Prohibition-Era Mobster's Hidden Treasure Search Continues

Arthur Simon Flegenheimer grew up in New York City. Later, he adopted the name “Dutch Schultz” for its comparative brevity.Its comparative brevity.. Thesurname, Schultz,Schultz may have come from one of the many companies he worked for during his early life.Another telling says,this name came as a tribute to another “strong-arm notorious for dirty fighting tactics.”

Schultz's youth involved life with his single mother, Emma, after his father died or left around 1910.Schultz was eight or nine years old then. He dropped out of school a few years later.By 1919, Schultz held several jobs to support him and his mother (and maybe a sister named Helen), including work at Schultz Trucking.named HelenSchultz Trucking.

Schultz began dabbling in crime during this time. He was caught in a burglary in the late 1910s, escaped, got caught again, and was finally released in 1920. After being free, Schultz worked as a bouncer at the Hub Social Club. Joseph Noe, a local mobster, owned the club, and Schultz formed a gang with him, the Noe-Schultz gang. They started bootlegging when Prohibition began.

The Noe-Schultz gang eliminated bootlegger rivals, removing Joe Rock, a prominent member, by kidnapping him andallegedly wrapping his eyesin a bandage with gonorrhea-infected excretions on it. They fought a territorial dispute with the Irish mob,led by Jack “Legs” Diamondan employee offamed gambler Arnold Rothstein, whom Schultz hadgunned down in 1930.Diamond survived, but he was shot todeath the next year.

Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll worked with Schultz for a time, but they separated by 1931. Coll, known for being trigger-happy, angered many leaders in the criminal underworld and carried a $50,000 bounty. In 1932,Coll was shot and killed, possibly by Schultz, but his enemies list included others. One of the shooters believed was George Weinberg,was George Weinbergassociate of Schultz.associate of Schultz.

Joseph Noe waskilled in 1928,leaving Schultz to lead the illegal activities alone. Schultz met many big names in the New York mob before and after Noe's death. Rothstein, killed in 1928, might have beena mentor to Schultz., but he was likely one of the men who showed Schultz little respect. Meyer Lansky and Charles “Lucky” Luciano, two of New York's most powerful men, viewed Schultz as lesser. Luciano said Schultz “had a couple of million bucks and he dressed like a pig”and criticized him because,

he worried about spending two cents on a newspaper. Buying papers allowed him to read about himself.

One more figure in New York still existed.A figure in New Yorkwho noticed Schultz was Thomas E. Dewey, Special State Prosecutor from the US Attorney's Office.

Prohibition ended in 1933. By then, Dutch Schultz added gambling to his illegal business. Schultz earned much money from bootlegging, and he continued this when he moved into policy rackets.Schultz expanded his criminal activities and faced indictment for tax evasion in policy rackets.These rackets involved numbers games like the lottery, letting gamblers "insure" their picks.

Schultz took charge of policy rackets in Harlem. He hired gambler Otto Berman to help rig the games. Berman, known as "Abbadabba" for his number magic, helped them skim millions a year.This activity brought in millions a year.Schultz started working with labor unions to extort cash from restaurants.

As Schultz made more money, his wild behavior worried his peers more. Schultz’s temper, his violence, and his ability to kill anyone were noticed by Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano, among others.Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano noted Schultz’s ability to kill anyone "just as casually as if he were picking his teeth."Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano noted Schultz’s ability to kill anyone "just as casually as if he were picking his teeth."

Lack of paying taxes temporarily removed Schultz from the scene. Schultz became Special State Prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey's first target. In 1933, Dewey filed a tax evasion case against Schultz with a grand jury in New York. After Schultz was indicted,Schultz fled.Schultz only surrendered if the trial moved out of New York City. Schultz faced trial in Syracuse, NY, but the jury was deadlocked. A second trial in Malone, NY, ended with an acquittal in 1935.He received an acquittal in 1935.

After winning his tax evasion case, Dutch Schultz returned to his restaurant and policy rackets. Abe "Bo" Weinberg oversaw these rackets then. Weinberg likely worked with Lucky Luciano, who told him what would happen when Schultz returned:

That loudmouth is never coming back.

Schultz returned, and Weinberg vanished shortly after. Schultz then moved to New Jersey and began running his rackets from there.

While regaining control, Schultz focused on revenge. Schultz wanted to remove Thomas E. Dewey, who pursued further charges against him for racketeering or murder.Schultz was involved in racketeering.This involved murder.Schultz wanted murder.Schultz went to the Mafia Commission syndicate that controlled the Five Families.

