Small-Town Citizen, Minion of the Mob: Sam Garfield's Two Lives Purple Gangsters, Meyer Lansky, and Life in Clare, Michigan

Sam Garfield lived fifty years in the small town of Clare, Michigan. He and his much loved wife, Ruby, were solid citizens who participated in civic affairs, were appreciated business people, and formed many friendships. Beyond Clare, however, Sam was closely allied with major gangsters such as members of the Purple Gang, Moe Dalitz’ Cleveland Syndicate and, most of all, meg-mobster Meyer Lansky. On his own, Sam ran major gambling and securities schemes. But his most important role was as an agent for these criminals as they laundered their ill-gotten gains into gambling establishments and, most of all, investments in oil discovery and exploitation, Sam’s specialty. As a minion to the mob, Sam played an important but little recognized role in making some of America’s biggest hoodlums into successful entrepreneurial gangsters.