5. Murder Inc. and Dutch Schultz
After the deaths of Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, Lucky Luciano set up a cooperative entity, The Commission, to run the Italian-America mafia and arbitrate its disputes. To give The Commission teeth, Luciano set up a streamlined contract killing organization that came to be known as Murder Incorporated. Headed by Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, Murder Inc. acted as the muscle and enforcers of the mafia’s higher ups. In theory, mob killings had to be preapproved by The Commission, who would then task Murder Inc. with carrying out the murders. Their most famous victim was Dutch Schultz.
Schultz was close friends with many mob higher ups, including Lucky Luciano, but he threatened to become a loose cannon after crusading prosecutor Thomas Dewey put him in his crosshairs. Schultz sought permission from The Commission to kill Dewey, but was turned down – the mob had a strict policy against targeting law enforcement. When Schultz gave signs that he might go rogue and kill Dewey anyhow, The Commission ordered his death before he invited a catastrophic backlash upon all, by murdering the prominent prosecutor. Three Murder Inc. hitmen tracked Schultz down to The Palace Chop restaurant in Newark, New Jersey, where they executed him, his accountant, and two bodyguards.