Monk Eastman — gangster with roots in the Russian Empire
Monk Eastman (born Edward Osterman) was one of New York's most feared gangsters at the turn of the 20th century — the leader of the Eastman Gang that controlled Lower East Side crime. Convicted and imprisoned, he was released, enlisted in WWI, fought heroically in the trenches of France, and was assassinated in 1920.
Tracing the roots — Russia (Jewish)
Born to parents who had emigrated from Russia (Russian Empire), Eastman grew up in the Jewish immigrant poverty of Williamsburg and the Lower East Side. His gang — hundreds strong — was almost entirely composed of young Russian-Jewish immigrants for whom organised crime was the fastest escape from tenement poverty. His WWI service and decorated combat record added a final, extraordinary chapter to one of New York's strangest lives.
.svg?width=900)
Russia (Jewish). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.