Publisher's Synopsis
As Adolph Hitler rose to power in 1930s Germany, a growing wave of fascism began to take root on American soil. Nazi activists started to gather in major American cities, and by 1933, there were more than one-hundred anti-Semitic groups operating openly in the United States. Few Americans dared to speak out or fight back--until an organized resistance of notorious mobsters waged their own personal war against the Nazis in their midst. Gangland-style . . . In this thrilling blow-by-blow account, acclaimed crime writer Michael Benson uncovers the shocking truth about the insidious rise of Nazism in America--and the Jewish mobsters who stomped it out. Packed with surprising, little-known facts, graphic details, and unforgettable personalities, Gangsters vs. Nazis chronicles the mob's most ruthless tactics in taking down fascism--inspiring ordinary Americans to join them in their fight. The book culminates in one of the most infamous events of the pre-war era--the 1939 Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden--in which law-abiding citizens stood alongside hardened criminals to fight for the soul of a nation. This is the story of the mob that's rarely told--and one of the most fascinating chapters in American history. And American organized crime.
