Barney Ruditsky
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Barnett "Barney" P. Ruditsky (December 25, 1898 – October 18, 1962) was a British-born American police officer and private detective. During his 20-year career on the force Ruditsky was among the NYPD's prominent "celebrity detectives" of the 1920s and 1930s. Ruditsky was associated with many criminal cases during this period, most notably, ending with the break-up of
Murder Incorporated Murder, Inc. (Murder, Incorporated) was an organized crime group active from 1929 to 1941 that acted as the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicatea closely connected criminal organization that included American Mafia, Italian-American M ...
in 1940. Years later, he was called to testify before the
Kefauver hearings Carey Estes Kefauver ( ; July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until hi ...
due to his knowledge of the criminal underworld in
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and
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. He later worked as a private investigator in California, and also served as a
technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie. Nipo T. Strongheart Nipo T. Stronghear ...
on a series of
crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
s for
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
in the mid-1940s and ''
The Lawless Years ''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, preceding '' The Untouchables'' by half a season. Premise T ...
'', a television series loosely based on his career.


Early life

Barnett P. Ruditsky was born in
London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on December 25, 1898. He was the son of Blooma (née Marin) and Phillip Ruditsky, a boot finisher. His family lived in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
for a time before returning to England. He was Jewish.Lardner, James and Thomas Reppetto. ''NYPD: A City and Its Police''. New York: Macmillan, 2001. (pg. 232-233) In 1908, the Ruditsky family emigrated to the United States and settled on the
East Side of Manhattan The East Side of Manhattan refers to the side of Manhattan which abuts the East River, and faces Brooklyn and Queens, all in New York City. Fifth Avenue, Central Park from 59th to 110th streets, and Broadway below 8th Street separate it fro ...
. At the age of 18, Ruditsky enlisted in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and saw active service during the 1916 U.S. expedition into Mexico and on the Western Front during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.Garraty, John A., and Mark C. Carnes, eds. "Barney Ruditsky". ''American National Biography: Rousseau-Simmons''. Vol. 19. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. (pg. 36-37). 24 vols.
American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Lea ...
.
Roth, Mitchel P. ''Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. (pg. 300)


