Auction in the USA: Mafiosi memorabilia under the hammer

Mafia memorabilia to be auctioned off in Beverly Hills. The fact that some of the mobsters were extremely brutal and criminal does not seem to detract from their fascination. Not everyone likes that.

Al Capone is the epitome of the American gangster: he was already a legend during his lifetime, was considered a brutal mafia leader and at the same time a darling of the media because he was always open to the press. The peak of his career was in the mid-1920s to early 1930s, first in New York and then in Chicago. Even if he was probably responsible for various murders: he was imprisoned for tax evasion.

Among other things, a handwritten letter can be bid for in Los Angeles this weekend. Trent Kalscheuer of Julien’s auction house says: “It’s a letter to his son Sonny, in which he tells what musical instruments he learned while he was incarcerated at Alcatraz. A very personal side of him that one rarely sees otherwise, a fascinating piece.”

A peace medal will also be auctioned off

The handwritten letter could bring in $30,000 to $50,000. He is one of dozens of auction items that the Mafia Museum in Las Vegas is making available for auction. Many are everyday objects: vases, shoes, hats, golf sets – right through to lamps and armchairs by Mafiosi like Bugsy Siegel or Meyer Lansky. They were particularly active in Las Vegas, founded and bought the first casinos in the gambling city, which was heavily dominated by the Cosa Nostra and other mafia clans.

The mobsters, as mafia members are also called, are apparently very fascinating for many people to this day, says Kalscheuer. This is another reason why such auctions are successful: “I think some people feel a kind of connection. They are enthusiastic about the story behind it and want to own something historical – a book by someone who is perhaps better known than the President of the United States.”

Speaking of the President, one can even acquire one of the highest awards, the Peace Medal. Mafiosi Meyer Lansky received it from US President Truman for his fight against the Nazis in World War II. It is arguably these stories, interwoven with the myth of the family man behind the scenes of crime, that humanizes the mobsters. And yet, in addition to everyday objects, you can also buy weapons: pistols, knives and rifles, for example.

“You shouldn’t profit from blood money”

Not everyone finds such auctions amusing. Former California prosecutor Nina Salarno, who deals with organized crime, has repeatedly criticized such auctions. “I find this insulting to victims’ families,” she said on local television. “And such an auction is only for money, not to show that Al Capone was a loving grandfather. One should not profit from what I would call blood money.”

Apparently, this does not detract from the fascination for the gangsters – and Hollywood should have a lot to do with it. Because from “The Godfather”, “Goodfellas”, “Scarface” to the “Sopranos” the mafia myth is celebrated on film and TV.

Of course, there is also something for film fans at the auction, says Kalscheuer: “Tony Spilotro – we have a whole collection of him here – was a role model for the character of actor Joe Pesci in the film ‘Casino’.” An ashtray from Spilotro, which he took from a casino, is available for as little as $100.