Trace the steps of pre-Prohibition era gangsters like Monk Eastman, Max “Kid Twist” Zweifach, “Big” Jack Zelig and Benjamin “Dopey” Fein – pivotal figures in the organizing of crime in New York City; paving the way for men like Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky and "Bugsy" Siegel. Learn about the Jewish immigrant experience on the Lower East Side and the conditions that led to organized gangsterism; visit the sites of gang headquarters, shootouts and assassinations, and learn how the Jewish Mob expanded out of the slums and into a contemporary organized crime syndicate.

The Jewish Mob tour was prepared with the direct input of the families and estates of the crime figures discussed on tour, as well generous assistance from the American Jewish Historical Society and leading authors like Rose Keefe (The Starker, Guns and Roses, The Man Who Got Away) and Patrick Downey (Gangster City), to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for tour-goers using original source documents, images, firsthand accounts and family stories previously unavailable elsewhere.

Images courtesy of Christina Martuscelli

Your guide Seth Franklin Abrams is a native New York City writer, producer, actor and founding curator for the former Museum of the American Gangster, Seth is also the creator of Our Gotham, a film series that is set in the underworld of 1904 New York chronicling the exploits of the legendary Monk Eastman, Kid Twist and a host of other unforgettable characters. Franklin also produced Inside a Change, recipient of the 2009 Best Film Award at the 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. As an actor, Franklin has appeared in a host of films, video games and videos.

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