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Stack: FOR MOBSTERS IN THE 1940s,
LIFE IN
RK, CHICAGO,
.
MAFIA BOSSES TOOK PRIDE IN KILLING
AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT.
BUT THERE WAS ONE FAMOUS HIT
FOR WHICH NO ONE HAS EVER TAKEN CREDIT--
THE *** OF BUGSY SIEGEL.
IN THE LATE EVENING OF JUNE 20, 1947,
SIEGEL RELAXED IN THE BEVERLY HILLS HOME OF HIS GIRLFRIEND.
THE MOB'S TOP ASSASSIN HAD NO IDEA
THAT
ARGET.
[CLACK]
[GUNSHOTS]
Stack: 9 SHOTS WERE FIRED INTO THE ROOM.
4 FOUND THEIR MARK. BUGSY SIEGEL DIED INSTANTLY.
THE LIST OF SUSPECTS READ LIKE A CLASSIC WHODUNIT--
BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, A GIRLFRIEND,
ARD.
BUT POLICE INVESTIGATING SIEGEL'S ***
HIT THE WALL OF THE MAFIA'S CODE OF SILENCE,
A WALL THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY.
Les Zoeller: THE MAIN FRUSTRATION I HAVE IN THE CASE IS,
ALL MY WITNESSES ARE EITHER GONE OR STILL WON'T TALK.
SO THE FRUSTRATION IS THAT I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME,
IF I HAVEN'T LOST THAT TIME ALREADY,
AND I'M JUST STILL NOT GETTING ANY INFORMATION.
FOR BEVERLY HILLS POLICE,
THE *** OF BUGSY SIEGEL IS STILL AN OPEN CASE.
BUT WITH EACH PASSING YEAR, THE CHANCES OF SOLVING
THE GLAMOROUS CITY'S MOST NOTORIOUS CRIME BECOME SLIMMER.
TONIGHT, THE SUSPECT LIST IS IN YOUR HANDS.
CAN YOU FIGURE OUT WHO KILLED BUGSY SIEGEL?
HIS REAL NAME WAS BENJAMIN SIEGEL.
HE W
BENEATH THE SMILE OF THE HANDSOME NEW YORKER
WAS THE HEART OF A COLD-BLOODED KILLER.
SIEGEL'S VIOLENT TEMPER WAS LEGENDARY.
TALK
ABOUT HOW HE TOOK REVENGE
AFTER BEING INJURED IN A BOMB BLAST.
HE SNEAKED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AT 2 A.M.,
GOT INTO A CAR WITH HIS ASSOCIATES,
DROVE TO THE HOME OF THE SUSPECT IN BROOKLYN.
WHEN THE DOOR WAS ANSWERED, ***, ***, ***,
THEY SHOT HIM AND BACK IN THE CAR,
SNEAKED HIM BACK INTO THE HOSPITAL.
HE HAD A PERFECT ALIBI.
Stack: SIEGEL FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH MEYER LANSKY
IN NEW YORK,
AN O
ME SYNDICATE
THAT SOLD LIQUOR DURING PROHIBITION,
THEN WORKED ITS WAY INTO GAMBLING, PROSTITUTION,
AND *** FOR HIRE.
BEN SIEGEL AND MEYER LANSKY WERE A GREAT COMBINATION.
HER.
LANSKY DID THE THINKING
AND IT WAS BUGSY WHO DID THE WHACKING.
Stack: IN THE EARLY FORTIES, SIEGEL AND LANSKY TEAMED UP
WITH ANOTHER EAST COAST MAFIA BOSS--LUCKY LUCIANO.
WHEN THE TEAM OF SIEGEL, LANSKY, AND LUCIANO
DECIDED TO EXPAND THEIR TERRITORY,
IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR BUGSY.
HE WAS SENT TO TAKE CONTROL OF GAMBLING IN CALIFORNIA.
SUSPECT NUMBER ONE, JACK DRAGNA.
Bugsy: AND THERE AIN'T NO ONE GONNA STAND IN MY WAY.
RIGHT, JACK?
THAT'D BE STUPID.
Stack: DRAGNA CONTROLLED A LUCRATIVE WIRE SERVICE
USED BY BOOKIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUGSY MADE A SIMPLE PROPOSAL--
GIVE UP THE WIRE, OR GIVE UP YOUR LIFE.
DRAGNA CHOSE TO LIVE,
WHICH GAVE HIM 2 MOTIVES TO KILL BUGSY SIEGEL--
JEALOUSY AND REVENGE.
AFTER BUGSY DIED,
JACK DRAGNA GOT
HIS
.
BUGSY RAN THE MOB'S BUSINESS IN TINSELTOWN
WITH THE SHOWMANSHIP OF A HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR.
HE BEGAN AN AFFAIR WITH SUSPECT NUMBER 2,
VIRGINIA HILL,
AN ALLEGED CASH COURIER FOR THE MOB.
BUT HILL MAY HAVE HAD HER OWN REASONS FOR WANTING BUGSY DEAD.
SHE WAS LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE.
