Photo: Staff Photographer · Public domain

Born in United States · Nationality American — crime / mafias / terrorism / criminal cases — gambling, betting, organised crime

Arnold Rothstein

Organised crime and cartels Violent crime and serial killers

Documented profile covering 6 controversies, including “Mid-1920s: Historians attribute major financing role in narcotics trafficking” and “1928: Disputed gambling debt, murder at Park Central Hotel and subsequent acquittal of principal suspect”.

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Profile No. 2180 · Updated on 12 October 2026

6Documented controversies

8Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

vers 1924–1928

Mid-1920s: Historians attribute major financing role in narcotics trafficking

Allegations

Following bootlegging, several references describe Rothstein as a major financier of narcotics trafficking who supported international drug networks while mentoring or financing several future organised crime figures.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
Biography.comArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability
[2]
Jewish Virtual LibraryArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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4–6 November 1928

1928: Disputed gambling debt, murder at Park Central Hotel and subsequent acquittal of principal suspect

Acquitted / conviction overturned — against George McManus

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

After a high-stakes poker game he claimed was rigged, Rothstein refused to pay a substantial debt. He was subsequently fatally wounded at the Park Central Hotel and refused to identify his attacker before dying. A suspect was arrested and later acquitted, leaving the murder judicially unresolved.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Protagonist is the victim
Person targeted by the proceedings: George McManus
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 2

[1]
HISTORYOne of New York’s most notorious gamblers is shot to deathSecondary sourceHigh reliability
[2]
Biography.comArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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1919–1921

1919–1921: Suspected financing of Black Sox scandal, grand jury testimony but no indictment

No legal proceedings

Rothstein is one of the principal historical suspects in the fixing of the 1919 World Series. He testified before a Chicago grand jury, denied involvement, and several intermediaries close to him were linked to payments. Historians continue to debate his precise role.

Sources · 3

[1]
Society for American Baseball ResearchSABR Century: 1921 Black Sox TrialAcademic publicationVery high reliability
[2]
National Baseball Hall of FameGuide to the Black Sox ScandalArchiveVery high reliability
[3]
HISTORYWhat Was the 1919 'Black Sox' Baseball Scandal?Secondary sourceHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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1921

1921: Highly lucrative horse-racing win surrounded by suspected odds manipulation, without proven conspiracy

No legal proceedings

Historical accounts associate Rothstein with large bets on races whose conditions were allegedly manipulated to improve the odds, notably involving horses he owned or horses withdrawn at a late stage.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
EBSCOArnold Rothstein — Research StarterDatabaseHigh reliability
[2]
Biography.comArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

années 1920

1920–mid-1920s: Financing and organising bootlegging networks during Prohibition

No legal proceedings

Rothstein used his capital and networks to finance illicit alcohol imports and younger operators in New York's underworld. Several biographies describe him as essential to the financial professionalisation of organised crime during Prohibition.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 3

[1]
Jewish Virtual LibraryArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability
[2]
Biography.comArnold RothsteinSecondary sourceMedium reliability
[3]
The Washington PostThe Fixer — review of Rothstein biographyPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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années 1900–1910

1900s–1910s: Gambling houses, bookmaking and usurious lending using enforcers

No legal proceedings

Rothstein built his fortune by running illegal gambling operations, accepting bets and lending money at high interest rates. Historical references describe the use of enforcers to collect debts and his connections to political protection from Tammany Hall.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
EBSCOArnold Rothstein — Research StarterDatabaseHigh reliability
[2]
The Washington PostThe Fixer — review of Rothstein biographyPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

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