Benjamin Siegel
Named in FBI memoranda of 1946 and 1947 as a director of the Nevada Project Corporation, owner of the Flamingo Hotel, and in the Kefauver Committee's Las Vegas record. An FBI letter records that he was shot at Beverly Hills on June 20, 1947. No federal record opened for this page states a family or rank.
- Died
- 1947-06-20
- Aliases
- Benjamin "Bugs" Siegel, Bugsy Siegel, Ben Siegel
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 26 July 1946 — An FBI memorandum of August 9, 1946 summarizes the articles of incorporation of the Nevada Project Corporation, "owners of the Flamingo Hotel," filed with the Nevada Secretary of State on July 26, 1946. It lists "Ben Siegel" with Moe Sedway, William R. Wilkerson, G. Harry Rothberg and N. Joseph Ross as directors and incorporators.
- 13 August 1946 — An FBI memorandum of August 20, 1946 reports a hearing at San Francisco on a Civilian Production Administration "stop order" over the Flamingo's construction, and says the hearing officer "decided in favor of the respondents."
- 15 October 1946 — An FBI memorandum of October 15, 1946 records a Justice Department official's statement that CPA representatives had information that the FBI was investigating "Bugs Siegel, who allegedly has a control, either personally or through his associates, of the Nevada Projects Corporation, which in turn controls the Flamingo Hotel."
- 14 January 1947 — An FBI memorandum states that investigation since December 11, 1946 "has failed to disclose evidence of violations of Federal laws within the Bureau's primary investigative jurisdiction," and recommends discontinuing it.
- 20 June 1947 — An FBI Los Angeles letter of July 1, 1947 says the killing "was brought to the attention of this office after the shooting, at 10:50 P.M. on June 20, 1947," at 810 North Linden Drive, Beverly Hills. It lists press theories of motive and does not state who killed him.
- 15 November 1950 — Testifying before the Kefauver Committee at Las Vegas, Nevada Tax Commission member William J. Moore said Las Vegas race-book operators told him "Mr. Siegel said who was to get race-book service and who was not to get it" (Part 10, p. 3). The Flamingo's former attorney, Louis Wiener, said "Siegel held the largest percentage. I think he held about 22 percent" of the Nevada Projects Corporation (pp. 46-47).
This page is limited to the records cited. The FBI Vault file on Siegel is a 1946 and 1947 inquiry into the Flamingo Hotel’s construction and a “crime survey,” followed by material on his killing. The statements in it are Bureau memoranda and recorded informant statements, not findings. The Bureau concluded in January 1947 that its investigation had not disclosed a violation within its jurisdiction. The page does not state a family or rank for him, because no opened federal record does. The narcotics and killing allegations that informants gave the Bureau are not repeated here.
The Library of Congress holds portraits of Siegel marked “Publication may be restricted,” so no photograph is shown.
Records
itemFBI Vault file on Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (32 parts)Finding aid to the FBI Vault's 32-part file on Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel: the 1946 Flamingo inquiry, the Bureau's crime survey, and the 1947 killing, with each part's address and a one-line description.
itemFBI memorandum on a "stop order" against Siegel over the Flamingo Hotel (8 August 1946)An FBI office memorandum of August 8, 1946 recording the Los Angeles Division's report that the Civilian Production Administration had issued a "stop order" against Benjamin Siegel and his associates over construction of the Flamingo Hotel at Las Vegas.
itemFBI memorandum on the Civilian Production Administration hearing over the Flamingo Hotel (20 August 1946)An FBI office memorandum of August 20, 1946 reporting that a hearing was held at San Francisco on August 13 on the Civilian Production Administration "stop order" over construction of the Flamingo Hotel, and that the hearing officer decided in favor of the respondents.
itemFBI memorandum on pulling the technical surveillances at Las Vegas (23 August 1946)An FBI office memorandum of August 23, 1946 recording that all "technicals" in the Siegel case at Las Vegas were pulled on the evening of August 22 after trouble on the long-distance line at the Las Vegas Club.
itemFBI Los Angeles report with informant accounts of Siegel, Sedway and Greenbaum (1946)Pages of an FBI Los Angeles report (file L.A. 62-2837) recording informant statements about Benjamin Siegel and the Las Vegas race-wire service in 1946. The statements are informant allegations recorded by the Bureau, not findings.
itemFBI memorandum on a Justice Department request about the Flamingo Hotel (15 October 1946)An FBI office memorandum of October 15, 1946 recording a call from the Justice Department's Criminal Division: Civilian Production Administration officials were weighing civil or criminal action against the Flamingo Hotel and asked for any information the FBI held.
itemFBI summary memorandum finding no evidence of violations within the Bureau's jurisdiction (14 January 1947)An FBI office memorandum of January 14, 1947 stating that the Siegel investigation had failed to disclose violations of federal laws within the Bureau's primary jurisdiction and recommending that the investigation be discontinued, with a concurrence of January 16 from Edw. A. Tamm.
itemFBI memorandum summarizing the articles of incorporation of the Nevada Project Corporation (9 August 1946)An FBI office memorandum of August 9, 1946 summarizing a certified copy of the articles of incorporation of the Nevada Project Corporation, "owners of the Flamingo Hotel," filed with the Nevada Secretary of State on July 26, 1946.
itemFBI Los Angeles letter to the Director on the killing of Benjamin Siegel (1 July 1947)A Los Angeles Division airmail letter of July 1, 1947 to the FBI Director summarizing what the office had learned about the shooting of Benjamin Siegel on June 20, 1947 at 810 North Linden Drive, Beverly Hills, with the press theories of motive.itemKefauver Committee, Las Vegas session (15 November 1950)The printed record of the Special Committee's Las Vegas session of November 15, 1950 (Part 10, pp. 1-104): testimony on the race-wire service, the Flamingo Hotel's ownership, the Desert Inn and Benjamin Siegel, by Nevada officials, Louis Wiener, Wilbur Clark and Moe Sedway.
itemFBI Los Angeles surveillance memo on Siegel and Virginia Hill, 10-11 September 1946 (12 September 1946)A Los Angeles field-office memo to the Special Agent in Charge logging a physical surveillance of Benjamin Siegel, Virginia Hill and others on September 10 and 11, 1946, around Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive.
itemFBI memorandum recommending reinstallation of a technical surveillance on Siegel and Virginia Hill (18 November 1946)An FBI office memorandum from A. Rosen to E. A. Tamm reporting that Benjamin Siegel and Virginia Hill were establishing permanent residence at the Last Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas, and recommending that "the technical on Siegel and Virginia Hill be reinstalled."
itemFBI memorandum on Virginia Hill's age and background after Siegel's death (23 June 1947)A one-page FBI memorandum to Mr. Rosen written three days after Benjamin Siegel was shot. It says Virginia Hill "is 29 years of age," cites an affidavit filed with the New York State Liquor Authority in which she gave her birth as Bessemer, Alabama, August 25, 1917, and calls her Siegel's "paramour."itemKefauver Part 7: testimony of Virginia Hill Hauser (15 March 1951)Sworn testimony in New York of Mrs. Virginia Hill Hauser of Spokane, Washington. She gave her birth year as 1916, said Joe Epstein had held her money for years, said her spending came from gifts from Mexican friends she would not name, and said Benjamin Siegel gave her money and paid the down payment on a house in Florida. Pp. 1144-1170.