The Starker : Big Jack Zelig, the Becker-Rosenthal Case, and the Advent of the Jewish Gangster

Selig Harry Lefkowitz, a.k.a. Big Jack Zelig or The Starker (Yiddish for 'Big Boss') was New York City's first great gangster boss.Although overshadowed by Al Capone and Murder Inc., from 1908 to 1912 Zelig's name was synonymous with the word gangster, and he inspired admiration and fear throughout the Big Apple. But in 1912, Zelig was murdered before he could take to the stand and give testimony in a case that would have rocked the criminal underworld to its core.Based on years of painstaking research and dozens of interviews, "The Starker" reveals the true story behind the life, crimes, and death of one of New York City's most powerful gangsters.