and main adviser when it came to running the mob. Everyone knew that he was a very important figure in their organization and killing him would be committing suicide financially.
Meyer Lanksy, Frank Costello, Carlo Gambino.
Patriarcha, Joe Accardo, Bufalino
@@omicron5529 Tony Accardo
I would trust this guy before I would ever trust a politician. At least with him, you knew what you were getting.
lol good point!
RED DAWG Yes you were getting F*cked.
RED DAWG lol knew what you was getting? You dumb arse he spent his whole life under the public eyes radar n was a genius at not letting people know what he was all about - u would not know shit about a modern day Lansky - just lies and bull shit like any other politician
...raped.... slowly, but definately.
This was a man who absolutely kept his word. You can say whatever you want, but he was known that his handshake on a deal was worth more than any contract.
It's nothing short of a tragedy that this clip is all we have.
Lansky is fascinating.
We got nothing on Lucky even worse
@@santinorocco497 Two figures who had tremendous effects on modern American history but they stuck to their code and avoided cameras. Obviously, Lansky made a move on Israeli TV as a plea to stay there, and he likely figured in 1971, considering those days, there wasn't any conception of a RUclips or re-airing such a clip outside of Israel if it ever re-aired even in Israel.
There is one of Lansky talking to a reporter after court. Reporter was pushing it.
He was perhaps the only “mobster” that inherited everything Rothstein was trying to groom into his protégées
ktn I wondering if it is because they were all Jews lol
@Penis Enlargment pills Luciano didn't inherited AR's subtle style and the way of doing business.Which is what Ktn was talking about.
This man is a legend! His IQ on a different level. Brilliant, respectful .
Many thanks ,this is priceless.
Luciano and him were like brothers. Since the 1910s
Awesome! Loved Meyer like he was my uncle. Reminded me of my family
Hyman Roth Meyer Lansky was a hero in the '30s when his men fought the Ultramagas of the era and during WW2 stopped Ultramaga sabotage of ships at NY waterfront.
Lansky was a very wealthy and powerful Jewish mobster, but he had nothing compared to Arnold Rothstein. AR was the one that schooled Luciano and Lansky.
bodhitaichi No, I read books, not tv & movies. Rothstein schooled Lansky and Luciano; They admired him and he was their mentor. He was shot over a gambling debt and you mentioning Lansky being behind it is the first time I've heard that.
You know, you're absolutely right. Nobody really went down for AR's murder. I haven't read about Prohibition gangsters in forever and for reason I had it in my head that they killed him as I thought they got most of his rackets. But then again Dutch Schultz benefited. Hmm. Maybe I'll check out Boardwalk Empire. :) Sorry if it came off like I jumped on you there. I didn't intend to. There's a few mob forums that I'm a member and I'll ask some of the researchers their opinions. I'm kinda curious now. Regards.
bodhitaichi Quite alright, my good man. I love Boardwalk Empire. I enjoy reading about mobsters in those days. They were classier and they stuck to their code of omerta stronger than they do today. Luciano and Rothstein always fascinated me the most. I won't talk your head off. Have a good one, bro.
I Don't Have Man Boobs +bodhitaichi
Just my two cents: "Boardwalk Empire" was great entertainment, but keep in mind, it was fictionalized (pardon me, if you know this already) stories about the real life gangsters of that time. It touched on real events, but again most of it was just well crafted stories.
For something just as entertaining and more *factual* (and if you don't know about it already), check out: "The Making of the Mob: New York". It tells the story of Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and the other gangsters forming and running organized crime in the '20s and '30s. It has actors playing Luciano and the infamous gangsters of the time and telling mob stories through reenactments and showing crime scene photos/film. Also it has crime reporters/ historians, etc., commenting on the various gangster battles and drama.
It's shown on the AMC channel. Ray Liotta is the narrator (Henry Hill - "Goodfellas" (1990)). And in my opinion, it's entertaining (so far).
I Don't Have Man Boobs Rothstein was too obsessed with gambling though. It brought him down.
First time i heard him talk, after i’ve seen dozens of videos about him and sure enough he seems like a very thoughtful clever man that totally knew what he was doing. Thats exactly the reason why he never set a foot on a prison like the other so called "gangsters”
One key difference I noticed between Lansky(as well as Carlo Gambino) and a lot of the other gangsters from his time, like Bonnano, Costello and Genovese:
All those other gangsters seem very intimidating. If I was in a room with any of them, I would be absolutely terrified of saying the wrong thing, or upsetting them in some way.
Lansky, by contrast, seems so deceptively harmless and charming, that he would totally disarm you. That quality probably played a huge factor in how he lasted as long as he did.
You got a point
He was a great businessman. One of the best ever in the history of the US.
WOW, Meyer Lansky, never thought i would see a live image of the alleged Infamous Crime Boss.
