Written by Meyer Lansky’s grandson, this definitive portrait of the legendary “Mob’s Accountant” chronicles the singular life of the business entrepreneur who built a gambling empire, perfected money laundering, established a more efficient Mafia, and changed the course of organized crime forever—featuring never-before-seen personal letters, photographs, and firsthand stories. Meyer Lansky was more than a co-founder of the Mafia. He was a truly transformative figure, a key player who balanced criminal enterprise and legitimate business, ushering in a “Golden Age” of the Mafia that lasted half of the 20th century. His impact lives on today—in the lavish casinos of Las Vegas, the offshore banking strategies of major global industries, and the countless Hollywood films like The Godfather Part II and Bugsy , with Lansky portrayed by actors Lee Strasberg, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, and others. He remains a legend in the annals of American crime. But even now, after decades of fictionalized accounts, historical conjectures, and larger-than-life mythmaking, the question remains: Who was the real Meyer Lansky? In this eye-opening account—featuring personal letters, rare and exclusive photographs, and stunning new details never before revealed—the grandson of Meyer Lansky dares to answer the most intriguing questions that have fascinated the public to this day: Why and how did a serious Jewish boy from Poland get involved with mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel? What was his role in the growth and consolidation of the Mafia, and why couldn’t the Feds pin any crime on him besides illegal gambling? How many millions had Lansky amassed by the time of his death in 1983—and what happened to the money? But most shocking of all: Who really killed Bugsy Siegel, and can the truth finally be told? Packed with surprising insights from the grandson and his family, The Lansky Legacy is a must-read for crime buffs, Mafia enthusiasts, and anyone invested in the American Dream. Praise for The Lansky Legacy “Meyer Lansky pioneered an international gambling empire that continues to this day. His grandson captures his legacy from a perspective only he can share, and no stone is left unturned.” —Louis Ferrante, internationally bestselling author of the Borgata Trilogy “Recently while at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, I was asked which mobster I would like to have lunch with, and my answer was Meyer Lansky—because of his organizational skills and mathematical genius in establishing casinos, but most of all his ability to work with the Italian Mafia to establish the National Crime Syndicate. This stellar book confirms my reasoning as to why I would choose to have lunch with Lansky above all others.” —Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco, former undercover FBI agent and author of Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia and The Bonannos: A Century of Murder “A riveting account of the birth, ascendancy, and decline of the Mob as revealed through the life and letters of Meyer Lansky and recounted by S. J. Peddie and Lansky’s grandson, Meyer Lansky II, who has established himself as one of the premier historians of organized crime in the first half of the 20th century. Both a fascinating story and an invaluable resource for anyone interested in America’s criminal underworld, The Lansky Legacy is a must-read.” —Ed Falco, New York Times bestselling author of The Family Corleone “The authors have penned a standout work wrought from meticulous research and Meyer’s revealing inside information inclusive of the Lansky family dynamics, which make for a rich and captivating narrative. . . . This is more than the biography of a mobster. It’s a chronicle of a bygone era that left an indelible impact on the ever-evolving American landscape.” —Phil Genovese, grandson of Vito Genovese and author of the award-winning novel The Grandfather Clause “A must-read for anyone interested in organized crime and the behind-the-scenes moves of those who control it. With new insights and shocking details, The Lansky Legacy is a riveting tale of how a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe launched an empire through a mix of criminality and sheer guile—a classic story of the best and the worst of the American Dream.” —Thomas Maier, author of Mafia Spies: The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro “Through a collection of deeply revealing letters, The Lansky Legacy presents a rare and intimate portrait of the legendary Mob financier Meyer Lansky, illuminating the contradictions of an American family bound by love and fractured by reputation, while offering insights into his humanity that history books and Hollywood portrayals have largely ignored. For readers fascinated by organized crime, 20th-century American history, or family legacies shaped by controversy, this book is a poignant and essential read.” —Chris Enss, New York Times bestselling author of Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gu