Abe "Kid Twist" Reles (1906 – 12 November 1941) was a New York mobster who was probably the most feared hitman for Murder, Inc., the enforcement contractor for the National Crime Syndicate. Reles later turned government witness and sent several members of Murder, Inc. to the electric chair. Max Kid Twist Zwerbach (?-1908) was a gangster in the around the turn of the century who belonged to the Eastman Gang. ... Image File history File links Abereles1. ... The New York City Police Department (NYPD) , the largest police department in the United States, has primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coney Island (disambiguation). ... This article is about the state. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... In most countries with judicial systems, a contract to kill a person is unenforceable by law (in the sense that the customer cannot sue for specific performance and the contract killer cannot sue for his pay). ... Murder, Inc. ... The National Crime Syndicate was the name given by the press to a supposed loosely-organized organized crime syndicate, set up in the 1930s, by Charles Lucky Luciano and based in New York City. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ...

Early years

Abraham Reles, the son of Austrian immigrants, was born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in poverty, he soon embraced a life of crime. Stories of successful gangsters inspired him on his violent path toward wealth, fame, and ultimately destruction. Immigration is the movement of people into one place from another. ... Brownsville is a neighborhood in central Brooklyn, New York, predominantly Caribbean, Hispanic, and African-American. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

Physically, Reles was short, but had long arms and hands with short, stubby fingers. His small physical size did not defer him from committing ruthless acts of violence. When carrying out hits, his weapon of choice was an ice pick, which he would ram through his victim's ear right into the brain). Reles became so adept at using the ice pick that many of his murder victims were thought to have died of cerebral hemorrhages. Icepick. ... A intracranial hemorrhage is a bleed into the substance of the cerebrum. ...

Reles became known as a particularly cold-blooded and psychopathic murderer. On one occasion, in broad daylight, he killed a worker at a car wash for failing to clean a smudge from the fender of his car. Another time, Reles killed a parking lot attendant for failing to fetch his car fast enough. On another occasion, he brought a guest to his mother's home for supper. When his mother left after the meal to go to a movie, Reles and another gang member murdered the guest and then removed the body. Psychopathy is defined in psychiatry and clinical psychology as a condition characterized by lack of empathy[1][2] or conscience, and poor impulse control[3][4] or manipulative behaviors. ...

Reles reportedly got the nickname "Kid Twist" after an earlier New York killer, Max "Kid Twist" Zwerbach. Another theory behind the moniker is that it was the name of his favorite candy. Yet another theory is that the nickname described his method for strangling people. Max Kid Twist Zwerbach (?-1908) was a gangster in the around the turn of the century who belonged to the Eastman Gang. ...

Prohibition & Murder Inc.

During the Prohibition days of the 1920s, while still teenagers, Reles and friend Martin "Buggsy" Goldstein went to work for the Shapiro brothers, who ran the Brooklyn rackets. Soon, Reles and Seigel were committing petty crimes for the brothers. On one such occasion, Reles was caught and sentenced to two years in an upstate New York juvenile institution. The Shapiro brothers failed to help Reles, prompting to plan revenge when he got out. The term Prohibition, also known as A Dry Law, refers to a law in a certain country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ... The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... Meyer Goldstein Martin Buggsy Goldstein (c. ... The Shapiro Brothers were a group of New York independent labor racketeers based in Williamsburg who controlled bootlegging, extortion, illegal gambling and prostitution in New Yorks East Side during the 1920s and 30s. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

After his release, Reles, Seigel, and George Defeo entered the slot-machine business, the province of the Shapiro Brothers. Through Defeo's connections with Meyer Lansky, Reles and Seigel were able to make a deal with the influential crime lord. Lansky needed access to the poorer neighborhoods of Brooklyn and thus agreed to the deal. Both parties prospered: Lansky was able to get sizeable footholds in Brownsville, East New York, and Ocean Hill, while Reles gained the backing he needed to keep both his business and himself alive. Meyer Lansky (born Majer Suchowliński, July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983) was an American gangster who, with Charles Lucky Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the National Crime Syndicate in the United States. ... Brownsville is the name of several places in the United States of America: Brownsville, California Brownsville, Florida Brownsville, Kentucky Brownsville, Maryland Brownsville, Minnesota Brownsville, Ohio Brownsville, Oregon Brownsville, Pennsylvania Brownsville, Tennessee Brownsville, Texas (The first two battles of the Mexican-American War were fought neart this city. ... East New York is a neighborhood in Brooklyn which has had a dramatic turn around prior to 15 years ago. ... Ocean Hill is a neighborhood on the Northeastern section of Brooklyn in New York City. ...