This is a real
Gangster. Denies everything. Not acting tough.
mad respect for this man, he made it big in this cold dirty world !!!
He was part of the Dirty, except he was dirty on the inside and covered it with a tuxedo.
@@Napoleonvanderbilt he was a product of his environment. same problem still around today. game doesn’t change only the players
@@dannnyboyyyyy7877 He was the product of a smart and greedy man with a twisted moral compass. He is not a good person in any way, its like saying you respect Ted Bundy.
@@Napoleonvanderbilt i never said he is a good person nor that i respect him. new york was the belly of the beast back then that created the best gangsters. al capone who was in the same neighborhood gang as lucky Luciano literally took over Chicago by murdering the genna family weeks apart. new york bred entire generations of gangsters across all religions and race. thats product of environment. hard for you to relate u might be a university person who knows
@@Napoleonvanderbilt obviously the slums forced them to adapt in a different way, but it was necessary for survival. so before you judge you have to put yourself in those shoes
My grandfather, an incredibly straightedge man worked for a Meyer in south Florida. Did all his electrical work and Alot of renovation work. He also owned a gun shop the Meyer and his associates often visited. Point is - my grandfather always spoke well of Meyer, liked him Alot. The old timers knew how to keep the civilians out of the bullshit.
After Lasnky died, the FBI looked for his hundreds of millions they were sure he had, and after not finding a dime, they concluded: "Lansky didn't own money, he owned people." That may also be true but the FBI didn't want to admit Lansky hid his fortune to never be found by the government. The man was a financial genius precisely cause he was always 10 steps ahead of the government.
Meyer lansky have been in the newspapers since the 1920s
Человек колоссальной силы духа и фантастических способностей.
Этот человек легенда
These modern gangsters / rappers could learn a thing or 2 about real gangsters like this . They didn’t murder innocent people , or children , they didn’t snitch on themselves by bragging about what they did . Cool, calm, and collected
I like Mr.Lansky .... he's cool..he died in 1983. He could be lying about everything of course but has a very cool demeanor
Cool? he was accused of inflicting all kind of harm to others !
@@frdkarwaski6034 in this country it used to be you are innocent until PROVEN guilty...rule of law. "Accused" does not prove guilt .
@@helenavondrakenstein4969 why would you defend a person like that ? Are you Jewish too
thank you for posting this video
AWESOME!!!
He was a lot more then likable than Hyman Roth. Godfather 2 wouldn’t have been as fun if they made Hyman more true to Lansky. Would have been rooting for him over Michael.
This interview is gold but it's a shame we never heard of Salvatore Lucania
He must be looking down on all of us with great pride.
I consider myself a godfather aficionado. I can repeat line for line every spoken word of 1 & 2 (3 was blah). I've seen each of those movies well into the hundreds of times. I'm ashamed to admit I (up until I saw this) never realized Roth was modeled after Meyer.
smart mafia man,never served jail,wow
One of if not the richest mobster of all time so smart so amazing.
A legend no doubt. Bigger than life
This man, given his personal experiences and history, is one man that must given immense respect. One extremely intelligent and savvy individual....
For most of world history criminals had to outsmart the people around them, or they got strung up in the street, beaten to death, or rotted in prison. Career criminals had to outsmart everyone, especially the other criminals.
I’m not sure that respecting criminals is a smart move.
Here from the Valuetainment interview with Phil "Crazy Phil" Leonetti.
What a voice he had....very impressive
'This is the business we've chosen, I never asked who gave the order'
This man is a genius to me
Just watched the Movie,Lansky i thought it was great!
He looks almost exactly like my grandpa. Trippy
This is amazin to me..only heard his name many times..to watch this feels a privalage
RESPECT.. this guy is a legend.. pure honor, personified...
A man of honor? are you nuts?...
@@jeffsmith2022yes he is
Broooo he killed people
This Man was brilliant...educated by Arnold Rothstein.....Luciano, Lansky and Siegel were it.
Also a complete psychopath so maybe calm down with all the praising.
@@basquat76 psychopath....maybe....but still extremely smart!
@@wolfeyes9357 You think any of these gangsters weren't psychopaths? They kill and torture for god sake. A smart fella like him could have made his millions legally.
That man was a genius , such an interesting man.
