"He must have done something. They don't kill you for nothing." - Chicago Gangster Ted Newberry. Rubbed out January 7, 1933

Saturday, June 21, 2014

in to deep purple

Ben Bronston was a New York City fellow, with a record dating back to 1922, who worked in some capacity for Owney Madden. Like many a young man he decided his future lie elsewhere and packed his bags. Following Horace Greeley's advice he headed west and went as far as Detroit where he found love, gainful employment with the Purple Gang and an early death.

At about 3:00am on this date back in 1931 a car traversing Detroit's Sturtevant Ave. came to a stop because something was blocking it's path. That something of course was Bronston who had been shot in the stomach and head.

Bronston had been a bookkeeper for the Purples until he met a dame who thought it not proper that her future husband worked on the wrong side of the law. She talked Ben into resigning. I'm sure Ben told his employers that he'd keep his mouth shut, in fact he probably even promised to take their secrets to the grave with him. The Purples thought that was a splendid idea.


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