Ruthless thief in law: how the father of the Russian mafia kept all Brighton Beach at bay

He became the nightmare of the "Russian" district of New York - Brighton Beach, and the patronage of the famous Sicilian "Cosa Nostra" allowed the gang of Agron to arrange a real mess across the ocean. However, the Italian mafiosi did not accept Yevsey in the “family”, and when their interests crossed, they sent the “Russian” dead fish. "Lenta.ru report»Talks about thieves in law - the generals of the underworld.

Frame: the film "Evil Streets"

Dandy from Leningrad

The future thunderstorm of businessmen from Brighton Beach and the thief in law Yevsei Agron was born on January 25 1932 in Leningrad. Agrony did not leave the city even during the Great Patriotic War. Yevsei lived in the city on the Neva until his departure to the States, for which he received the nickname Yevsei of Leningrad.

History is silent about what Agron Jr. had to go through during the blockade, when relatives, friends and acquaintances died from hunger and cold in his eyes. He survived and set a goal for himself: to live at any price with a normal, secure life, in which there is no place for need and hunger. As a result, Yevsei reached his dream - not in the most righteous ways.

When at the end of 1970 the New York merchants started talking about the “ruthless Russian” knocking tribute from them, the city already had a story that before emigration to the USA Agron had served ten years in the Soviet camps for a brutal murder. Nobody knew the details, but such a legend was on Agron's hand - she added brutality to his image in the eyes of potential victims. However, this story had nothing to do with reality.

Agron three times fell into the dock, but never participated in the "moocher", as in the gangster jargon referred to as murder. Yevsei made the first trip for pickpocketing, almost the first in his life: the art of a nipper (pickpocket), which the majority of thieves in law were famous for, did not take possession of the Leningrad citizen. Therefore, being at liberty, Agron took up financial fraud. True, again unsuccessfully: for illegal transactions again went to jail.

Freed after the third term already at the rank of crowned lawyer, Agron moderated agility and prowess, began to carefully work out financial frauds and soon became the manager of the thieves' commoners: he collected money from lawyers and engaged in their turnover until sending to reputable colleagues serving time. By this time, Agron became known not only in the criminal environment of Leningrad, but also far beyond its borders.

Evsey Agron and his second wife Maya Rozova.
Photo: Prime Crime

By the way, the appearance and habits of Yevsey did not in any way betray him as belonging to the underworld. Agron flaunted a flawlessly ironed suit and tie, often appeared in the local philharmonic society with his wife Valentina (despite one of the main thieving laws, he married, but deftly justified himself for this act at a gathering and avoided defacing). Thieves who knew Yevsei repeatedly noted the steel character of a lawyer and his gift of persuasion. But still, he had detractors: one of them considered the thief in law, Vyacheslav (Yaponchik) Ivankov. It was because of him that the emigration of Agron had nearly collapsed.

In millions of debt

By the middle of 1970's, Yevsey finally understood: he could not see career growth in his homeland. And the Soviet realities, the thieves life and the bad luck of Agron did not combine with his dreams of a beautiful life. He did not want to waste endless time limits, too, to limit himself to the funds allocated to him from obshchak too. Therefore, he decided to leave in search of happiness in the United States, since the times were suitable: mass emigration of Soviet citizens, mostly Jews, who left the country for political reasons began.

By the way, according to one of the versions, the list of those who want to leave abroad was carefully studied by the KGB officers. And all the criminal elements were given the green light: indeed, why delay such a contingent at home? Among the lucky ones was Agron. However, on his way there were sudden obstacles.

Vyacheslav Ivankov (Jap).
Photo: Prime Crime

When Agron had all the documents necessary for departure in his hands, he had a serious card debt - as many as two million rubles (in the cards Yevsey was unlucky just as he did in criminal activity). It was physically impossible to find as much cash in the shortest possible time, and at the regular meeting the lawyer requested a delay in paying the debt. Given the impeccable reputation of Agron, the thieves did not object to such a scenario. Everything except Yaponchik: he went to the principle and said that Agron’s request cannot be satisfied, because this precedent will shake the fundamental rule - the card debt is holy and is payable on demand.

Ivankov suggested that the “colleague” either pay off before leaving abroad, or undergo a shameful procedure in the case of Yevsei for bury - cotton on the ears. Fortunately for Agron, the young Jap, older and more authoritative lawyers laid siege to them, who made the final verdict: the trip should be, but Yevsi should not forget about the debt. He did not disappoint and paid off at the first opportunity, but Ivankov did not forgive him for his unfriendly attack - cool relations between thieves survived until Agron’s death.

From the Union with love

The details of the emigration of the future head of the Russian mafia in the United States differ. According to some data, before arriving in America in 1971, Agron managed to visit Hamburg, where he was protected by a network of brothels and underground casinos for some time. Other sources claim that Yevsey first went to Italy, where he earned money to pay gambling debts, and only then on October 8 on October 1975 flew to New York. This place was chosen by Soviet emigrants of all stripes for a reason: in the first wave of resettlement from the Union, the entry into New York, unlike other states, did not involve a one-time fee for an entry visa in the amount of 100 dollars per person.