Balsamo: VIRGINIA HILL WAS DEFINITELY CONNECTED
SHE WAS OUT THERE KEEPING AN EYE ON BUGSY
TION
Stack: ON THE NIGHT BUGSY WAS KILLED IN VIRGINIA'S HOME,
SHE WAS OUT OF TOWN... BY COINCIDENCE OR NOT?
IN HOLLYWOOD,
ONLY ONE MAN SEEMED TO HOLD HIS GROUND AGAINST -
SUSPECT NUMBER 3, MICKEY COHEN,
WAS A CLEVELAND GANGSTER NEWLY TRANSPLANTED TO L.A.
SIEGEL COULD HAVE KILLED HIM.
BUT INSTEAD, HE PUT HIM ON HIS PAYROLL.
BEN LIKED THAT THIS GUY STOOD UP TO HIM.
HE LIKED IT SO MUCH
THAT HE MADE HIM HIS PERSONAL BODYGUARD, REALLY.
Stack: AFTER SIEGEL'S DEATH,
COHEN WAS GIVEN CONTROL OF WEST COAST GAMBLING,
A PROMOTION HE WOULD NEVER HAVE SEEN WITH BUGSY ALIVE.
WHEN GAMBLING BECAME LEGAL IN NEVADA,
SIEGEL SAW THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME.
HE ENVISIONED A LUXURIOUS CASINO
LIKE THE WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN.
BUGSY FIGURED THE FLAMINGO WOULD COST $1 MILLION.
LANSKY AND LUCIANO GAVE HIM THE MONEY,
BUT $1 MILLION BECAME 2,
2 BECAME 4, AND 4 BECAME 6.
LANSKY AND LUCIANO BECAME THE FINAL SUSPECTS.
THAT WAS FINANCIALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
BENNY, IT HAS TO STOP
AND STOP NOW.
Salerno: LANSKY DID GO OUT AND VISIT SIEGEL IN NEVADA,
AND I THINK HE CAUTIONED HIM, AND HE WARNED HIM,
"PAY ATTENTION TO THE BUSINESS,
"DON'T LET THE COSTS GET TOO HIGH.
."
Stack: THERE WERE ALSO RUMORS
THAT SIEGEL WAS POCKETING SOME OF HIS INVESTORS' MONEY
TO SUPPORT VIRGINIA HILL.
Salerno: SHE WAS A VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE PLAYMATE.
THEY PROBABLY HAD A FEELING THAT HE WAS SPENDING SOME OF THEIR MONEY
ON VIRGINIA.
Stack: 20 MINUTES AFTER SIEGEL'S DEATH,
B
TOOK CONTROL OF THE FLAMINGO CASINO.
I'M YOUR NEW BOSS.
MR. SIEGEL'S NO LONGER IN THE PICTURE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,
YOU CAN CALL OUR FRIENDS IN NEW YORK.
Stack: NO ONE BELIEVED THE TIMING OF THE TAKEOVER
WAS COINCIDENTAL.
INVESTIGATORS HAVE LITTLE DOUBT
THAT SIEGEL'*** WAS A PROFESSIONAL JOB.
BUT WHICH OF THE SUSPECTS
COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BUGSY'S DEATH?
SOME FEEL THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO INVOLVES THEM ALL.
VIRGINIA HILL PROVIDED THE LOCATION FOR THE ***
AND POSSIBLY WAS GIVEN A REWARD.
SHE HAD 2, $3 MILLION IN A SWISS BANK ACCOUNT.
Stack: SIEGEL'S BODYGUARD MICKEY COHEN
ING.
BUT AT THE TIME OF THE KILLING,
HE WAS NOT DOING HIS JOB.
MICKEY COHEN EVEN CAME INTO THE STATION AND SAID,
"WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED?
HIM."
Stack: AND JACK DRAGNA?
[GUNSHOT]
HE MAY HAVE ORDERED THE HIT
WITH THE APPROVAL OF LANSKY AND LUCIANO.
Salerno: HE WOULD NOT HAVE DARED
TO DO IT ON HIS OWN.
HE WOULD'VE ASKED PERMISSION FROM PEOPLE HE REGARDED
IN THE NEW YORK AREA.
IT'S A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY WERE THINKING WAY,
SO ALL RIGHT, LET JACK DRAGNA HANDLE IT.
Stack: TODAY, NONE OF THE KEY SUSPECTS
IN THE SIEGEL *** ARE STILL ALIVE.
BUT BEVERLY HILLS POLICE STILL HOPE
THAT THE MAFIA CODE OF SILENCE MAY ONE DAY BE BROKEN.
*** HAS NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
SO, UNTIL THE CASE IS SOLVED, THE CASE REMAINS OPEN.
I'M SURE THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE DESCENDANTS
OR PEOPLE IN THE KNOW THAT HAVE INFORMATION,
AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PHONE CALL FROM THEM.
PERHAPS THERE IS SOMEONE,
JUST ONE PERSON WHO MIGHT HAVE THAT VITAL CLUE
THAT CAN CRACK THIS INTRIGUING 50-YEAR-OLD CASE.
PERHAPS IT'S YOU.