The Becker–Rosenthal trial was a 1912 trial in New York City for the murder of Herman Rosenthal (1874-1912), [1] a bookmaker, by NYPD Lieutenant Charles Becker and members of the Lenox Avenue Gang. [2] The trial ran from October 7 to October 30, 1912, and restarted on May 2 to May 22, 1914. Other procedural events took place in 1915.
Five men, including former Lieutenant Becker, were convicted on murder charges and sentenced to death. Each was executed by the state at Sing Sing prison.
In July 1912, Lieutenant Charles Becker was named in the New York World as one of three senior police officials involved in the case of Herman Rosenthal, a small-time bookmaker and gambler who had complained to the press that his illegal casinos had been affected by the greed of Becker and his associates. Rosenthal accused the police of demanding a large percentage of his illegal profits as protection in exchange for allowing him to continue to operate.
At 2 a.m. on July 16, two days after the New York World article was published, Rosenthal was murdered on the street after leaving the Hotel Metropole at 147 West 43rd Street, just off Times Square. He was gunned down by men found to be a crew of Jewish gangsters from the Lower East Side. In the aftermath, Manhattan District Attorney Charles S. Whitman, who had made an appointment with Rosenthal before his death, said that he believed the gangsters had committed the murder at Becker's behest.
John J. Reisler, also known as "John the Barber", told the police that he had seen "Bridgey" Webber running away from the crime scene directly after the killing. After he recanted the next week, likely after being threatened by gangsters, he was charged with perjury. [3]
The New York Times and other major newspapers covered the murder investigation for months, with the Times featuring it on the front page, as it led into complex criminal activities. The events were so complex that the New York Police Department recalled 30 detectives from retirement to help investigate and were said "to know most of the gangsters." [3] One of the recalled detectives, Detective [4] Frank Upton, formerly of the "Italian Squad," was instrumental in the July 25, 1912, arrest of "Dago" Frank Cirofici, one of the suspected killers. He and his companion, Regina Gorden (formerly known as "Rose Harris"), were "so stupefied by opium that they offered no objection to their arrests," according to The New York Times. [5] The department then had one of its policewomen, Mary A. Sullivan, go undercover to gain the trust of Gorden. She befriended the woman as well as other girlfriends and wives of the suspects, which helped to break the case. [6]
Ex-Magistrate Charles G. F. Wahle, counsel for the gunmen " Gyp the Blood" Horowitz, "Lefty Louis" Rosenberg, "Whitey Lewis", and " Dago Frank" Cirofici on trial before Justice Goff and a jury in the Extraordinary Term of the Supreme Court for the murder of Herman Rosenthal, rested the case of the defense at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.(subscription required)
The defendants were named in the indictment as Frank Muller, alias Whitey Louis, alias Whitey Jack, alias Louis Seidenschue, alias Jack Biegel — Frank Cirofici, alias Dago Frank, alias Frank Palmer — Louis Rosenberg, alias Lefty Louie, alias Louis Marks, alias Louis Baker, alias Charles Raymond — Harry Horowitz, alias Gyp the Blood. The birth name of Frank Muller was later found to be Jacob Seidenshner.
Mrs. Charles Becker had a long conference yesterday afternoon with her husband's lawyers, W. Bourke Cockran, Martin T. Manton and John B. Johnston, in relation to final stops in the fight to save her husband from paying the death penalty for the murder of Herman Rosenthal.(subscription required)
Jacob A. Rich, who as Jacob Reich or Jack Sullivan was a chief defense witness in the two trials of Police Lieutenant Charles Becker for the murder of Herman Rosenthal, died early yesterday in the Home for Incurables, Third Avenue and 183d Street, the Bronx.(subscription required)
The Police Department's Bureau of Identification closed its file yesterday on Jacob (Baldy Jack) Rose. The lanky informer in the Herman Rosenthal murder case of 1912 died in Roosevelt Hospital on Saturday of an internal disorder. He was 72 years old.(subscription required)
Half a dozen men loitered in front of the Hotel Metropole in Forty-third Street close to Times Square shortly before 2 o'clock this morning, as persons frequently loiter in that neighborhood, attracting no attention from the few persons who passed through the street or such policemen as were in the neighborhood. ...(subscription required)
Becker's Lawyer Serves Notice of Appeal. Sam Schepps, "Bridgey" Webber, Jack Rose, and Harry Vallon, whose stories convicted Charles Becker and the four ...(subscription required)
Charles S. Whitman, 78, former governor of New York, died tonight.(subscription required)
The murder on Saturday night of 'Big Jack' Zelig will not delay the trial of Lieut. ... Zelig was one of the State's chief witnesses against Becker ...(subscription required)
The Becker–Rosenthal trial was a 1912 trial in New York City for the murder of Herman Rosenthal (1874-1912), [1] a bookmaker, by NYPD Lieutenant Charles Becker and members of the Lenox Avenue Gang. [2] The trial ran from October 7 to October 30, 1912, and restarted on May 2 to May 22, 1914. Other procedural events took place in 1915.
