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wo, A August 19, 1955 MEMORANDUM LOUIS "LEPKE' BUCHALTER, with aliases Antitrust; Harboring; Perjury : BACKGROUND: Louis ‘Lepke'' Buchalter was born in New York City . on February.6,.1897, the son of Barnett Buchalter, who had come to America from Russia and operated a hardware shop on the lower East Side of New York City. Hie mother was refined and well educated, and , one sister was a schoolteacher. His brothers included a dentist ‘anda rabbi. In his youth, Buchalter attended the public schools and assisted his father in the operation of the hardware store until his father's death in 1909.- Later, the family moved to Brooklyn. After completing grade school in 1910, Buchalter obtained employment as a salesman for a concern engaged in distributing theatrical goods. CRIMINAL CAREER: 7 Buchalter was first arrested on September 2, 1915, on a charge of burglary. Released by the grand jury, he was next arrested in January, 1916, on a similar charge, but he was again released. His first real brush with law enforcement came the following month, when he was arrested at Bridgeport, Connecticut, charged with the theft of a grip from an automobile. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to the Connecticut Reformatory at Cheahire, Connecticut, where he was received in May, 1916. For the next dozen years Buchalter was in and out of prison on numerous occasions, being arrested on charges including burglary, armed - robbery, grand larceny and consorting with criminals. During this time, he became closely associated with Jacob Shapiro, and the notorious careers of the two were closely allied thereafter. During the carly 1930's, Buchalter and Shapiro turned to the lucrative rackets which were plaguing the entire New York area. In the _ years that followed, they built a criminal empire seiducn matched in Tolson———~the annals of racketearing. The activities of their mob became the subject Boardman Nichols ———of headline after headline in the metropolitan dailies. With the typical Harbo weapons of their ilk, they attacked the poultry, fur, artichoke and clothing uct ———industries. Brutality, violence, intimidation and vandalism were their Roses stock in trade as they moved in on flourishing businesses. Lead pipes, sn stench bombs, bullets and strong-armed bandits were the tools they used. a IC #60-1501 62-99379s 9 ia bo” Tele, Room Holloman Gandy