Description:

Lansky Meyer
Meyer Lansky Asks That Certain Books be Sent to Him Intending to Become an Israeli Citizen, Three Months after Arriving in Israel to Avoid Any Legal Problems

Autograph Letter Signed “Love /Dad,” one page, 8.5” x 10.75”. [Tel-Aviv, Israel], November 2, 1970. To Meyer Lansky’s daughter Sandra and her husband Vince Lombardo, with original “Dan Hotel Tel Aviv” mailing envelope addressed by Lansky; envelope right front side torn off. On lightweight lined paper. Fine condition.

In part:
“Let me know about your local & State election results. Have Buddy [Sandra’s eldest brother] give you the names of some of the other F.B.I. [book] titles that they may have on the shelf & ship Air Mail from the store. If Gary [Sandra’s son] doesn’t have use for his Polaroid Camera give it to Ted [wife Thelma called “Teddy”] to bring along. I’m happy to hear Vince that your business is picking up … I’m much contented here. As long as you are all well the rest doesn’t matter…”

Robert Lacey in “Little Man: Meyer Lansky and the Gangster Life” (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1991) writes, “In 1964, Meyer’s old friend Doc Stacher had avoided the worst consequences of a conviction for tax evasion by consenting to deportation and going to Israel to live. In July 1970, Meyer Lansky decided not to wait for the conviction ‾ or anything else … Lansky landed in Israel on July 27, 1970 … He wanted to stay in Israel ‾ and he wanted to live there not as a visitor, but as an Israeli citizen.”

On December 7, 1970, Lansky requested Israeli citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return which gives any Jew the right to be granted Israeli citizenship. However, it denies citizenship to a Jew “with a criminal past, likely to endanger the public welfare.” In March 1971, Lansky was charged with being involved in a conspiracy to skim from the Flamingo Hotel, his old Las Vegas venture with Bugsy Siegel. In May, Lansky’s U.S. passport was revoked and in September, his application for Israeli citizenship was denied. “Meyer Lansky v. the State of Israel” was heard before the Israeli Supreme Court and on September 11, 1972, the court ruled unanimously against Lansky. After trying to find refuge outside the United States, on November 7, 1972, Meyer Lansky returned to Miami and was promptly arrested by FBI agents aboard the plane.

In a 1988 interview with Robert Lacey, Anna Strasberg revealed that Meyer Lansky had phoned her husband, Lee Strasberg who was nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role of Hyman Roth in “The Godfather, Part II.” With her husband’s knowledge, Anna listened in on the extension. Lansky said, “You did good.” Lee replied, “Thank you. I tried.” Lansky added, almost with a sense of humor according to Anna, “Now, why couldn’t you have made me more sympathetic? After all, I am a grandfather.”

As far as Lansky writing he’s “happy to hear Vince that your business is picking up,” Victor Riesel, in his December 10, 1970, nationally syndicated column, “Inside Labor,” reported that “in the past month there have been two mass indictments … on various charges. One … is a 72-count securities fraud indictment and brings in some new names such as Vincent Lombardo, son-in-law of the shadowy financial wizard, Meyer Lansky…”

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