Career in the NYPD

Upon his return from France, Ruditsky joined New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially becoming a
patrolman A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology The word "patrol" is derived from the French ...
in 1921. The young officer soon made a name for himself when, in August 1923, he subdued a much larger man using his nightstick and was praised by both Magistrate Henry M. R. Goodman and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' for the arrest. Ruditsky was made a
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
the following year in the gangster-industrial squad, headed by Detective
Johnny Broderick Johnny Broderick (January 16, 1896 (some sources say 1894, 1895, or 1897) – January 16, 1966) was a New York City Police Department detective who became known in the 1920s and 1930s as one of the city's toughest officers, patrolling the Br ...
. The two men would eventually become one of the Broadway Squad's leading detectives during
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. On the night of February 21, 1926, he and his wife Mollie stopped the robbery of a confectionery store near their home on
Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...
in Brooklyn. The two were returning from celebrating their wedding anniversary at a theatre and supper club when they noticed the hold-up taking place. Ruditsky managed to overpower one of the robbers, took his gun, and handed it to his wife while he chased down the second robber. Mollie held the first robber at bay while Ruditsky apprehended his accomplice a block and a half away. He then took both men to the nearby Brownsville Police Station. Six months after this incident Ruditsky was promoted to second-grade detective. In 1928, Ruditsky and fellow detective Harry Hagen disguised themselves as customers in a Turkish bathhouse on Second Street, a known underworld hangout, where they successfully captured the notorious "Poison Ivy" gang. Similarly, he arrested members of the "Pearl Buttons" of West Side Manhattan. It was these cases which first gained Ruditsky fame as a detective. By the end of the decade Ruditsky and other detectives had earned a sort of celebrity status as "tough-fisted cops", described by ''The New York Times'' as "slight of build, but utterly fearless, who, together or separately, battled and beat many an oversized gangster". The exploits of the Ruditsky, Broderick and other detectives were frequently featured in crime magazines and newspapers as they took on such underworld figures as Jack "Legs" Diamond and
Dutch Schultz Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. He made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the n ...
. Ruditsky himself personally arrested
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (; February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel was influential within the Jewish Mob, along with his childhood friend and fel ...
and Abe "Kid Twist" Reles at various points in his career and investigated
Louis Buchalter Louis Buchalter, known as Louis Lepke or Lepke Buchalter, (February 6, 1897March 4, 1944) was a Jewish-American organized crime figure and head of the Mafia hit squad Murder, Inc., during the 1930s. Buchalter was one of the premier labor union ...
's infamous "
Murder, Inc. Murder, Inc. (Murder, Incorporated) was an organized crime group active from 1929 to 1941 that acted as the enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicatea closely connected criminal organization that included Italian-American Mafia, the Jewish ...
" during the 1930s. Years later, Ruditsky told Senator
Estes Kefauver Carey Estes Kefauver ( ; July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until h ...
at the hearings on organized crime that he had been "threatened a thousand times ... but I got around them pretty good; nobody got back at me."Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce.
Part 10. Nevada-California
. ''Investigation of organized crime in interstate commerce. Hearings before a Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, United States Senate, Eighty-first Congress, second session, pursuant to S. Res. 202 (81st Congress) and S. Res. 129 (82d Congress)''. Washington, DC:
US Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office produces and distributes informatio ...
, 1950.
Ruditsky was among the 300-man police squad called into action when 2,000 Communist protesters threatened
New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...
on January 30, 1931. It was the largest force ever assembled to protect City Hall. When the protesters began attack the police, several officers were isolated by the mob and beaten, Ruditsky being among them until he was saved by a fellow officer. In November 1935, Ruditsky was involved in the pursuit of three hold-up men who had robbed nightclub entertainer
Frances Faye Frances Faye (November 4, 1912 – November 8, 1991) was an American cabaret and show tune singer and pianist. Born to a working-class Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City, she was a second cousin of Danny Kaye. Career Born as Frances Cohe ...
and her escort Joseph Eichenbaum. The high speed chase began after he commandeered a car and, with detective Thomas Aulbach, followed them until the would-be thieves crashed their car into an elevated pillar at Ninth Avenue and 63rd Street. He chased one of the men on foot and captured him following a shootout. He was presented with the NYPD Combat Cross, the NYPD's second-highest honor, for his actions. Ruditsky was also assigned to
crowd control Crowd control is a public security practice in which large crowds are managed in order to prevent the outbreak of crowd crushes, affray, fights involving drunk and disorderly people or riots. Crowd crushes in particular can cause many hundre ...
for the police guarding child star
Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...
during her 1938 visit to New York City; the two met again in Hollywood ten years later, when Ruditsky offered to take the young woman along for the police raid that saw actor
Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...
arrested in a "marijuana bust". Temple was tempted but declined the offer.Tereba, Tere. ''Mickey Cohen: The Life and Crimes of L.A.'s Notorious Mobster''. Toronto: ECW Press, 2012. One celebrity with whom he enjoyed a close friendship was musician and big band leader
Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Nagasaki", "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "South ...
. In his autobiography, ''Those Swinging Years'' (1992), Barnet described a road trip with Ruditsky: In 1939, Ruditsky was enmeshed in a bribery scandal stemming from his earlier work in the Industrial Squad, which disbanded in 1933. A former Communist, Maurice L. Malkin, accused Ruditsky, Broderick and other officers of corruption in testimony before the
House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 19 ...
. Malkin testified that the furriers union, which was controlled by Communists, borrowed $1.75 million from racketeer
Arnold Rothstein Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish Mob in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have orga ...
to finance a 1926 strike, and that $110,000 of that went to members of the Industrial Squad, including Ruditsky. No action was taken against the officers. Similar charges had been made in 1927 by the
American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...
, and the officers were exonerated.


