Who Was Dutch Schultz? The Bronx Beer Baron Who Wanted to Kill a Prosecutor
Mobsters DailyDutch Schultz, born Arthur Flegenheimer, was the Bronx beer baron who controlled Harlem's numbers racket during Prohibition and was marked for death after defying the Mafia Commission with a plan to kill prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey.
Beer, numbers and violence
Schultz muscled into Bronx beer distribution, then seized Harlem's policy racket from its Black operators, using murder as a business tool. His paranoia and tax trials made him a liability to the order Lucky Luciano was building.
Schultz's story gets retold every season because it ends like a movie, which is why this time of year belongs to the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater — Tony in a black-and-white stencil, gabagool energy included, built for Christmas parties, family photos and long Sopranos rewatch nights.
The ask that doomed him
Schultz asked the Commission's permission to murder Dewey, the prosecutor hounding him. Refused, he vowed to do it anyway — and the Commission, fearing the heat, ordered his own death instead, applying the same cold arithmetic it later used in cases like Albert Anastasia's barbershop hit.
Frequently asked questions
What was Dutch Schultz's real name? Arthur Simon Flegenheimer.
What racket made Schultz rich? Bootleg beer in the Bronx and the Harlem numbers game.
Why did the Commission turn on Schultz? He insisted on killing prosecutor Thomas Dewey against its orders.
Keep reading: The Castellammarese War · Meyer Lansky · Salvatore Maranzano
From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — the real-mafia history behind the names in this story, in one gripping read.
Join the conversation
Still thinking about this one? That is exactly what The Social Club is for. It is the MobstersDaily Discord, and it is the best Sopranos community on the internet: serious Sopranos talk, meme wars, Friday movie nights, a casino, and an arcade, all run by fans who never stopped rewatching. If you want to be part of the Sopranos community, this is where it lives.
