Louis Rothkopf

Louis Rothkopf
Born June 3, 1903
Died July 18, 1956
Occupation Businessman

Louis Rothkopf, also known as Louis Rhody,[1] (June 3, 1903 – 1956) was an American businessman. He was a bootlegger in Cleveland, Ohio during Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s. He was an investor in casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada and racetracks in Ohio and Kentucky in the 1940s and 1950s.

Early life

Louis Rothkopf was born on July 3, 1903.

Career

Rothkopf was described as a Cleveland, Ohio-based "racketeer" in the press by 1931, when he was sought by the police as a possible witness in the murder of a Cleveland councilor, William E. Potter.[2][3]

Rothkopf and Max Diamond were convicted of tax evasion over liquor sales and sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $5,000 in 1937.[4] The trial showed they had failed to pay taxes on US$150,000 sales of illegal alcohol.[4]

Rothkopf was an investor in the Desert Inn Casino, a casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] He was also an investor in gambling businesses in Kentucky and Ohio.[1] In 1936, alongside Moe Dalitz, Morris Kleinman and Sam Tucker, Rothkopf invested in the River Downs and Thistledown racetracks in Ohio.[5]

With Morris Kleinman, Rothkopf was asked to testify before the Senate Crime Investigation Committee chaired by Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver on bootlegging allegations in 1952.[6] When both men refused because they didn't want the media to attend their hearing, they were first charged with contempt of Congress and later cleared.[6]

Personal life and death

Rothkopf resided in a 37-acre estate in Bainbridge Center" (formerly home to the Maple Club, a gambling establishment) with his wife.[7] She shot herself on June 6, 1955.[8] A year later, on July 18, 1956, Rothkopf was found dead in his car on their estate.[9][7][10]

By the time of his death, his estate was worth US$225,000.[11] He bequeathed US$5,000 to five philanthropic organizations, for a total of US$25,000.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Death of Widely-Known Gambler Ruled Accidental". The Coshocton Democrat (Coshocton, Ohio). July 18, 1956. pp. 1; 5. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  2. ↑ "Last Minute News Flashes: Companion of "Hymie" Identified". The Piqua Daily Call (Piqua, Ohio). August 19, 1931. p. 1. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  3. ↑ "Police Seeking Louis Rothkopf: Figure in "Hymie" Martin Case Will o' the Wisp to Cleveland Authorities". The Evening Review (East Liverpool, Ohio). August 20, 1931. p. 1. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  4. 1 2 "Cleveland Men Are Sentenced For Tax Evasion: Conspiracy to Defraud Government Brings Heavy Penalty". The Coshocton Tribune (Coshocton, Ohio). May 23, 1937. p. 8. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  5. ↑ "Mob ran Ohio racetracks, Dayton Daily News say". Wilmington News-Journal (Wilmington, Ohio). June 7, 1973. p. 17. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  6. 1 2 "Rules Refusal Right To Talk Before Public". The Sandusky Register (Sandusky, Ohio). October 9, 1952. p. 7. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  7. 1 2 "Gambling Figure Dies". The Sandusky Register (Sandusky, Ohio). July 18, 1956. p. 1. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  8. ↑ "Gambler's Wife Shoots Herself". The News Tribune (Fort Pierce, Florida). June 6, 1955. p. 2. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  9. ↑ Barker, Thomas (2008). Wicked Newport: Kentucky's Sin City. The History Press. ISBN 9781596295490.
  10. ↑ "Fumes Fatal To Gambler". The Daily Reporter (Dover, Ohio). July 18, 1956. p. 5a. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).
  11. 1 2 "Will Aids Charities". The Coshocton Democrat (Coshocton, Ohio). September 16, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved March 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. (registration required (help)).

Further reading

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