Manhattan Italian emigration. Lucky Luciano established Cosa Nostra in Manhattan, forming alliances with other criminal enterprises, including the Jewish mob, led by Meyer Lansky, the leading Jewish gangster of that period. From 1920–1933, Prohibition helped create a thriving black market in liquor, upon which the Mafia was quick to capitalize. As in the whole of New York City, Manhattan experienced a sharp increase in crime during the 1960s and 1970s. Since 1990, crime in Manhattan has plummeted in all categories tracked by the CompStat profile. A borough that saw 503 murders in 1990 has seen a drop of nearly 88% to
William Colbeck (gangster) murder. William Colbeck (gangster) William "Dint" Colbeck (November 17, 1890 – February 17, 1943) was a St. Louis politician and organized crime figure involved in bootlegging and illegal gambling. He succeeded William Egan as head of the Egan's Rats bootlegging gang in the early 1920s. Born in North St. Louis to Irish-American parents, Colbeck joined Egan's Rats in his late teens. In between his gangster jobs, Colbeck trained to work as a plumber. His work in this field resulted in his nickname of "Dinty" or "Dint", as he was most usually called by associates. After the outbreak of World War