Editing Murder, Inc. (section)

=== Jacob Drucker and Irving Cohen ===

Jacob Drucker and Irving Cohen were put on trial separately for the murder of racketeer Walter Sage in the [[Catskills]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/03/21/archives/five-are-indicted-in-murder-for-hire-big-gangi-named-in-sealed.html Five Are Indicted in Murder for Hire; Big Gangi Named in Sealed Bills Involving 2 Slayings in Sullivan County; O'Dwyer Denies Friction; Amen Also Scouts Talk of Clash – Woman Accused of 'Fixes' for Brooklyn Gang], ''The New York Times'', March 21, 1940, p. 29.{{subscription required|date=May 2016}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30916FD3F54117A93C3AB1788D85F448485F9 |title=FIVE ARE INDICTED IN MURDER FOR HIRE; Big Gangi Named in Sealed Bills Involving 2 Slayings in Sullivan County O'DWYER DENIES FRICTION Amen Also Scouts Talk of Clash --Woman Accused of 'Fixes' for Brooklyn Gang |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106180542/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30916FD3F54117A93C3AB1788D85F448485F9 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-03-21 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/03/23/archives/new-murder-hunt-started-upstate-jack-drucker-of-monticello-is.html New Murder Hunt Started Up-state; Jack Drucker of Monticello Is Sought in Gang Killings Originating in City; Queried in Other Crimes; Reported Having Been in Miami Recently – County Aroused by the Revelations], ''The New York Times'', March 23, 1940, p. 3.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70612FA3A54107A93C1AB1788D85F448485F9 |title=NEW MURDER HUNT STARTED UP-STATE; Jack Drucker of Monticello is Sought in Gang Killings Originating in City QUERIED IN OTHER CRIMES Reported Having Been in Miami Recently--County Aroused by the Revelations |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181021/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70612FA3A54107A93C1AB1788D85F448485F9 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-03-23 }}</ref> Sage was killed with an ice pick and had the frame of a slot machine and a 30 pound rock tied to his body. He floated to the surface and was found in [[Swan Lake, New York]] on July 31, 1937 by tourists. After the Sage murder, believing he was also going to be killed, Cohen fled to California and managed to secure small roles in films.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/04/11/archives/cohen-brought-here-as-contract-slayer-questioned-5-hours-by-odwyer.html Cohen Brought Here as Contract Slayer; Questioned 5 Hours by O'Dwyer, Then Sent to Monticello]''The New York Times'', April 11, 1940, p. 17.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C11F93E54117A93C3A8178FD85F448485F9 |title=COHEN BROUGHT HERE AS CONTRACT SLAYER; Questioned 5 Hours by O'Dwyer, then Sent to Monticello |access-date=May 20, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181027/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C11F93E54117A93C3A8178FD85F448485F9 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-04-11 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/18/archives/murder-accusation-makes-cohen-weep-breakdown-necessitates-recess-at.html Murder Accusation Makes Cohen Weep; Breakdown Necessitates Recess at Monticello Trial], ''The New York Times'', June 8, 1940, p. 25.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50B10FC345D10728DDDA10994DE405B8088F1D3 |title=MURDER ACCUSATION MAKES COHEN WEEP; Breakdown Necessitates Recess at Monticello Trial |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181051/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50B10FC345D10728DDDA10994DE405B8088F1D3 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-06-18 }}</ref> He was identified two years later by the chief prosecution witness, Abraham Levine, who spotted Cohen in one of the ringside crowd scenes in the 1939 film ''[[Golden Boy (1939 film)|Golden Boy]]''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OEDsAAAAIAAJ&q=Murder,+Inc+golden+boy|title=Murder, Inc: The Story of "the Syndicate"|first=Burton T.