Letter Handwritten by Mobster Meyer Lansky to Israeli Bodyguard Joseph Schőner – 1974

Letter Handwritten by Mobster Meyer Lansky to Israeli Bodyguard Joseph Schőner – 1974
A letter handwritten and signed by the Jewish-American mobster Meyer Lansky. Addressed to "Yoshke" [Joseph Schőner]. [USA], October 11, 1974. English.
The letter, written in an unpolished style, documents Meyer Lansky's contacts in Israel while he was put on trial in the USA. Throughout the letter, Lansky implies his expected acquittal and his intention of trying to immigrate to Israel after his acquittal. Lansky writes: "Dear Yoshke: The government lost their attempt to be heard in my contempt case that ends all the cases. In the near future I will apply for my passport. I will then decide where to go. I spoke to Shlomo last week, he is well and doing well in school. Yoram mailed an article about me coming as a tourist. You can be sure if anyone thinks I can come or be in Israel without be mentioned in the press is sick in the head. I'm mailing this article to show you the justice in our great democracy. I don’t wish these men ill will but here are extraditable[!] charges I assure nothing will be done about it. Please let me know how Yoram is moving, also what you think, if it is worth while to make the attempt". Signed lower right: "Shalom, Meyer".
Meyer Lansky (1902-1983) was a Jewish-American mobster, a prominent leader of organized crime in New York. Lansky is considered a prototypical American gangster alongside figures such as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano or Bugsy Siegel, who were his partners. His short stature, as well as his calculated style, earned him a different reputation than that of other mobsters; he was known as "The Mob's Accountant" and "Secretary of the Treasury". In the early 1970s, when he was prosecuted for tax evasion in the USA, Lansky applied to the Israeli Minister of the Interior, Joseph Burg, for Israeli citizenship. Among the few who assisted him was lawyer Yoram Sheftel, who did everything he could to facilitate Lansky's immigration to Israel. After several months of deliberation and after evidence gathered by the FBI against Lansky was disclosed to the Minister of the Interior, it was decided to decline his request, which forced him to return to the USA. Lansky was prosecuted and convicted, but the decision was reversed on appeal. After his acquittal, he remained in the USA. He was immortalized in numerous movies, T.V. series and books – "The Godfather", "Bugsy", "Boardwalk Empire" and many more.
The addressee of the letter, Joseph Schőner, was David Ben-Gurion's bodyguard and served as Lansky's bodyguard during his visits to Israel. The two became close friends and after Lansky was deported from Israel, continued to correspond.
[1] leaf (one written page), approx. 26.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, creases, fold lines and filing holes.