The poet Robert Lowell encountered Buchalter in prison during the 1940s, when Lowell was incarcerated for being a conscientious objector. Lowell described Buchalter (whom he calls "Czar Lepke") in his poem "Memories of West Street and Lepke", published in his book "Life Studies" (1959). Lowell's poem claims that prior to execution, Lepke had been lobotomized. Their meeting is discussed in the film 1993 film "Romeo Is Bleeding", where Lepke says he's in prison because he killed someone and Lowell says he's in prison because he didn't kill someone.