|last=Turkus|year=1951|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=9780306804755}}</ref> According to Levine, Sage was riding in a car with Cohen and Drucker when he was stabbed 32 times with an icepick as Levine and [[Harry Strauss]] were following in another car. During the assault and struggle, Drucker stabbed Cohen once in the arm as Sage had grabbed the steering wheel and wrecked the car. Levine also testified that he observed Drucker wiping the icepick clean before helping dispose of the body. Cohen testified in his own defense, stating that Levine had stabbed him with an icepick as he was walking home from a casino. Cohen stated that he was assaulted by Levine and another man on Drucker's orders since he refused to pay 25% profit on a game of chance that he operated.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/21/archives/gang-slaying-denied-by-cohen-bit-actor-testimony-ends-in-upstate.html Gang Slaying Denied by Cohen, 'Bit' Actor; Testimony Ends in Up-State Case Linked to Brooklyn Ring], ''The New York Times'', June 21, 1940, p. 15.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50A14FD3554107A93C3AB178DD85F448485F9 |title=GANG SLAYING DENIED BY COHEN, 'BIT' ACTOR; Testimony Ends in Up-State Case Linked to Brooklyn Ring |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181058/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50A14FD3554107A93C3AB178DD85F448485F9 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-06-21 }}</ref> Cohen was acquitted on June 21, 1940.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/22/archives/big-gangi-cohen-cleared-of-murder-slaying-was-one-of-57-laid-to.html Big Gangi Cohen Cleared of Murder; Slaying Was One of 57 Laid to Syndicate in Brooklyn], ''The New York Times'', June 22, 1940, p. 34.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3071EFD345D10728DDDAB0A94DE405B8088F1D3 |title=BIG GANGI COHEN CLEARED OF MURDER; Slaying Was One of 57 Laid to Syndicate in Brooklyn |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181109/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3071EFD345D10728DDDAB0A94DE405B8088F1D3 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-06-22 }}</ref> Drucker, who was a suspect in four murders in the Catskills, was a fugitive for over three years, until the FBI located him in Delaware.<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C16F93B58157A93CAAB1789D95F478485F9 Fugitive Drucker Seized as Slayer; Brooklyn Gang Figure, Sought in Up-State Killing, Found by FBI in Delaware] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181118/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C16F93B58157A93CAAB1789D95F478485F9 |date=2012-11-06 }}, ''The New York Times'', December 28, 1943, p. 19.{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1943/12/30/archives/fbi-gives-up-drucker-extradition-move-to-start-now-against-alleged.html FBI Gives up Drucker; Extradition Move to Start Now Against Alleged Slayer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181126/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40C12FF3B54107B93C2AA1789D95F478485F9 |date=2012-11-06 }}, ''The New York Times'', December 30, 1943, p. 19.{{subscription required}}</ref> Drucker was convicted of second-degree murder on May 5, 1944, and received a sentence of 25 years to life.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1944/05/06/archives/drucker-guilty-of-icepick-murder-brooklyn-rings-fingerman-is.html Drucker Guilty of Ice-Pick Murder; Brooklyn Ring's Finger-Man Is Convicted in Second Degree], ''The New York Times'', May 6, 1944, p. 30.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00E16FA385C167B93C4A9178ED85F408485F9 |title=DRUCKER GUILTY OF ICE-PICK MURDER; Brooklyn Ring's Finger-Man is Convicted in Second Degree |access-date=July 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106181132/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00E16FA385C167B93C4A9178ED85F408485F9 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1944-05-06 }}</ref><ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0617F93959147B93C0A8178ED85F408485F9 Drucker Gets 25 Years; Murder, Inc., Alleged Trigger Man Sentenced at Monticello], ''The New York Times'', May 12, 1944, p. 21.{{subscription required}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423005014/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0617F93959147B93C0A8178ED85F408485F9 |date=April 23, 2014 }}</ref> Drucker died in Attica prison in January 1962.<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0811FF3E551A7B93C6AB178AD85F468685F9 Murder Inc. Figure Dies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422231824/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0811FF3E551A7B93C6AB178AD85F468685F9 |date=2014-04-22 }}, ''The New York Times'', January 24, 1962. p. 21.{{subscription required}}</ref>