The slot-machine business thrived and soon Reles and Goldstein were on the Shapiros' hit list. One night, the two men received a phone call from a "friend" saying that the Shapiros had left their East New York headquarters. Hopping into a car with Defeo, they headed to East New York. However, when they reached the Shapiro's building, the three men were ambushed. Reles and Goldstein were wounded, but all three managed to escape. In another bold move, Meyer Shapiro abducted Reles' girlfriend off the street, dragged her to an open field, beat her, and raped her in the mouth. East New York is a neighborhood in Brooklyn which has had a dramatic turn around prior to 15 years ago. ... East New York is a neighborhood in Brooklyn which has had a dramatic turn around prior to 15 years ago. ...

Revenge against Shapiro Brothers

To avenge the ambush and his girlfriend's rape, Reles enlisted the help of fellow Murder, Inc. killers Frank "Dasher" Abbandando and Harry "Happy" Maione. The two killers were glad to help; they hoped to kill the Shapiro brothers and take over some of their operations. After several futile attempts by each side to eradicate the other, the Murder, Inc. group finally caught up with Irving Shapiro. On that occasion, Reles dragged Irving from the hallway of his home out into the street. Reles then beat, kicked, and then shot Irving numerous times, killing him. Two months later, Reles met Meyer Shapiro on the street and shot him dead in the face. Another three years would elapse before Reles finally got the last Shapiro brother, William. William was abducted off the street and taken to a gang hideout. Once there, William was beaten nearly to death, stuffed into a sack, and driven out to the Canarsie section of Brooklyn and buried. Before the gang could finish burying William, a passerby spotted them and they had to flee the scene. William Shapiro's body was exhumed shortly thereafter, and after being autopsied, it was determined that he had been buried alive. Murder, Inc. ... Frank Dasher Abbandando (1910 – February 19, 1942) was a New York City gangster and Mafia hitman. ... Harry Happy Maione (1908 – February 19, 1942) was an Italian-American hitman for Murder, Inc. ... Irving Shapiro may refer to: Irving Shapiro, New York labor racketeer with the Shapiro Brothers Irving S. Shapiro, lawyer Category: ... Meyer Schapiro was a 20th century art historian. ... The Shapiro Brothers were a group of New York independent labor racketeers based in Williamsburg who controlled bootlegging, extortion, illegal gambling and prostitution in New Yorks East Side during the 1920s and 30s. ... Canarsie is a neighborhood in the eastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, USA. Its name is Algonquin for fenced land or fort. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... This article is about the medical procedure. ...

Government informant

In 1940, Reles was implicated in a number of killings. Realizing that he faced execution if convicted, Reles became a government witness. During one discussion with prosecutors, Reles described a typical murder: Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Pep has an ice pick. Happer has meat cleaver. It is the kind you chop with, you know, butcher cleaver. Abby grabs Rudnick by the feet and drags him over to the car. Pep and Happy grab it by the head. They put it in the car. Somebody says "It don't fit." Just as they push the body in it gives a little cough or something. With that, Pep starts with the ice pick and starts punching away at Whitey. Maione says "Let me hit the bastard one for luck." And he hits him with the cleaver some place on the head."

