Meyer Lansky, born Meyer Suchowljansky, was later christened Meyer Lanksy by Francesco Castiglia, whom Salvatore Luciana had anointed as Frank Costello early during their friendship. Luciana would himself change his name to Charles Luciano, and obtain the sobriquet of "Lucky" when he was found by a policeman rolled over on the beach shore, beaten bloody and barely hanging on to life in the late 1920s.[/b][/quote]In his biography of Lansky, "Little Man," Robert Lacey says, "Books and articles about Meyer Lansky have generally assumed that he fashioned the American version of his long Polish surname forhimself when he embarked on his career of lawbreaking in his late teens. But his school record card shows him registered from the start as plain Lansky, not Suchowljanksy. His brother's record shows the same." Lacey also reproduces Lansky's first report card, from 1911, showing him as "Lansky, Meyer." Had to be way before he met Costello, unless the school was in Sicily.
The antitrust case referred to earlier was filed against Louis (Lepke) Buchalter, who in the '30's so dominated the manufacturing, trucking and labor unions in the NYC garment industries that the Justice Dept. sought to break up his "combination in restraint of trade."
To keep the game going:
Which Mob biggie had a son who went to West Point?