House Call

As the Roaring Twenties came to a close, brothers Meyer and Irving Shapiro were the top underworld dogs in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Together they controlled the slot machines and other nefarious activities in their bailiwick. Irving's main concern was floating crap games. One of their goons was a young thug named Abe Reles, who decided that since he was taking all the chances that could find him in jail or the cemetery he was entitled to a bigger slice of the pie. The Shapiros saw it differently and war broke out out.

Reles and his band shot it out with the Shapiro gang for about year, each side losing members, Finally on July 11, 1931, Reles though that he had both Shapiros in his sites. He knew that they  were both at the Democratic Social club and so he, Happy Maione, Dasher Abbandando and Vito Gurino waited outside in order to gun them down. 

As the Shapiros exited, another group of men followed them out so Reles called off the assassination. Assuming that they were going to head to the family home, Reles and company drove there and beat them home. The reason being was that Meyer wanted to go to the turkish baths so was dropped off. Irving was going to join him but had their driver, Smokey Epstein, take him home first for a change of clothes.

While this was taking place Reles and his confederates entered the foyer of the Shapiro house and removed the light bulb and waited. They heard the car pull and idle as Irving jumped out and ran up to the house. Entering the dark foyer he could nothing. His enemies pulled their triggers and two bullets ripped into Irving's face, spinning him around, the gunmen stayed long enough to empty their guns in the prostrate hoodlum's back. It was one Shapiro down, one to go.

Irving Shapiro