◆ SpookStack

Other mobsters becoming known as “The Big Six® or "The Combination". This group ee ee ee ee eee ee ee een eee a ee ee ee ee ee eee en, en 205010080 15 SO01 0108 Ve Siegel and Lansky who took sare of bootleg liquor in-— : terests, Charles "Lucky" Luciano, who handled prostitution and narcotics, Abe SLongie* Zwillman, who handled gambling and Buchalter ami Shapiro who organised the first large-scale kickback and shakedown rackets in legitimate business and industry. s TRANSFER OF OPERATIONS TO CALIFORNIA Following the repeal of Prohibition, the Siegel-lansky operations in The Bia Gir began to Ioee thair farmar importance and the large distillers and Ss ee ead 4 ae on ta Se ee liquor distributing agencies which had been built up during Prohibition were eventually sold by Siegel and his crowd to legitimate and seml-legitinate interests. Siegel left New York for California leaving Lansky in charge of the remzining liquor operations of The Combination. Siegel first operated in Cali- fornia from his sister's home at 721 N. Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills. This sister's husband "Sol" Soloway was taken in as a Siegel mobster. From the be- ginning of his activities in California, Siegel exchanged money and counsel with The Combination leaders back East. Among Siegel's early activities in California was the investment of funds in various hotels, restaurants, and real estate. Part of this money came from The Combination and Siegel utilized gangster tactics in muscling in on the profits of other restaurants and night clubs. Siegel was also believed to have handled narcotics during his residence in California, During the war Siegel also took over a legitimate manufacturing plant which he named The Mercury Engineering Company and successfully obtained aircraft war contracts amounting to approximately $20,000 per month. At the end of the war Siegel disposed of the plant and liquit- dated the assets. pre AFFATRS WITH CD roc HILL Siegel's wife left him during their residence in California and later obtained a divorce. Forewing the split with his wifes Siegel sold his mansion in California and begs . art : on an open affair grew tired of her and pa ormer estate of Rudolph Valentino called The Falcon's Lair, #2 Bella Drive in Beverly Hills, where he took up residence with Virginia Hill. Virginia Hill spparently bad unlimited funds some ) of which came from wares preor marriages ete j iD Virginia Hill is reputed to have taken an interest in some of Siegel's. enterprises during their relationship, ~2-