Break-up of Empire
At his death, Prohibition was in full swing, various street gangs were battling for control of the liquor distribution, and the carefully constructed political boss structure of the late 19th century was in total collapse. Frank Erickson, Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, and other former associates split up Rothstein's various "enterprises" after his death. With the break-up of his empire, the corrupt and already weakened Tammany Hall was critically injured as it relied on Rothstein to rein in the street gangs thereby giving a facade to Tammany's importance with the legitimate interests of the city. Consequently, with the death of Rothstein the break up of Tammany begin in earnest which contributed to the rise of the reformer Fiorello La Guardia, elected as mayor.
Ten years after his death, Arnold Rothstein's brother declared Rothstein's estate bankrupt and Arnold's wealth disappeared.
Read more about this topic: Arnold Rothstein
Famous quotes containing the word empire:
“When a Man is in a serious Mood, and ponders upon his own Make, with a Retrospect to the Actions of his Life, and the many fatal Miscarriages in it, which he owes to ungoverned Passions, he is then apt to say to himself, That Experience has guarded him against such Errors for the future: But Nature often recurs in Spite of his best Resolutions, and it is to the very End of our Days a Struggle between our Reason and our Temper, which shall have the Empire over us.”
—Richard Steele (1672–1729)