Munya "Manny" Horvitz (1865-1 January 1923) was a Jewish Mob boss from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during Prohibition. Horvitz was one of the most powerful bootleggers in the city, and he fought against rival bootlegger Waxey Gordon during the early 1920s. Horvitz was murdered by Richard Harrow in 1923 in revenge for the murder of the wife of Harrow's late boss, Jimmy Darmody, in 1921.
Biography[]
Horvitz in his shop, 1921
Munya Horvitz was born in Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire to a family of Ukrainian Jews, and he emigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States due to the Russian government's promotion of anti-Jewish pogroms. Horvitz became a butcher in Philadelphia's Jewish neighborhood, and he later moved into bootlegging to make a profit from Prohibition. Horvitz became one of the most powerful Jewish Mob bosses in the city, and he was feared by his enemies due to his habit of chopping up murdered rivals and selling their meat for consumption. Horvitz did business with fellow mob boss Waxey Gordon from 1913 to 1921, but Horvitz became upset with Gordon's high prices, and he became angry when Gordon refused to deliver on his promises. Horvitz and Gordon became business rivals, and the two of them went to war in 1921. Gordon sent Herman Kaufman to spy on Horvitz, and Horvitz later discovered his betrayal and had his throat cut in his freezing room.
Partnership with Jimmy Darmody[]
Alfred Gordetsky's death at Horvitz's hands
In 1921, Horvitz decided to form a partnership with Atlantic City bootlegger Jimmy Darmody at the suggestion of Horvitz's business partner Mickey Doyle, promising to buy $5,000 worth of liquor from Darmody. Horvitz was impressed by Darmody's youth and hs attempt at greeting Horvitz in the Yiddish language, and the two became friends. However, Horvitz grew annoyed when Darmody failed to deliver any liquor to him, as Doyle's warehouse was destroyed by Darmody's rival Nucky Thompson. Horvitz pestered Darmody for the liquor, and Darmody grew tired of him.
War with Darmody[]
A wounded Horvitz speaking with Mickey Doyle
When Doyle brought Horvitz to a party in Atlantic City in July 1921, Darmody threw Doyle from a balcony onto a table below, angering Horvitz and shocking the crowd; Darmody was angry about Horvitz's repeated . Darmody later met with Waxey Gordon and arranged for his hitman Alfred Gordetsky to launch an assassination attempt on Horvitz at his shop on shabbat. Gordetsky succeeded in shooting Horvitz in the left shoulder with a sawn-off, double-barreled shotgun, but Horvitz buried a butcher's knife into Gordetsky's head after a brief struggle. When Horvitz found a box of toothpicks from Heilig's Chop House in Atlantic City, he discovered that Darmody was responsible for the attempt, and he decided to get revenge. When Doyle was sent by Darmody to Philadelphia with $5,000 worth of liquor in an attempt to appease Horvitz, Horvitz told Doyle that Darmody had already attempted to have him killed, and Horvitz forced Doyle to tell him where he could find Darmody for a "quiet chat". Horvitz found only Angela Darmody and her female lover at the house, and he killed them both, telling Angela that Jimmy was responsible for her death.
Horvitz would later form an alliance with Nucky Thompson, the political boss of Atlantic City, and Thompson took Horvitz under his wing. After the murder of Angela Darmody, Horvitz was forced to close his store, move out of his home, and live as a beggar in the basement of a synagogue. Horvitz was approached by Thompson so that he could do business with him, and Thompson used Horvitz to lure Darmody to his death at the Atlantic City War Memorial later in 1921. Horvitz would work with Doyle at a liquor warehouse under the auspices of Thompson, and Thompson contacted Horvitz on 31 December 1922 with a job. Thompson needed Horvitz to kill a thief named Rowland Smith on the outskirts of Philadelphia, and Horvitz countered by demanding his own still as a reward; Thompson agreed, and Horvitz told him that Thompson would become rich in three months, when Horvitz reopened his business.
Downfall[]
Harrow leaving Horvitz's home after the murder
Horvitz spent the Christian New Year with his wife at home, having a small celebration. Horvitz's wife presented him with a new hat before he left to hunt Smith down, and Horvitz was signalled to leave the house by the honking of his car horn. When Horvitz opened the door, he was surprised to see the late Darmody's friend Richard Harrow standing there with a shotgun, and Harrow fired his shotgun into Horvitz's face. Horvitz died instantly, and Harrow fled the scene, leaving the bodies of Horvitz and his driver behind.