The Execution of Officer Becker
The Murder of a Gambler, The Trial of a Cop, and the Birth of Organized Crime
2006
First Published
3.64
Average Rating
336
Number of Pages
Lieutenant Charles Becker was the only New York City police officer ever executed for murder. He was convicted of orchestrating the gangland slaying of a small-time gambler named Herman (Beansie) Rosenthal in the summer of 1912. Becker was convicted twice, in showcase trials, and died in Sing Sing’s electric chair in 1915. The murder and the trial were front-page news in all twelve New York City newspapers for three years. Sensational as the case was on its own, it was given impetus by the fact that Becker was found to be a central figure in a network of police graft and political corruption whose effects were felt in City Hall, the state capital, and finally throughout the nation. For added measure, there was the strong likelihood that Becker, though clearly a cop on the take, had nothing to do with the murder of Rosenthal.
Avg Rating
3.64
Number of Ratings
14
5 STARS
21%
4 STARS
36%
3 STARS
29%
2 STARS
14%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Stanley Cohen
Author · 11 books
There are more than one Stanley Cohen author. *Stanley Cohen (1922-): USA biochemist *Stanley Cohen (1928–2010): USA crime novelist *Stanley Cohen (1934-): USA sport writer *Stanley Cohen (1937-): USA biologist *Stanley Cohen (1942–2013): South Africa-British sociologist