Vyacheslav Ivankov (Jap).
Photo: Prime Crime

Agron’s conviction was not mentioned in his documents, and he introduced himself as a modest jeweler to customs officials. This was quite enough to freely step onto American soil. Once in New York, Agron first settled with a fellow countryman: he managed to move to the States during World War II and, having matured, found himself in the law enforcement system - became a policeman.

However, Yevsei did not hesitate for a long time, especially since he came to America not to work from morning till night, relaxing over a bottle of beer in a provincial bar. Agron understood that he had every chance to infiltrate the US underworld and realize his American dream. Soon, he settled in the southern part of Brooklyn, where mainly immigrants from the USSR lived, and quickly made a small but ferocious group. Its members imposed a tribute to all the nearby merchants, intimidating them to madness.

For many years, a case from the beginning of 1980's remained in the memory of Brooklyn merchants. One local resident witnessed the massacre of gangsters from the Yevsey Leningradsky grouping over one of the merchants - and agreed to appear in court on the prosecution side.

Such courage cost life not only to herself, but also to her son: both of them were killed in their own home, after being poked out with unhappy eyes. It was rumored that Yevsei was personally present at the showdown with intractable businessmen, and even used his know-how - the electric stick for livestock. However, the presence of such an attribute of Agrona was categorically refuted by his second wife, singer Maya Rozova.

- Electric stick for slaughter? - Rosova was indignant in one interview. “Where did he keep it?” In the closet? In a refrigerator? Where? He always carried a 32 caliber pistol, and 22 was at home! Everything!

King of Russian Racket

Agron's gangsters did not give preferences to anyone and did not waste time on trifles. One of the immigrants from the Union, a Jew by nationality, had the imprudence to boast to his neighbors - he said, he had saved 15 thousand dollars for the upcoming wedding of his daughter. Rumors about this quickly reached the gang of Yevsey, and the extortionists announced to their unsuspecting compatriot. He began to rest, and then the bandits put up an ultimatum: either he gives them hard-earned money, or his daughter will go to the forefathers right on their wedding day. Broken by threats, the emigrant gave the villains every penny.

He told the story with tears in his eyes a few years after the death of Agron to an American policeman of Russian origin. And to the question why he did not declare extortionists earlier, the old man just waved it off - to sense something! By the way, the futility of the fight against the mafia of Yevsey of Leningrad was understood almost by all local residents. And trying to find out the details of the next crime, Brighton Beach policemen ran across the silent wall of potential witnesses. It is said that one of the first phrases, learned by the American law enforcement officers in Russian, was “I know nothing”.

It is noteworthy that Agron received "good" for his activities from a representative of the Genovezi family, one of the criminal clans of the Sicilian mafia "Cosa Nostra", ruling the criminal world in the United States. Of course, not for nothing - patrons were deducted decent interest from racketeering. In addition, both groups often acted in tandem with each other — such as, for example, in the machinations of the Dune casino in Las Vegas, where hundreds of thousands of dollars were laundered. The approval from the mafia top finally gave free rein to Agron’s militants, who by the beginning of the 1980 had about 500 people.

Even lawyers and doctors began to fall under their pressure - they were also obliged to pay a bribe. Criminals didn’t disdain ordinary robberies, making raids on trucks that delivered goods to the shops. Once the gangsters turned a scam with ordinary shoes, passing it off as an orthopedic shoe and selling it at an elevated price. The extortion, fraud and robbery against the residents of Brighton Beach brought Yevsey a profit that was unprecedented in those times - approximately 100 million dollars a year. On top of that, the drug trade also replenished the treasury of the king of Russian racketeering with tens of thousands of dollars every week.

Regular counts of what was acquired occurred in El Caribe Country Club on Brighton Beach - a kind of headquarters, famous for the mass gatherings of participants in the Agron group. In the same place gangsters made plans of further enrichment. Surprisingly, with all his abilities, Yevsei lived out of habit modestly. Contrary to the rumors of luxurious mansions with golden bowls, the lawyer with his wife and child lived in a small three-room apartment on the last floor of a six-story house on Ocean Parkway. According to the memories of Agron's relatives, the place was extremely noisy: there was a bridge nearby, where cars drove day and night.

El Caribe Country Club.
Photo: El Caribe Country Club

Agron was still dressed in inexpensive business suits and still looked like a hard-working clerk. Yevsei preferred to rest in the old-fashioned way - according to the good Soviet tradition: every weekend I went to a bathhouse in Manhattan. I spent the week evenings reading Russian poetry: Yevsei loved Lermontov very much and even memorized his poems. He also respected music, especially he loved chanson (his second wife also sang in this genre). In Evsey’s biography, there is an episode where he helped Vladimir Vysotsky during his American tour get a royal organizer fee unpaid for a performance.

