Morris Kessler
Morris Kessler | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1912 Joseph Amberg . |
Morris L. Kessler (January 6, 1912 – September 30, 1935) was an American
auto garage by members of Murder, Inc. in 1935. The gangland slayings of Kessler and Amberg were among the first major contract killings
committed by Murder, Inc. and was one of the most publicized of the era.
Biography
Morris L. Kessler was born in New York City on January 6, 1912. Although he had no known criminal record during his life, he had become a member of Brooklyn mobsters
On the afternoon of September 30, 1935, at 12:45 pm, Kessler and Amberg stopped at the Blake-Christopher auto garage at Blake and Christopher Avenues prior to collecting "
restaurants. As they prepared to leave in their limousine, however, three unidentified gunmen believed to be members of Murder, Inc. entered the garage. Armed with pistols, they forced the two men against the wall at gunpoint. According to the owner Henry Kutnetz and mechanics Nat Horowitz and August Mattern, all of whom witnessed the incident, the gunmen taunted the two men before gunning them down. They shot Amberg first and then Kessler;[2] police later found Kessler had been shot once in the forehead and three times in the back.[1] The two men were buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, Queens, two days later.[3]
Louis Amberg had been killed only three weeks before, the Ambergs being involved in a gang war with rivals
getaway car used in the murder was later found by authorities, the crime remained unsolved.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "Gangsters Kill 2 Lined Up at Wall; Enemies Trap Joseph Amberg, Racketeer, and His Chauffeur in Brooklyn Garage" (PDF). The New York Times. October 1, 1935. p. 24.(subscription required)
- ^ ISBN 0-87855-931-0
- ^ a b "Slain Gangsters Buried. Police Find Car Used by Killers of Amberg and Chauffeur" (PDF). The New York Times. October 2, 1935. p. 24.(subscription required)
