Joseph Silverman was known around Brooklyn as Joey Silvers a boxer of some local renown. In addition to his involvement in the sweet science Silvers was also toting a gun for the Shapiro Brothers in during their reign as the slot machine kings of Brownsville. In the summer of 1930 the Shapiros were at war with the Abe Reles and his minions known as the Combination.
Silvers had made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Ocean Hill gangster and recent Reles confederate Harry "Happy" Maione and on August 26, 1930 Maione struck back. Slightly before midnight, Silvers was driving along when a car containing four men crowded his car to a stop. Maione bound out of the car and jumped on the running board of Silvers' machine. Yelling something to the effect of, "You were gonna put me on the spot, now I'm going to give it to you," he fired a .45 slug into the boxer's chest. Maione leapt from the running board and back into the car that was driving alongside and was whisked away.
The wounded gangster was taken to the hospital where he told authorities that "A guy named Happy." shot him before expiring the following day. Nothing came of Silvers squealing.
Joey Silvers
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