Private Eye in Hollywood

On October 19, 1941, after twenty years with the NYPD, Ruditsky retired from the force. Shortly after the US entered the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
less than two months later, he reenlisted in the United States Army. He was sent to the North African theatre and served as a guard for
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
until being wounded by shrapnel in 1943. While in the military, Ruditsky completed his memoirs, largely about his career in the NYPD, entitled ''Angel's Corner''. At the end of the war, Ruditsky moved out to Los Angeles, where he opened a private detective firm and a small liquor store and became co-owner of a
Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...
nightclub called Sherry's. He was also employed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
as a
technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie. Nipo T. Strongheart Nipo T. Stronghear ...
(and occasional actor) on a series of
crime films Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but al ...
during the mid-1940s; these included "
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
s" such as
Otto Brower Otto Brower (December 2, 1890 – January 25, 1946) was an American film director. He directed more than 40 films between 1928 and 1946. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and died in Hollywood, California, from a myocardial infarction, ...
's ''
Margin for Error ''Margin for Error'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Lillie Hayward and Samuel Fuller is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Clare Boothe Luce. Plot When police officer Moe Finkelstein (Mi ...
'' (1943) and ''
Behind Green Lights ''Behind Green Lights'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Otto Brower and starring Carole Landis, William Gargan and Mary Anderson (actress, born 1918), Mary Anderson.Tsika p.113 It was produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox. ...
'' (1946), and
Edwin L. Marin Edwin L. Marin (February 21, 1899 – May 2, 1951) was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Randolph Scott, Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, Eddie ...
's ''
Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
'' (1946); Ruditsky also spearheaded a Hollywood-based organization to "take the kids off the streets" in an effort to discourage
juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior younger than the statutory age of majority. These acts would be considered crimes if the individuals committing them were older. The term ...
.Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Bureau of Prisons, and the United States Probation System. "To Curb Delinquency". ''Federal Probation Newsletter''. Washington, DC: Administrative Office of the United States Courts, 1946. (pg. 56) His business ventures brought him into contact with figures in the entertainment industry, law enforcement, and organized crime.


Association with gangland figures

Despite his reputation in the NYPD, Ruditsky had a poor relationship with the
Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
. The LAPD claimed that his detective agency, the Associated Security Council, collected on bad gambling debts owed to various Las Vegas casinos such as The El Rancho and the Nevada Biltmore; among his clients was one-time nemesis Bugsy Siegel, who now owned the
Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...
and allegedly discussed the underworld financing of the casino with Ruditsky. When Siegel was murdered in 1947, Ruditsky offered his theories to Los Angeles detectives regarding the gangland slaying; a state report by the "Special Crime Study Commission on Organized Crime" stated that Ruditsky was at the crime scene even before police arrived. The details of this meeting were subsequently leaked to
syndicated columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the form of a short essa ...
Westbrook Pegler Francis James Westbrook Pegler (August 2, 1894 – June 24, 1969) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. journalist described as "one of the godfathers of right-wing populism". He was a newspaper columnist popular in the 1930s and 1940s for his opposit ...
, who exposed Ruditsky's relationship with Siegel, and his image as "a squeaky clean New York cop" was called into question. Ruditsky's nightclub, according to the LAPD, was also a popular hangout for local underworld figures.Hodel, Steve. ''Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder''. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. (pg. 335) On at least one occasion he contacted New York mobster
Frank Costello Frank Costello (; born Francesco Castiglia ; January 26, 1891 – February 18, 1973) was an Italian-American crime boss of the Luciano crime family. Born in Italy, he moved with his family to the United States as a child. As a youth he joined N ...
, known as "Prime Minister of the Underworld", to assist him in getting a certain type of liquor for his club. Ruditsky routinely checked the street and parking lot for the safety of patrons. In July 1949,
Mickey Cohen Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster based in Los Angeles and boss of the Cohen crime family during the mid-20th century. Early life Mickey Cohen was born on September 4, 1913, in New York ...
, a regular at Sherry's, was attacked outside the club and shot in the shoulder in an attempted mob hit. In the aftermath of the attack Ruditsky assisted crime reporter
Florabel Muir Florabel Muir (May 6, 1889 – April 27, 1970) was an American reporter, newspaper columnist and author. She became known for covering both Hollywood celebrities and underworld gangsters from the 1920s through the 1960s. Career Muir was b ...
in searching the area, where they discovered "spent shells and half-eaten sardine sandwiches" on a nearby flight of cement stairs. The next year, Ruditsky was called to testify before the televised
Kefauver hearings Carey Estes Kefauver ( ; July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until hi ...
to discuss his knowledge of organized crime. He specifically shared details about Mickey Cohen and Bugsy Siegel, and described the erratic behavior of
Virginia Hill Virginia Hill (born Onie Virginia Hill; August 26, 1916 – March 24, 1966) was an American organized crime figure. An Alabama native, she became a Chicago Outfit courier during the mid-1930s. She was famous for being the girlfriend of mobster B ...
, calling her "psychopathic"; however, he distanced himself from suggestions that he had "improper ties" with the local underworld.


