Michael Shnayerson Discusses Bugsy Siegel

On Thursday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m., author Michael Shnayerson will discuss his celebrated biography, “Bugsy Siegel: The Dark Side of the American Dream” at The Hampton Synagogue Author Discussion Series. The program, chaired by Glenn Dorskind and moderated by Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, will conclude with a dessert reception and book signing. Books will be available for purchase, facilitated by Westhampton Beach’s The Red Jacket.

Michael Shnayerson became a contributing editor at Vanity Fair in 1986 and is the author of eight books on a range of nonfiction subjects, including “Boom: Mad Money,” “Mega Dealers,” and the “Rise of Contemporary Art.” In this captivating portrait, Shnayerson sets out not to absolve Bugsy Siegel but rather to understand him in all his complexity. Through the 1920s, 1930s, and most of the 1940s, Bugsy Siegel and his longtime partner in crime Meyer Lansky engaged in innumerable acts of violence. As World War II came to an end, Siegel saw the potential for a huge, elegant casino resort in the sands of Las Vegas. Jewish gangsters built nearly all of the Vegas casinos that followed. Then, one by one, they disappeared. Siegel’s story laces through a larger, generational story of eastern European Jewish immigrants in the early to mid-20th century.

The talk takes place in the Berman Sanctuary of The Hampton Synagogue, 154 Sunset Avenue, Westhampton Beach. Admission is free, but registration is required at 631-288-0534, ext. 10.