On this date in 1947, Bugsy Siegel got whacked. Iced. Taken out. Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel — who hated that nickname, by the way — was shot while sitting next to a window in the Beverly Hills house he shared with girlfriend Virginia Hill. According to his death certificate, the cause of death was “cerebral hemmorage” (apparently spelling was not a high priority at the L.A. County Registrar’s Office) due to “gunshots of the head” (neither was grammar, I guess). One shot hit Siegel right near his eye. If he saw it coming, he didn’t see it for long.
The murder was never solved, but theories abound. Who was behind it? Was it Meyer Lansky? Lucky Luciano? Some investors who were less than happy about the profitability of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino? Author Warren Hull has a theory about the identity of the trigger man. Check out this interview with Hull.
Further reading:
Crime Museum – Bugsy Siegel
Wikipedia – Bugsy Siegel
Family Secret, by Warren Robert Hull
Nobody Move! 
Reblogged this on Rifleman III Journal.
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Thanks.
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You’re welcome.
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John D.:
I love the way you explain the hit to Bugsy.
And that Warren Hull interview is a bit revelatory.
Those are some good conclusions.
Good call and links.
Roll safe out there.
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That interview is really interesting. I still haven’t read the book yet.
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Virginia Hill was the mob’s best courier and therefore an important asset. Shortly before his sad and untimely demise, Bugsy beat her so badly she had to go to Europe for plastic surgery. There are those who believe that he was killed for that (endangering a successful money-laundering system), not for blowing the money on the Flamingo.
I don’t know. I’m just throwing that out there.
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Maybe. But beating her was a misdemeanor compared to losing the mob’s money, which is a capital offense.
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My father was Allen Smiley. I published a memoir about our relationship. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1537456032
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