Marilyn Monroe and the Wrong Door Raid

Though it enjoyed the status of being "Hollywood's most popular detective agency", Ruditsky's firm continued to be linked to questionable activities. In 1954, baseball player
Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...
, then in the midst of divorce proceedings with film star
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
, hired Ruditsky to discover whether she was having an
extramarital affair An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical or solely em ...
.Gregory, Adela and Milo Speriglio. ''Crypt 33: The Saga of Marilyn Monroe''. New York: Citadel Press, 2012. On the evening of November 5, 1954, one of Ruditsky's associates, 21-year-old Phil Irwin, observed Monroe's
Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...
parked at Kilkea Drive and Waring Avenue. Monroe was visiting a friend, actress Sheila Stewart; however, DiMaggio suspected at the time that Monroe was having an affair with her
vocal coach A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (though this term often applies to those working with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano accompanist, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often al ...
Hal Schaefer and that Stewart, one of Schaefer's students, was letting the two use her apartment. Irwin reported to Ruditsky, who phoned DiMaggio, who was dining with
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
at an Italian restaurant in Hollywood, the Villa Capri. DiMaggio and Sinatra, along with Sinatra's manager Henry Sanicola and Villa Capri owner Pasquale "Patsy" D'Amore, arrived at the address less than an hour later, where they met with Ruditsky and Irwin. Together, the group entered the two-story apartment building, broke down the door of one of the three rooms, and rushed into the bedroom with a cameraman expecting to catch the couple in bed. Instead, the lights from the flash camera revealed the frightened occupant, 37-year-old secretary Florence Kotz Ross.Badman, Keith. ''Marilyn Monroe: The Final Years''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2010. (pg. 228) Realizing their mistake, they quickly fled from the building.Shaw, Arnold. ''Sinatra: Twentieth-Century Romantic''. New York: Pocket Books, 1969. (pg. 224-225) Scaduto, Anthony. ''Frank Sinatra''. London: Sphere Books, 1977. (pg. 115) The police were called; however, because Kotz Ross was unable to identify the intruders, the case, then thought to be an attempted burglary, remained unsolved and was finally closed by the LAPD almost a year later.Cramer, Richard Ben. ''Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life''. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. (pg. 372-373) Scott, Henry E. ''Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of Confidential, "America's Most Scandalous Scandal Magazine"''. New York: Pantheon Books, 2010. (pg. 137-140) The entire incident came out in the September 1955 issue of ''
Confidential Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise sometimes executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access to or places restrictions on the distribution of certain types of information. Legal confidentiality By law, law ...
'', which called it the "Wrong Door Raid"; it became a legendary story in Hollywood gossip and caused embarrassment for all parties involved. After the story broke, Kotz Ross sued DiMaggio and Sinatra for $200,000; they settled out of court. Two years later, the incident was revisited by a state legislative committee as part of its investigation of the "Hollywood gutter press". Shortly thereafter,
California Attorney General The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the government of California. The officer must ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (Constitution of California, Article V, Section 13). The ...
Pat Brown Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown (April 21, 1905 – February 16, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of California from 1959 to 1967. His first elected office was as district attorney for San Francisco, and he ...
brought a criminal libel suit against ''Confidential''. Ruditsky, who was then suffering from heart problems and whose second wife, Reggie, had recently died, was excused from testifying before the investigative committee. The negative publicity created by the "Wrong Door Raid", and the discovery that his detective firm did not have a state license, seriously harmed his reputation. Ruditsky subsequently retired as a P.I., later commenting: " ivate detective work is a dirty, filthy, rotten business".


