NOVEMBER 4, 1928 – Arnold Rothstein

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Arnold Rothstein, the man best known for fixing the 1919 World Series, was shot at the Park Central Hotel in New York City on Nov. 4, 1928. He died two days later at Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital. Rothstein, 46, arrived at the hotel for what was supposedly a business meeting when he was ambushed. At the time he was killed, Rothstein reportedly owed $320,000 to Nate Raymond after a three-day, high-stakes poker game that took place in October. Rothstein claimed the game had been fixed and refused to pay his debt, which investigators said they believe led to his murder.

Another gambler, George McManus, was arrested for the killing but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Rothstein survived for two days after being shot, giving police the opportunity to interview him. However, when they asked him to identify the man who shot him, Rothstein told officers, “You stick to your trade. I’ll stick to mine” and “Me mudder (my mother) did it.”

Rothstein rose to prominence for his part in the fix of the 1919 World Series where the heavily favored Chicago White Sox were paid to throw the series to the Cincinnati Reds. Rothstein furthered his fortune and reputation by moving from gambling into bootlegging and narcotics trafficking during prohibition. At the time of his death, he was one of the most successful organized crime figures in the country. It was never determined who killed him.