Two mob movies. One understands the myth. The other believes it. Bugsy turns a violent egomaniac into a tragic joke with a neon afterglow. Lansky tries to polish a legacy that was never meant to shine—and ends up feeling like a self-serving bedtime story.
#FilmReview #MovieCritic #Crime #MovieReview #FilmAnalysis #Bugsy #Lansky #Cinema #FilmDiscussion
https://pablohoneyfish.wordpress.com/2026/03/19/the-myth-of-the-moral-mobster-a-critical-historiography-of-meyer-lansky-and-benjamin-siegel-in-american-cinema/
The Myth of the Moral Mobster: A Critical Historiography of Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel in American Cinema

The evolution of the gangster genre in American cinema has frequently functioned as a mirror to the nation’s own shifting perceptions of power, ethnicity, and the American Dream. Central to this ci…

JP

#OTD (Nov 26) in 1957, a source tells the #FBI that plans call for Meyer #Lansky to run the gambling casino at the new Hotel Riviera in #Havana.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

#OTD (Nov 07) in 1972, after three days of trying to find a country willing to accept him, Meyer #Lansky returns to the U.S. #FBI agents arrest him at #Miami airport, charging him with contempt of a federal grand jury.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

#OTD (Nov 05) in 1971, forced to leave #Israel, Meyer #Lansky tries without success to find sanctuary in Switzerland, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

#OTD (Oct 24) in 1918, Meyer #Lansky is arrested in #Manhattan for felonious #assault.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

“Trump decreed he would designate “antifa” as a terrorist organization under RICO. Ironically, the RICO…Act was codified to stop organized crime: including the mobsters from whom Trump took inspiration, most notably Meyer Lansky and Trump’s mentor, mafia lawyer Roy Cohn.”
—Sarah Kendzior
#trump #lansky #cohn

#OTD (Oct 12) in 1950, during testimony before a Senate committee, Meyer #Lansky (shown) acknowledges associating with Frank #Costello, Joe #Adonis, Frank #Erickson and Charles #Fischetti.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

#OTD (Sep 16) in 1950, brothers Meyer and Jack #Lansky and eight codefendants plead guilty to #gambling charges at #FortLauderdaleFL and pay fines.

#MafiaHistory #Histodons @mafiahistory

LANSKY Trailer (2021) Harvey Keitel, AnnaSophia Robb, Minka Kelly Movie

YouTube
"Witnesses to Meyer Lansky's return to #Havana say it was nothing less than triumphal..."
Columnist Dorothy Kilgallen's comment hinted at dramatic changes in #Cuba in 1958.

New Substack article:
https://mobhistory.substack.com/p/lanskys-triumphal-return-to-havana?r=12oapz

#Lansky #MafiaHistory @[email protected]