Reles implicated his boss in Murder, Inc, Louis Buchalterin the murder of Brooklyn candy store owner Joseph Rosen; Buchalter was eventually convicted and executed for this crime. Reles' information also implicated Harry "Pittsburgh Phil" Strauss, Mendy Weiss, Harry "Happy" Maione, Frank "Dasher" Abbandando, and even Reles' childhood friend Buggsy Goldstein. All of these men were convicted and executed. Following these convictions, Reles' next target was Albert Anastasia, who had been co-chief of operations of Murder, Inc.. Reles was to implicate Anastasia on the murder of union longshoreman Pete Panto. However, unlike other members of Murder Inc., Anastasia was a high-ranking member of the Cosa Nostra. The trial, based solely on Reles' testimony, was set for 12 November 1941. Until then, Reles was under constant guard by six police detectives at the Half Moon Hotel on Coney Island. To protect the New York crime families from exposure, boss Frank Costello reportedly raised $100,000 to bribe these guards to kill Reles. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Harry Pittsburgh Phil Strauss (July 28, 1909 - June 12, 1941) was a contract killer for Murder, Inc. ... Emanuel Mendy Weiss was a hitman working for the criminal organisation Murder Inc during the 1930s and 1940s. ... Harry Happy Maione (1908 – February 19, 1942) was an Italian-American hitman for Murder, Inc. ... Frank Dasher Abbandando (1910 – February 19, 1942) was a New York City gangster and Mafia hitman. ... Meyer Goldstein Martin Bugsy Goldstein (c. ... Albert Anastasia (born Umberto Anastasio) (September 26, 1902–October 25, 1957), also known as the Mad Hatter and Lord High Executioner, was a Mafia boss chiefly remembered for running the contract killing syndicate known as Murder, Inc. ... Murder, Inc. ... Pete Panto (died July 14, 1939) was a longshoreman who was executed by the mob for attempting to revolt against union leadership. ... Charles Lucky Luciano, one of the most famous American bosses (La) Cosa Nostra (our thing or this thing of ours in Italian) is a worldwide alliance of criminals, linked through both familial and conspiratorial ties, that is dedicated to pursuing crime and protecting its members. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... The Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island, New York was where Abe Reles, informant for the FBI who brought down numerous members of Murder, Inc. ... For other uses, see Coney Island (disambiguation). ... Frank Costello, born Francesco Castiglia, or Castilla (January 26, 1891 - February 18, 1973) was an American gangster who rose to the top of Americas underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and had political influence like no other La Cosa Nostra boss. ...

Accident or murder

In the early morning of November 12, Abe Reles fell to his death from a hotel window. [1] It is not known whether he was thrown or pushed out the window, or if he was trying to escape. The angle of trajectory suggests that he was in fact pushed.

Because of his mob status as a "stool pigeon" and the circumstances surrounding his death, Reles gained another moniker after his passing. In addition to "Kid Twist," Reles became known as "the canary who sang, but couldn't fly." An informant (sometimes informer) is someone existing inside a closed system who provides information of that system to a figure or organization who exist outside of that system. ... A moniker (or monicker) is a pseudonym, or cognomen, which one gives to oneself. ...

Reles is buried in Old Mount Carmel Cemetery in the Glendale section of Queens, New York. A view of Mount Carmel in 1894 For other uses, see Mount Carmel (disambiguation). ... Glendale is a neighborhood in west central portion[1] of the borough of Queens in New York City. ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ...

In popular culture

• "Kid Twist" is the name of a member of the "big con" in "The Sting"
• He was later portrayed by Peter Falk in the short lived 1960 television series The Witness as well as the film Murder Inc. that same year. He was also portrayed in later films including Lepke (1975) by Zitto Kazann, Mad Dog Coll (1992) by Thomas McHugh and the 1959 television series The Lawless Years by John Apone.

This article is about the 1973 film involving con artists. ... Peter Michael Falk (born September 16, 1927) is an American actor. ... The Witness can refer to: The Witness (1969 film) The Witness (computer game) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sergeant Major Thomas J. McHugh (December 23, 1919 - February 1, 2000) served as the 3rd Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 29 June 1962 until 16 July 1965. ...

Further reading

• Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-016357-7
• Messick, Hank. Lansky. London: Robert Hale & Company, 1973. ISBN 0-7091-3966-7

References

• Rockaway, Robert A. (2000). BUT HE WAS GOOD TO HIS MOTHER: The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters. Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 965-229-249-4

External links

• The American "Mafia": Who Was Who ? - Abe Reles
• Federal Bureau of Investigation - Freedom of Information Privacy Act - Abe Reles
• Brooklyn, Inc. at the Crime Library
• Abe Reles at Encyclopædia Britannica
• Abe "Kid Twist" Reles at Rotten.com
• Mr. Murder: Tales of true Crime and Murder - Abraham "Kid Twist" Reles
• Abe "Kid Twist" Reles at Find A Grave
• New York Times: 'Kid Twist' Took the Fall, But He Left His Bag Behind