Mickey Cohen
Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 - July 29, 1976) was a prominent American mobster who rose to become the boss of the Cohen crime family in Los Angeles during the mid-20th century[3][1]. Known as the "King of Los Angeles," Cohen controlled gambling, extortion, and other rackets on the West Coast after succeeding his mentor, Bugsy Siegel, in 1947[2][1].
Early Life and Boxing Career
Born into a poor Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Cohen displayed a penchant for trouble from a young age.
By age 3, he was helping at a newsstand, marking the start of his street hustling[8]. As a teenager, he discovered amateur boxing in illegal underground matches in Los Angeles, fueling his violent tendencies[2]. At 15, he moved to Ohio to pursue professional fighting but soon drifted back to crime[2].
During Prohibition, Cohen relocated to Cleveland, associating with figures like Lou Rothkopf and Moe Dalitz.
Troubles there led him to Chicago in the early 1930s, where he worked as an enforcer for the Chicago Outfit, Al Capone's organization. He ran armed burglaries, illegal gambling, and survived arrests linked to gangland murders[1][3][4]. Though Cohen claimed to meet Capone personally, timelines suggest this was unlikely, as Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion by 1934[1][4].
Rise in Los Angeles
In 1937, backed by the Chicago Outfit, Cohen arrived in Los Angeles to organize rackets amid the city's rapid growth[4].
He joined forces with Bugsy Siegel, serving as muscle and helping establish the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, including its sportsbook and race wire services[3][1]. Cohen married Lavonne Weaver (alias Simoni King) in 1940; their best man was William "Stumpy" Zevon, father of musician Warren Zevon[3].
Siegel's 1947 assassination elevated Cohen, then 34, to West Coast crime boss, with support from Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, Lucky Luciano, and the Milano family[1][2].
He expanded into unions, Hollywood studios, jewelry stores, ice cream trucks, loan-sharking, pornography, and blackmail, penetrating local government and celebrity circles[4][5]. His charm masked brutality; he orchestrated killings to eliminate rivals like Jack Dragna in the bloody "War of the Sunset Strip."[5][4]
Public Image and Survival
Cohen cultivated a flamboyant persona, mingling with stars and courting the press.
He owned newspapers, wiretappers, and allegedly influenced officials like California's attorney general[1]. After a 1949 bombing at Sherry's restaurant, he fortified his home with floodlights, alarms, and weapons, surviving 11 assassination attempts[2][4].
- Key alliances: Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, Moe Dalitz[1][2]
- Rackets controlled: Gambling, extortion, labor unions, Hollywood payoffs[2][4]
- Romantic links: Liz Renay (jailed for refusing to testify), Tempest Storm, Candy Barr[4]
Legal Troubles and Imprisonment
Despite trials for murder and racketeering, Cohen was convicted only twice-for tax evasion.
In 1951, he served four years federally[2][4]. In 1961, under U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, he received 15 years, surpassing Al Capone's white-collar sentence record, serving in Alcatraz and Atlanta where he survived another attack[1][4]. Released early due to illness, he died of stomach cancer in 1976[3].
Cohen's Convictions Timeline
| Year | Charge | Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Tax Evasion | 4 years | Federal prison; like Capone[2][4] |
| 1961 | Tax Evasion | 15 years | Alcatraz; RFK involvement; record-breaker[1] |
Legacy in Media
Cohen's life inspired films like Gangster Squad (2013), where Sean Penn portrayed him as a sadistic antagonist seeking national expansion-though fictionalized, diverging from his real tax evasion downfall[3].
Documentaries and books, such as Mickey Cohen: The Life and Crimes of L.A.'s Notorious Mobster, highlight his blend of glamour, violence, and Hollywood scandal[5][6]. His story endures as a tale of mob ambition amid Tinseltown's underbelly.
While never pinned for murders, Cohen's Teflon status stemmed from bribery networks-"everybody was on the pad," as accounts note[5].
Today, he symbolizes the era when organized crime intertwined with celebrity culture.
Cohen's reign, though brief, left an indelible mark on Los Angeles' criminal history, blending ruthless enforcement with showbiz flair.