{{Short description|Alleged American underworld figure (1917–2006) }} {{for|namesake of the landmark building|Sam Farkas House}} {{use mdy dates|date=June 2024|cs1-dates=ly}}{{use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox criminal | birth_date = May 15, 1917 | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|08|13|1917|05|15}} | death_place = Los Angeles County, California, U.S. | criminal_charge = *Extortion<br> *Loan sharking | image = Sam Farkas.jpg | alt = Sam Farkas Mugshot | caption = Mugshot of Farkas taken {{circa}} 1959 }}
'''Sam Farkas''' (May 15, 1917{{snd}}August 13, 2006) was an American bookmaker and bodyguard, best known for his criminal affiliation with Los Angeles mob boss Mickey Cohen. A mobster of 20th-century California, Farkas was indicted by a U.S. federal government organized-crime task force on multiple criminal charges in 1974.
== Biography == Farkas was described as Mickey Cohen's bodyguard in 1950 when he, Cohen, and one Dominic "Highpockets" Faranacci attended the funeral of Cohen's murdered lawyer, Sam Rummel.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1950-12-15 |title=Simple Rites for Rummel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-simple-rites-for-rummel/148684257/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |work=Daily News |pages=41 |archive-date=2024-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604134752/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-simple-rites-for-rummel/148684257/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1951, Farkas was one of the "gangland figures" connected to the brothel of Hollywood madam Barrie Benson.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rasmussen |first=Cecilia |date=1997-11-30 |title=History of Hollywood Madams Is Long Lurid |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-history-of-hollywo/148982970/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=395}}</ref> A man named Joe DiStefano, reportedly visiting from New York, tried to shoot Farkas in 1952.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1952-01-28 |title=Mickey Cohen pal nearly rubbed out |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-mickey-cohen-pal-nearly-rubbe/148982688/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=Daily News |pages=3 |archive-date=2024-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609033750/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-mickey-cohen-pal-nearly-rubbe/148982688/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Sam Farkas married Mickey Cohen's ex-wife, La Vonne Cohen, in 1959.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1959-09-06 |title=Marriage |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-austin-american-marriage/148982529/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=The Austin American |pages=9 |archive-date=2024-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609033749/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-austin-american-marriage/148982529/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At some point in the 1960s, Farkas and his wife lived in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood, and his next-door neighbor later recalled that "he always wore a sport coat to hide the gun I occasionally glimpsed in the holster just under his left arm".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Spinrad |first=Jack |date=2024-05-06 |title=Speakeasy: Mob Stories from St. Petersburg |url=https://greenbenchmonthly.com/st-petersburg-history/speakeasy-mob-stories-from-st-petersburg/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Green Bench Monthly |language=en-US}}</ref> The couple moved out of the building after it was machine-gunned by men in black cars.<ref name=":0" />
In 1974, Farkas was indicted by the U.S. government on multiple charges including extortion and loans sharking.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-07-11 |title=Former Resident Is Indicted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-star-former-resident-is-indicte/148983111/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=The News-Star |pages=3 |archive-date=2024-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609034347/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-star-former-resident-is-indicte/148983111/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Farkas was described by the Los Angeles Police Department as a "major bookmaker".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-07-10 |title=12 Indicted in L.A. Crime Crackdown |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-12-indicted-in-la/148983216/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=19 |archive-date=2024-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609034605/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-12-indicted-in-la/148983216/ |url-status=live }} & {{Cite news |date=1974-07-10 |title=12 Indicted in L.A. Crime Crackdown |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-12-indicted-in-la/148983216/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=19 |archive-date=2024-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609034605/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-12-indicted-in-la/148983216/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Farkas died in Los Angeles County, California, in 2006.<ref>"United States Social Security Death Index," database, ''FamilySearch'' (<nowiki>https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGN7-HZ2</nowiki> : 12 January 2021), Sam Farkas, 13 Aug 2006; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, ''Death Master File'', database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farkas, Sam}} Category:1917 births Category:2006 deaths Category:20th-century American criminals Category:20th-century American Jews Category:Bookmakers Category:Businesspeople from Los Angeles Category:Gangsters from Los Angeles Category:Jewish American gangsters Category:Organized crime in Los Angeles
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