JULIEN'S AUCTIONS IS PROUD TO PRESENT "GANGSTERS, COWBOYS, POLITICIANS AND ASTRONAUTS"   AN AUCTION TAKING PLACE IN BEVERLY HILLS AND LIVE ONLINE AT JULIEN'S LIVE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH 2022

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Julien’s Auctions is proud to present Gangsters, Cowboys, Politicians and Astronauts, a rare historic collection of items owned by Jay Bloom, founder of the Las Vegas Mob Experience, from the American organized crime figures that have fascinated the public for nearly a century. This historic memorabilia event will take place on Sunday August 28th, 2022, at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills and live online julienslive.com.

The auction will feature many items that were exhibited at Jay Bloom’s Las Vegas Mob Experience at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Hundreds of personal artifacts from the most infamous gangsters and crime family members, Ben “Bugsy” Siegel, Meyer “The Little Man” Lansky, Tony “The Ant” Spilotro, Sam “MoMo” Giancana, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano to “Scarface” Al Capone, will be on offer, such as jewelry, correspondence, firearms, home movies, hand-written notebooks, and more.

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“This definitive collection reveals the innermost thoughts and feelings of some of the most notable figures in Organized Crime history,” said Jay Bloom, the owner of the collection. “Sourced directly from the surviving immediate families of these infamous individuals themselves, including spouses, children, nieces and nephews and grandchildren, as well as caregivers, these museum quality artifacts represent never before seen personal items of each infamous individual in their possession at the time of their deaths.” Bloom continued, “It’s an extraordinary, once in a lifetime, look into the psyche of some of the most secretive people in history who, behind the curtains, helped shape the course of our nation and the world. I could not think of a better partner than Julien’s to bring this collection to market.”

“From the good to the bad to the ugly, this fascinating collection of items taken out of the shadows and ripped from the headlines offers an intriguing look at America’s most infamous and colorful underworld figures of organized crime and their legacy which is still felt today,” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions. “These artifacts, almost all never before seen at auction, chronicle the rise and fall of the powerful mob era which has long passed but will never be forgotten, as the mob continues to grip our imagination and pop culture from films such as The Godfather to Goodfellas, that have been inspired by Mafia folklore and history.”

Highlights of this auction include:

• A hand-written and personal letter from Al Capone while imprisoned at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary for his son, Albert Francis ‘Sonny’ Capone.
• A group of four hand-written notebooks, dubbed “The Lansky Diaries” which tell Meyer Lansky’s story in his own words.
• A Medal of Freedom found in the personal belongings of Meyer Lansky
• Meyer Lansky’s bow tie collection.
• An original presentation monogrammed oak cane that was gifted to Lansky by Charles “Lucky” Luciano.
• Meyer Lansky’s more personal items including a 1948 hand-written love letter to his second wife, Thelma “Teddy” Schwartz.
• A vintage leather shotgun shell bag owned by Chicago Outfit boss Joseph Aiuppa, stamped on both sides “JA” with a detailed and textured stamp of a shell case on either side.
• An antique silver Japonais cigarette case that was engraved and gifted from Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel to Meyer Lansky.
• Meyer Lansky’s personally owned Haggadah.
• Meyer Lansky’s collection of vintage miniature black address books.
• Personal documents and ephemera from Meyer Lansky, Tony Spilotro and more.

In addition to the world-class organized crime collection, Julien’s will also be offering a number of historic Wild West Americana items, including firearms, uniforms, and battlefield relics from the Battle of The Little Bighorn, where General George A. Custer famously made his “Last Stand;” an 1860 Colt revolver, and an engraved presentation cane belonging to iconic Wild West showman, Buffalo Bill Cody; and various Civil War era firearms.

And to continue the theme of frontier exploration, we will also be representing a collection of space exploration items from the Mercury program through the Space Shuttle program including numerous astronaut-signed photographs, and space-flown equipment.

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This limited catalogue also provides an opportunity for a special keepsake for your collection.

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