The Lansky Legacy: The Life and Letters of Meyer Lansky

Written by Meyer Lansky’s grandson and an award-winning investigative reporter, this definitive portrait of the legendary “Mob’s Accountant” chronicles the singular life of the business entrepreneur who built a gambling empire, perfected money laundering, established a more efficient Mafia, and changed the course of organized crime forever—featuring never-before-seen personal letters, photographs, and firsthand stories.

Meyer Lansky was more than a co-founder of the Mafia. He was a truly transformative figure, a key player who balanced criminal enterprise and legitimate business, ushering in a “Golden Age” of the Mafia that lasted half of the 20th century. His impact lives on today—in the lavish casinos of Las Vegas, the offshore banking strategies of major global industries, and the countless Hollywood films like The Godfather Part II and Bugsy, with Lansky portrayed by actors Lee Strasberg, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, and others. He remains a legend in the annals of American crime. But even now, after decades of fictionalized accounts, historical conjectures, and larger-than-life mythmaking, the question remains:

Who was the real Meyer Lansky?

In this eye-opening account—featuring personal letters, rare and exclusive photographs, and stunning new details never before revealed—the grandson of Meyer Lansky dares to answer the most intriguing questions that have fascinated the public to this day: Why and how did a serious Jewish boy from Poland get involved with mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel? What was his role in the growth and consolidation of the Mafia, and why couldn’t the Feds pin any crime on him besides illegal gambling? How many millions had Lansky amassed by the time of his death in 1983—and what happened to the money? But most shocking of all: Who really killed Bugsy Siegel, and can the truth finally be told?

Packed with surprising insights from the grandson and his family, The Lansky Legacy is a must-read for crime buffs, Mafia enthusiasts, and anyone invested in the American Dream.

Meyer Lansky II is the grandson and namesake of Meyer Lansky and the son of Capt. Paul Lansky, a West Point graduate. He spent more than three decades in gaming and hospitality and today partners with Caesars Entertainment to promote Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse and its Count Room speakeasy. He also officiates weddings at Flamingo Las Vegas, the resort his grandfather founded with Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Over the years, he has helped his grandfather’s legacy mature to legendary, keeping his story alive and accurate across national media, from The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker to AMC’s The Making of the Mob. He lives in Henderson, Nevada and Lake Tahoe with his wife, Dani, where they support veterans’ causes, libraries, and literacy. Visit him online at RealMeyerLansky.com.

S. J. Peddie is an investigative reporter at Newsday Media Group and was a finalist for the Public Service Pulitzer for a series of stories on police misconduct. She has won more than 100 awards for her work, including two New York Emmys for documentaries and the $35,000 Selden Ring Award for investigative journalism that gets results. She has been a featured speaker at national conferences, was named Long Island Journalist of the Year, served on the board of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and has taught journalism at two universities. A native of Minnesota, she is a graduate of Wellesley College. She is the author of Sonny: The Last of the Old-Time Mafia Bosses, John “Sonny” Franzese, and co-author with Meyer Lansky II of The Lansky Legacy and Bugsy and Flamingo.