◆ SpookStack

at | Nov, 27, 1894, NEW YORK, June 15-~Isaiah Leebove's practice has been almost entirely with racketeers and gun- men in New York and he did a great deal of work for Arnold Roth- steln, who was murdered in the Park Central Hotel in November, 1928, Leebove was born In Pittsburgh, supposed to be Isador Leebove. He graduated fram Cumberiand Uni- versity, Lebanon, Tenn. with the degree of bachelor of law, and went to Texas, where he practiced law. Later he practiced in Oklahoma, and then moved on to New York. He arrived here with an appar- ently unlimited supply of money, popularly said to have been made in Oklahoma oil deals. His name was 600n prominently associated with those of underworld char- acters, Called ‘Gangsters’ Mouthpiece Soon he hecame known as the “mouthpiece” of racketeers and gangsters. So strong was he that many held him to be the successor of the late William Fallon, known in his time as the greatest “mouth- pieca” New York crooks had ever had. Leebove went everywhere with | Rothstein and was among the regular patrons of Lindy's Restau- rant, from which Rothstein was called by telephone to his sulte in t4e"Park Central before he was shot. Not long before Rothstein ‘was killed, he and Leebove had an - argument. Apparently he made ai great amount of money out of friend- ship with Rothesteln, receiving a $40,000 fee from a New York union to defend two men accused of murder in a strike which was financed with a loan by Rothstein. Leebove was friendly with Roth- atein’s associates and once he won $60,000 In a dice game with Nick. the Greek, perhaps Broadway's best Ienown gambler. After Roth- steln’s death, Leebove was the law- yer for Nick, Alvin C. Thomas, Sid- ney Stajer and Jimmy M2ehan, who were held for a time as ma- terial witnesses. Mechan ran the .famous revolving poker game ‘which is supposed to have been the }cause of Rothstein's killing. Rushed to Aid of ‘Legs’ Always anxious to see his name in the newspapers, Leebove was ready to defend any gangster in difficulties. When “Legs” Diamond was wounded near his home in Acra, Green County, Leebove raced up from New York and announced that he waa Diamond's attorney, although Diamond had not asked for one. He had, however, repre- His right name is|! * sented Diamond before anda aiay, on occasion, Owney Madden. The information here ts that Lee- bove is working .with Frederick Kaplan, another New York lawyer, now in Detroit, who is seeking to obtain pardons from the Governor. Kaplan is said to have occupied officea with Leebove at 521 Fifth Ave. In the latest telephone book and City Dfrectory, Leebove still © lists that address as hia office, Kaplan was reported. as having jbeen retained by Rothstein to de- jfend Charles Fawcett, who was ac- cused of holding up a coffee pot in the Bronx. Magistrate Albert Vi- tale dismissed the charge, although two persons had identified Fawcett - as the robber. This was one of the charges that led to Vitale’s removal by the Appellate Division. Another was that he had borrowed $20,000 from Rothstein, i In Mysterfous Accldent . | Five or six years ago, Leebove ,was attorney for two men held in Connectleut for a crime in New. York. He went up to Connecticut with the two detectives assigned to bring back the men and on the re- turn trip he is supposed to have run his car in a diteh, one of the de- tectives being injured seriously, One of the prisoners escaped. A detec- tive held on to the other. The files show that in 1926 Lee- bove was involved in a hit-and-run accident at Newington, Conn, in which Mrs. Arthur L. Young was killed. He and his chauffeur, Rufus Wood, & Negro, were held in $15,000 bail cach on charges of reckless driving, manslaughter and evading responsibility after an accident. Leebove and the chauffeur had been arrested soon after the accident as they were riding through Merl- den. Leebove said he drove off he- cause witnesses shouted, “Lynch ‘him. Leebove was famous here for the lengths to which he would go in de- fensa of clients wanted by the po- lice. His dispute with Magistrate Hyman Bushel was characteristic of him. The trouble with the Magistrate eame durnig the hearing of a swindling charge against Depper Dan Collins, confidence man, Col- lins was charged with having fleeced an Egg Harbor man out of $30,000 and the State of New Jersey wanted him. Magistrate Bushel or- dered Collins held in jail without ball. Leebove argued against it and grew so arrogant that the Magistrate put him in the deten- tion pen and kept him there for an hour, A Threat and an Apology When released, Leebove breathed ‘fire and acreamed vengeance through the newspapers, to the de- light of the urderworld. Later he | quitely apologized. 4 In 1927, Leebove became a| theatrical producer. He had a play ‘“New York,” and the management of the Broad Street Theater in Newark, N, J., tried to keep It out because of Its reported salacious- ness. Leebove won a court fight to have the theater carry out its contract. A few weeks later the ‘play opened in New York. It turned out to be a modern version: of “Nellie The Sewing Machine! Girl” and didn’t last long. | While New York was in an up- j; roar over the Lindbergh kidnaping, and prominent underworld charac- ters were being quizzed daily, Lee- Dove suddenly disappeared. He was heard from later in Michigan, where jt was announced he was at- torney for Salvatore Spitale and Irving Bitz, Colonel Lindbergh's, beh go-betweens In the fruitless en- deavors which he made to contact the kidnapers of his child. Lechove's jlast home address fn New York was 28 FE. Tenth St, It is a fashionable house. The super- intendent there said that Leebove had moved out about two months ago, leaving no forwarding address. He also said that Lebove had not occupied the apartment for some time before he moved. G,. Fae. 6-76-32