Later years and death

Though his detective career had ended in scandal, Ruditsky managed to redeem himself though his literary efforts by the late 1950s. After a decade of negotiations, an agreement was made with the
National Broadcasting Company (NBC) The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast Television broadcaster, television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a su ...
to create a television series based on his unpublished memoirs. In 1959, ''
The Lawless Years ''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, preceding '' The Untouchables'' by half a season. Premise T ...
'', a half-hour weekly series based on Ruditsky's ''Angel's Corner'', debuted on NBC with Ruditsky being portrayed by James Gregory. Ruditsky himself served as technical adviser on the series, which was widely praised for its attention to detail. He was also a part-time casting director and contacted old criminal associates to portray criminals in the series. His only condition for working on the series was that his stories be kept as accurate and realistic as possible. Although the producers did not show the more graphic details from ''Angel's Corner'', such as the use of
ice pick An ice pick is a pointed metal tool used to break, pick or chip at ice. The design consists of a sharp metal spike attached to a handle. Though traditionally made out of wood, modern variants may have a plastic or rubber handle to improve safet ...
s and hot pokers, the events seen on each episode were generally a faithful depiction of Prohibition-era gangland violence. ''The Lawless Years'' ran during the summer television season for three years before being canceled in 1961. The show was the first of its kind and inspired the creation of its ABC network rival, the long-running series ''
The Untouchables Untouchable or Untouchables may refer to: People * Untouchability, the practice of socially ostracizing a minority group of very low social status * Untouchables, word for the Dalits or Scheduled Castes of India * Untouchables (law enforcement), ...
'', based on
Eliot Ness Eliot Ness (April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957) was an American Bureau of Prohibition, Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone while enforcing Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition in Chicago. He was leader of a team ...
's exploits against
Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...
and the Chicago underworld. Ruditsky died in Los Angeles from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
on October 19, 1962, only nine days after being admitted to
Cedars of Lebanon Hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital has a staff of over 2,00 ...
for surgery to remove a tumor from his colon. He was survived by a son, Martin Phillips of Los Angeles. He was buried at
Hillside Memorial Park The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States. Many Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried there. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles ...
.


In popular fiction

Barney Ruditsky, a popular police detective in his lifetime, has been portrayed in television, books and comics. ;Books *Ruditsky is a major character in William Heffernan's fictionalized biography ''Broderick'' (1983) *Ruditsky is a minor character in
Denise Hamilton Denise Hamilton is an American crime novelist, journalist and editor of the Edgar award-winning anthologies ''Los Angeles Noir'' and ''Los Angeles Noir 2: The Classics''. Hamilton's five Eve Diamond crime novels have been short-listed for many awa ...
's
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...
''The Last Embrace'' (2008) *Ruditsky is a minor character in Adam Braver's fictionalized biography ''Misfit'' (2012) *Fictional detective Fred Rubinski, a major character in Max Allen Collins'
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
"Unreasonable Doubt", is based on Barney Ruditsky. ;Comic books; *Ruditsky appears as himself in the first issue of ''
Mystery Men Comics ''Mystery Men Comics'' was an anthology American comic book series from the Golden Age of Comic Books published by Fox Feature Syndicate. The series was Fox's second title after the '' Wonderworld Comics'' series being first published in August 193 ...
'' (August 1939). ;Television *Ruditsky is portrayed by actor James Gregory in the 1950s television series ''
The Lawless Years ''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, preceding '' The Untouchables'' by half a season. Premise T ...
'' *
Danny Arnold Danny Arnold (born Arnold Rothmann; January 23, 1925 – August 19, 1995) was an American producer, writer, comedian, actor and director known for producing '' Barney Miller'', '' That Girl'', and '' Bewitched''. Early life Born in New York C ...
, creator of the 1970s television series ''
Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Janu ...
'', named the show in honor of his old friend by using his longtime nickname "Barney".Bedell, Sally. ''Up The Tube: Prime-Time TV and the Silverman Years''. New York: Viking Press, 1981. (pg. 117)


Bibliography

*''Angel's Corner'' (unpublished memoirs, later used as the basis of ''
The Lawless Years ''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, preceding '' The Untouchables'' by half a season. Premise T ...
'')


Filmography


Film


Television


References


Further reading

*Astor, Gerald. ''The New York Cops: An Informal History''. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1971. . *Dash, Samuel, Richard F. Schwartz, and Robert E. Knowlton. ''The Eavesdroppers''. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1959; repr. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971. . *Messick, Hank. ''The Beauties and the Beasts: The Mob in Show Business''. New York: David McKay, 1973. .


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruditsky, Barney 1898 births 1962 deaths Military personnel from London Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Writers from Manhattan Law enforcement officials from Los Angeles 20th-century American memoirists American people of British-Jewish descent British Jews British emigrants to the United States New York City Police Department officers United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II Private investigators Writers from Los Angeles United States Army soldiers