Louis Cohen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louis Cohen (January 1, 1904-January 28, 1939) was a New York mobster who murdered labor racketeer "Kid Dropper" Nathan Kaplan and was an associate of labor racketeer Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. Becoming an informant during the late 1930s, he was killed along with Isadore Friedman shortly before they were to testify against Buchalter.
Born Louis Kerzner or Kushner, Cohen was a minor criminal in the employ of racketeer Jacob "Little Augie" Orgen when he was hired by lieutenants Louis Buchalter, Jacob "Gurrah" Shaprio and Jack "Legs" Diamond to murder rival mobster Nathan Kaplan. He later killed him while under police escort outside the Essex Market Court House in lower Manhattan on August 28, 1923. Immediately arrested by police, he was subsequently convicted of Dropper’s murder and sentenced to 20-25 years imprisonment at Sing Sing Prison. Released on parole in 1937, he began talking to investigators within two years on the streets and eventually agreed to testify against Buchalter. However, shortly before his schedualed testimony, he was gunned down on January 28, 1939.
[edit] Further reading
- Chiocca, Olindo Romeo. Mobsters and Thugs: Quotes from the Underworld. Toronto: Guernica Editions, 2000. ISBN 1-55071-104-0
[edit] References
- Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. ISBN 1-56025-275-8
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
