Emanuel Weiss - The Dutch Schultz Murder

The Dutch Schultz Murder

Weiss personally took part in a number of high-profile contract killings for the National Crime Syndicate. On October 23, 1935 he and Charles "the Bug" Workman walked into the Palace Chophouse in Newark, New Jersey to murder Dutch Schultz. Weiss went up to the barman and waiters and requested them to lay down on the floor. At the same time Workman walked past Weiss and opened fire on Schultz and his three associates. All of them were fatally injured and would die of their bullet wounds within a few hours or days. Immediately after the shootings, Weiss, fearing the imminent arrival of police, fled the scene and jumped into the waiting getaway car. He ordered their getaway driver, Seymour "Piggy" Schechter, to drive off without Workman, who was still finishing off Schultz in the restaurant's restroom. As a result of his being left behind, Workman was forced to travel back to New York alone, on foot.

The next day, Workman filed a complaint to the "board" of Murder, Inc. that he had been abandoned by Weiss and Piggy at the murder scene, an offense punishable by death. Weiss defended himself by arguing that Workman had returned to the men's room not for the purpose of making sure the job had been completed (as Workman claimed), but simply for the purpose of stealing Schultz's money and other belongings. Therefore, argued Weiss, the job was already done and Workman had chosen to remain at the scene strictly for selfish personal reasons, thereby jeopardizing their escape and increasing their risk of capture. The board decided it had to make an example of somebody, and that Piggy was more expendable than Weiss. Despite his protestations that he was only following Weiss's orders, the hapless Piggy was tortured and killed by the mob, while Weiss escaped punishment.