Raymond Bernstein
Described in a 1932 Bureau of Investigation letter as 'the third member of the Purple Gang doing a life sentence' in the murder case involving Irving Milberg and Harry Keywell, and in a 1939 FBI letter as sent to Marquette prison for the 'Collingwood Massacre'.
- Aliases
- Raymond Burnstein (1932 Bureau letter)
- Family
- Purple Gang (Bureau of Investigation letter, 1932)
- Role
- "the third member of the Purple Gang doing a life sentence" (Bureau of Investigation, Detroit, 1932)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records and the filed newspaper pages state.
On the record
- 1930-02-12 — Washington Times (INS): named with Isadore and Joe Bernstein and Jules Jaffe among four "purple gangsters" whose surrender their attorney promised.
- 1932-03-25 — Bureau of Investigation, Detroit: "Raymond Burnstein, #28545, is the third member of the Purple Gang doing a life sentence in connection with the murder involving Milberg and Keywell. Burnstein has likewise been confined in jail continuously since September, 1931."
- 1939-06-17 — FBI Detroit letter: "A fourth brother, RAYMOND, is said to be in the Michigan State Prison, Marquette, Michigan, where he was sent as a result of his participation in the killing of three CAPONE gangsters in the Collingwood Massacre." The description of the victims is the letter's.
The family and role lines quote the 1932 Bureau letter. The 1932 letter does not name the killing; the 1939 letter calls it the Collingwood Massacre. No court record of the case is filed here, and no filed record gives his birth or death.
Records
itemDetroit Bureau of Investigation letter sending Purple Gang photographs to New York (25 March 1932)A three-page Bureau of Investigation letter from Detroit, written during the Lindbergh kidnapping inquiry, lists thirteen Detroit police photographs and states that all the men pictured except Joe Tocco 'are known to be ring leaders of the Purple Gang'.
itemDetroit Special Agent in Charge's letter on organized crime conditions in Detroit (17 June 1939)John S. Bugas, Special Agent in Charge at Detroit, answers a Bureau request for current organized crime conditions. Under 'Gangs in Detroit' he calls Abe Bernstein 'the original head of the Purple Gang' and names his brothers Joe, Izzie and Raymond.
clippingWashington Times, 12 February 1930, page 3: Detroit gang to surrenderAn International News Service item: an attorney promised the surrender of four 'purple gangsters', Raymond, Isadore and Joe Bernstein and Jules Jaffe, after detectives testified that Inspector Henry J. Garvin had altered 1927 arrest reports.