I highly recommend Hank Messick's book, Lansky. It makes great sense. Were talking about things people want hidden. He let the Italians catch the heat while he collected reliable men to work with and bribed pols/cops/communities. Started and headed the NCS, National Crime Syndicate which was national/global. Italians on the board. Most of the big events we've heard about were the official story almost all wrong. According to Messick Lansky/Luciano/Bugs took down Rothstein. Later Lansky got Lucky out during WW2 to 'help' Naval Intelligence; they tricked ONI--very little help. Lansky brought down Anastasia, who always was an enemy. On and on. He met Siegel the night before he was shot. He gave the word--Bugs was crazed at that point. Capone was a figurehead to catch heat which he did. One by one he got rid of all competition. He put together projects with multiple partners to keep everyone working together. Each casino/hotel was a puzzle piece of owners like a mozaic keeping the peace, and the money. Appalachen was set up by Lansky to get all the young upstarts arrested and known to the police. He bribed Dewey and helped get him Governor and out of the DA's office in NY. It goes on and on. He could have been head of the Mossad--they have guys like him. Never kill or make enemies when you can have a partner or bribe. All smart things. The Brain Rothstein did teach him and Lucky a lot of similar things, but Lansky perfected them and invented all the rest. Set up Murder Inc but it was only sub out by the NCS, not part of it. Smart. Get Messick's book (1971). Lansky was all over the world setting up casino/resorts because he wisely left NY to the Mafia and let them get famous. He banked in Switzerland with dirty banks in Fla etc. Btw Rothstein didn’t do the Black Sox but gladly took credit for it. Wasn’t really a fix any way.
2:30 He was the true Boss of Bosses. The FBI and the Justice Department could never nail him. But after his very close friend Lucky Luciano died, the mob was entirely under his control. Without a doubt, he was the top. Make no mistake.
He was a money man and a friend of lucky Luciano and Frank Costello . Never a boss of anything outside the money biz.
@@googleownsyou8510 - That's not true. Did you ever hear of the Bug and Meyer Mob? That's what he and Siegel originally headed. But as I said, after he teamed up with Luciano, his power grew enormously. He was the one who organized the 1948 Havana Conference. He was even supposed to be at the infamous Apalachin meeting in 1957, but (conveniently) declined.. The police thought he was behind the Albert Anastasia murder. The murder has since been pinned on Genovese, but is it said Genovese first sought Lansky's approval before telling Gambino to go ahead, so the cops were probably not too far from wrong. It is even rumored that he, Luciano, Costello, and Gambino conspired to have Genovese framed. Jimmy Fratianno claimed Lansky had his own "family" made up of Jewish mobsters, but that has never been confirmed. But don't be fooled. Lansky was no small fry.
@Douglas Brown - That's one story. Another one was he had his own "family" made up of Jewish fronts. There is no question he held a high status, largely due to his close to Luciano. He was more than a mere "advisor". He used to order hits on made guys, and the cops at first suspected (and I think they were right) he gave the go-ahead on big hits like Anastasia. Don't be fooled.
@Douglas Brown- Exactly. In their heyday, Luciano and Lansky formed the Syndicate, which was a loose conglomeration of the Italian and Jewish mobs, who in those days were still pretty powerful. In fact, Luciano wanted to dispense with the Cosa Nostra oath, but Lansky was the one urged him to keep it. Lansky and Luciano were very close - to the point where they would finish each other's sentences. While Luciano for sure was the top dog, it would be a mistake to assume Lansky's power diminished after Luciano was deported.
It is said that Luciano, Costello, Lansky and Gambino were all closely allied, and they were the ones behind the framing of Genovese, which stands to reason. Luciano died in the early 60s and Costello was out as boss, although he was still around. My own speculation was that during the 60s, Lansky and Gambino continued their alliance, which partly explains how Gambino became so powerful in the 60s and early 70s.
Fascinating interview,great to put a voice to the man that so much was written about
He seems like a sweet old grandpa. Very disarming.
Very smart man,I never thought his voice sounded so hard edge , I'm Glade I got a chance to hear his voice.a very, very smart man
I read in a book about him and it said he has a very high IQ and was a mathematical genius
It's a joy to finally hear one of the kings speak to my ears at 48 yrs young
Meyer Lansky was brilliant haha! Respect!
Greatest Jew since my man J-C!
Jews killed Christ and they are proud of it !
ATCRyderX© Don't forget about Arnold Rothstein. He's the one that schooled Luciano and Lansky. Every gangster in the country respected and feared Rothstein because of his endless wealth and connections.
+Maglioso Jones jews were NEVER persecuted
they want dominion over the wirld its both in the torah and talmud
no they dont.
he cant help but smile a rich man who played the game till the end
Ive always admired Mr.Lanksy ... he was always a real Gangster and a smart man ... Thnx for passing ur knowledge on to us ....
Can see why he was successful in what he did, all those lies looked completely believable
The guys Meyer rubbed shoulders with. Crazy. Even if it is blown out of proportion in TV and movies it's still wild.
My great grandfather came from belarus and actually worked for meyer lansky, as a booky...Im a bad ass I know
is this on israeli tv? and is there a longer version than 4 minutes? please give me info on this interwiew, cause im assuming this is the only time he ever was on tv or got his voice recorded...
''Honest'' Mayer... a tragic hero...
R.I.P - Rest in Peace Mister Lansky!
He was a criminal.
whos coming here after lansky movie give like :)