11. Bugsy Siegel
Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel (1906 – 1947) was a Jewish NYC gangster who became a friend and associate of major mafia luminaries such as Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and Meyer Lansky. In 1930, Siegel was a member of a hit team organized by Luciano, which killed NYC’s then-reigning mob boss, Joe Masseria. A feared hitman and one of the original leaders of a contract killing organization that came to be known as Murder Inc., Bugy Siegel also dabbled in bootlegging and gambling, before relocating to the West Coast to expand the mafia rackets there.
While in the West Coast, Siegel raised mafia eyebrows by hobnobbing with Hollywood figures. That was overlooked – for a while – because he helped establish the mafia in Las Vegas, by building the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Unfortunately for Siegel, he was caught skimming off huge amounts from East Coast mobsters who had invested in Las Vegas. On the evening of June 20th, 1947, Siegel was relaxing in a palatial Beverly Hills mansion, reading the Los Angeles Times, when a hitman riddled him with bullets fired through the window with an M1 rifle, including two shots to the head.