Five men, including former Lieutenant Becker, were convicted on murder charges and sentenced to death. Each was executed by the state at Sing Sing prison.
In July 1912, Lieutenant Charles Becker was named in the New York World as one of three senior police officials involved in the case of Herman Rosenthal, a small-time bookmaker and gambler who had complained to the press that his illegal casinos had been affected by the greed of Becker and his associates. Rosenthal accused the police of demanding a large percentage of his illegal profits as protection in exchange for allowing him to continue to operate.
At 2 a.m. on July 16, two days after the New York World article was published, Rosenthal was murdered on the street after leaving the Hotel Metropole at 147 West 43rd Street, just off Times Square. He was gunned down by men found to be a crew of Jewish gangsters from the Lower East Side. In the aftermath, Manhattan District Attorney Charles S. Whitman, who had made an appointment with Rosenthal before his death, said that he believed the gangsters had committed the murder at Becker's behest.
John J. Reisler, also known as "John the Barber", told the police that he had seen "Bridgey" Webber running away from the crime scene directly after the killing. After he recanted the next week, likely after being threatened by gangsters, he was charged with perjury. [3]
The New York Times and other major newspapers covered the murder investigation for months, with the Times featuring it on the front page, as it led into complex criminal activities. The events were so complex that the New York Police Department recalled 30 detectives from retirement to help investigate and were said "to know most of the gangsters." [3] One of the recalled detectives, Detective [4] Frank Upton, formerly of the "Italian Squad," was instrumental in the July 25, 1912, arrest of "Dago" Frank Cirofici, one of the suspected killers. He and his companion, Regina Gorden (formerly known as "Rose Harris"), were "so stupefied by opium that they offered no objection to their arrests," according to The New York Times. [5] The department then had one of its policewomen, Mary A. Sullivan, go undercover to gain the trust of Gorden. She befriended the woman as well as other girlfriends and wives of the suspects, which helped to break the case. [6]
Ex-Magistrate Charles G. F. Wahle, counsel for the gunmen " Gyp the Blood" Horowitz, "Lefty Louis" Rosenberg, "Whitey Lewis", and " Dago Frank" Cirofici on trial before Justice Goff and a jury in the Extraordinary Term of the Supreme Court for the murder of Herman Rosenthal, rested the case of the defense at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.(subscription required)
The defendants were named in the indictment as Frank Muller, alias Whitey Louis, alias Whitey Jack, alias Louis Seidenschue, alias Jack Biegel — Frank Cirofici, alias Dago Frank, alias Frank Palmer — Louis Rosenberg, alias Lefty Louie, alias Louis Marks, alias Louis Baker, alias Charles Raymond — Harry Horowitz, alias Gyp the Blood. The birth name of Frank Muller was later found to be Jacob Seidenshner.
Mrs. Charles Becker had a long conference yesterday afternoon with her husband's lawyers, W. Bourke Cockran, Martin T. Manton and John B. Johnston, in relation to final stops in the fight to save her husband from paying the death penalty for the murder of Herman Rosenthal.(subscription required)
Jacob A. Rich, who as Jacob Reich or Jack Sullivan was a chief defense witness in the two trials of Police Lieutenant Charles Becker for the murder of Herman Rosenthal, died early yesterday in the Home for Incurables, Third Avenue and 183d Street, the Bronx.(subscription required)
The Police Department's Bureau of Identification closed its file yesterday on Jacob (Baldy Jack) Rose. The lanky informer in the Herman Rosenthal murder case of 1912 died in Roosevelt Hospital on Saturday of an internal disorder. He was 72 years old.(subscription required)
Half a dozen men loitered in front of the Hotel Metropole in Forty-third Street close to Times Square shortly before 2 o'clock this morning, as persons frequently loiter in that neighborhood, attracting no attention from the few persons who passed through the street or such policemen as were in the neighborhood. ...(subscription required)
Becker's Lawyer Serves Notice of Appeal. Sam Schepps, "Bridgey" Webber, Jack Rose, and Harry Vallon, whose stories convicted Charles Becker and the four ...(subscription required)
Charles S. Whitman, 78, former governor of New York, died tonight.(subscription required)
The murder on Saturday night of 'Big Jack' Zelig will not delay the trial of Lieut. ... Zelig was one of the State's chief witnesses against Becker ...(subscription required)