The Mafia Hunt

One of the few manifestations of the rich man’s manners was the presence of Agron’s personal driver Boris Nayfeld, known in criminal circles under the nickname Bib. The smart kid arrived in the States from Gomel in the middle of the 70-s with his older brother. The brothers acquired the experience of a criminal life back in their homeland, where they hunted by burglaries. Biba's elder brother immediately became famous in Brighton Beach for having beaten to death the abuser of his girlfriend and managed to escape criminal responsibility. Biba himself was distinguished by more meaningful behavior, and in a couple of years he managed to advance so far along the criminal ladder that Agron spotted him - and soon made him his chauffeur and part-time bodyguard.

In proportion to the growth of Agron’s power, the number of his enemies increased. Some were not limited to blind hatred and tried to physically eliminate a daring competitor. The first attempt on the Russian mafia occurred in 1980, when Agron was walking along Coney Island. He did not even have time to understand anything when he received several bullets in the stomach. Witnesses of the attempt immediately called an ambulance - and Agron’s life was saved. He restored health in a hospital bed surrounded by guards provided by the Genovezi family. As usual, the police came to the victim, only Agron refused to cooperate with them completely, having got rid of a short phrase: “I’ll figure it out myself.”

His “trial” can be called a stretch of success — his enemies made the next attack four years later. In January, 1984 th mercenaries trapped Agron when he was leaving his garage in the basement. This time, the liquidators hit Agron in the face and neck. The doctor, to whom the bleeding patient had been brought, was not able to reach one of the bullets, which had lodged too close to the brain. Part of the face was forever paralyzed, but the life of Yevsey was once again saved. At this time, the mafia firmly pondered and, having estimated the options, designated the major drug dealer Boris Goldberg responsible for the attack, with whom Yevsey could not manage to divide the spheres of influence.

Goldberg’s hostility to Yevsey of Leningrad also spurred the latter’s methods on competitors: Agron’s accomplices didn’t stand on ceremony with them, and if they caught at their spot, they simply killed them. This eventually led to the fact that Goldberg ordered Agron, promising the killer 25 thousands of dollars. The final disassembly between the enemies occurred in May 1984. Yevsei was determined and planned to shoot Boris, but he, knowing about the intentions of the enemy, insured himself and brought a crowd of Mexican gangsters to the meeting. Agron had no choice but to go to the world with Goldberg. The competitors agreed on the spheres of influence, sealed the contract and promised not to hunt each other anymore.

Last mistake

Soon Agron was not at all up to Goldberg: he learned that “rats” had started in his immediate environment. It turned out that three members of Yevsey's gang - the owners of the wholesale gasoline sales company Mikhail Markovits, Lev Persits and David Bogatin - behind him turned a large fraud with fuel, in fact, simply robbed the boss. Thanks to Michael Franchese, a former member of another Italian criminal clan - the Colombo family - this scheme, which allowed the United States to steal more than 500 million dollars from the United States budget, became public. Frances, nicknamed “criminal prince,” spoke about the scheme of fraud in court in the hope of commutation of the sentence.

Michael franchese
Photo: Jens Astrup / Play the Game / Wikimedia

The opportunity to crank up the scam came thanks to the new New York gas tax law passed in 1982. From now on it was decided to collect taxes to the treasury not from the counters at gas stations, but from wholesale fuel companies, when the company sells gasoline to a retailer. The idea to create a chain of dummy wholesalers who resold gasoline to each other belonged to Bogatin, who was in Agron’s closest advisors, and was so effective that David was applauded by standing members of all five Cosa Nostra criminal families.

On the move to figure out which of the firms should pay taxes when resale from one wholesaler to another, the tax officers could not. And when at last they were going on the trail of the necessary firm, it turned out that it was a one-day and not functioning for a long time. Thus, the fraudsters, taking advantage of the confusion in the documents, quickly sold the fuel to a private trader, without giving a penny to the state budget. According to the most conservative estimates, the scammers received 12 million dollars a week.

Upon learning of the betrayal in the immediate environment, Yevsei Leningradsky became seriously angry. However, the head in a temper did not cut. First, Bogatin went to the favorites of the influential Italian mafia. And secondly, Agron himself decided to become a member of this scam. He did not calculate only one thing: in the scheme of well-established frauds, his person was completely superfluous. And it turned out that with his activity the thief in the law only provoked the members of the criminal clans to a new idea - to eliminate Agron himself. And he, not even knowing about the treachery of the Allies, continued to make plans for the successful implementation of the petrol business.

The life of the famous lawyer was interrupted by 4 May 1985. On this Sabbath day, Agron traditionally intended to take a steam bath. Below him, as usual, was waiting for Biba. However, as soon as Yevsei pressed the elevator button, a stranger in a tracksuit approached him and, putting the gun to his temple, pulled the trigger. Making another shot in the head for fidelity, the killer disappeared. This time, the doctors were not able to help Yevsei - he died almost instantly.

Yevsei was buried in one of the city cemeteries in New York. His wife, fearing for herself and her son, went to her parents in the USSR. The place of the Russian racketeer was occupied by the adviser of Agron Marat Balagul, who by virtue of natural cunning and quick-wittedness even surpassed his predecessor in some way - for example, in that he managed to live whole and intact for advanced years.

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