| abstract | - Rothman was a Jewish-American mobster and trusted lieutenant of Mickey Cohen, he had served in the Army during world War II and was honorably discharged. Upon his arrival home he resided in Los Angeles and became a gunman for the Cohen syndicate and at the worst time possible. Rothman had a lengthy criminal career and in 1938 served a term of imprisonment in New York State. In 1946, Rothman allegedly killed rival bookies Benny Gamson and George Levinson in their Los Angeles apartment on the orders of Cohen. Cohen operated in a consortium of illegal activities including extortion, prostitution, narcotics and around this time was also consolidating his grip on Los Angeles' gambling rackets. Rothman would later complain to Jimmy "the weasel" Fratianno, that he had not been paid for these "hits". Fratianno considered Rothman to be Cohen's toughest and smartest henchman.
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