This ultimately backfired becauseSchultz kill Dewey.Lucky Luciano said, "it will bring down the heat on all of us." Instead of agreeing to helpOne man seemed receptive: Albert Anastasia. Anastasia was a notorious hitman, and Schultz wanted to eliminate Dewey for him. Instead, Anastasia changed his mind, leaving Schultz alone. As he left the Commission meeting, Schultz allegedly did something.the Commission decided to eliminate Schultz permanently.

When Dutch Schultz proposed killing Thomas E. Dewey to the Commission,one man seemed receptive: Albert Anastasia. Anastasia was a known hitman, and Schultz had wanted him to eliminate Dewey. Instead, Anastasia changed his mind, leaving Schultz alone. As he left the Commission meeting, Schultz reportedly cried outAlbert Anastasia seemed receptive. Anastasia was a notorious hitman, and Schultz wanted to eliminate Dewey for him. Anastasia reversed course, leaving Schultz alone. Schultz was shot because he became too much of a liability for the Mafia.,I still say he oughta be hit. And if nobody else is gonna do it, I'm gonna hit him myself.

I still say he ought to be hit. If nobody else will do it, I will hit him myself.

On October 23, 1935, Schultz ate dinner with Otto “Abbadabba” Berman and two of his enforcers, Abe Landau and Lulu Rosenkrantz, at thePalace Chophouse and TavernSchultz was shot because he became a liability for the Mafia in Newark, NJ.The incident occurred in Newark, NJ and the building was torn down in 2008.Schultz discussed his plan to kill Dewey while Emmanuel “Mendy” Weiss entered.Charles “The Bug” Workman was involved.A man named “Piggy” entered the restaurant.

Berman, Landau, and Rosenkrantz were at the table.All three men were at the table.Gunmen fired, shooting each man. Landau fired back, briefly chasing the hitmen. Schultz was in the restroom, where he might have been shot in the abdomen before staggering back to the table. Berman, Landau, and Rosencranz all died that night.Schultz did not survive.He was hospitalized and lived for 22 more hours.

Dutch Schultz was reportedly shot with rusty bullets, something Charles “The Bug” Workman intentionally did. Even if the first bullet did not kill Schultz, blood poisoning worsened.Blood poisoning worsened.The risk with them increased.

While hospitalized, Schultz received many blood transfusions, but it did not help. Schultz was dying; in his final hours, he spoke nonsense. Authorities recorded his words, which included cries for “mama” and “papa,” and mentions of business partners and associates. He sang a popular radio advertisement for dog food.He talked about his past activities, criminal cases against him, and did not recognize a woman believed to be his wife, Frances, when asked.Schultz was incoherent, sometimes regaining his wits enough to talk to the police about the shooter. Schultz never clearly identified anyone.Schultz never clearly identified anyone.However, he did not clearly identify anyone.

Schultz's extra comments referenced where his money was and how much he had, or hid:

I am sore and going to give you honey, if I can. Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast… Over a million, five million dollars… My fortunes have changed and come back and went since that [he referred to an earlier dispute]… I know what I'm doing here with my collection of papers. It isn't worth a nickel to two guys like you or me, but to a collector it is worth a fortune. It is priceless…

At his death, Schultz was estimated to have had $7 million in cash and bonds. About $165 million as of 2026.As of 2026, the amount is $165 million.Dutch Schultz's final words formed the basis for William S. Burrough's screenplay.

Dutch Schultz's final words form the basis for William S.Burrough wrote the screenplay. The Last Words of Dutch Schultz.People continue to search for Dutch Schultz's treasure.People continue to search for Dutch Schultz's treasure.People continue to search for Dutch Schultz's treasure.

The mystery of Schultz's money grew from comments made by his attorney, J. Richard Davis.J. Richard Davis said Schultz had a “specially made steel box three feet long and two feet wide” for his money and valuables. No one has found this box, but rumors suggest he buried it upstate before he died. People continue toDavis said Schultz had a steel box, three feet long and two feet wide, for his money and valuables. No one found this box, but rumors say he buried it upstate before he died. People still search for it.Search the Catskill Mountains.People look for it.

John Conway wrote.Dutch Schultz and his Lost Catskills' Treasure.In 2021, the police recorded everything Dutch Schultz said. They wrote down that a treasure exists and where it is located in Phoenicia, New York. Shultz mentioned "Satan," which suggests the treasure was buried near Devil's Tombstone and Devil's Face, two geological features near the small town.

Gary Bennett of Holyoke, MA, has sought Schultz's treasure for years without success. He looked near the Ulster & Delaware Railroad tracks in the area. Others suggest the treasure lies near Lake George or Yonkers.

No suspects shot Schultz's life, but Charles “Bug” Workman was later arrested. Two Murder Inc. members told police he boasted about the shooting. A deal led to Workman getting life in prison. He served 23 years before release in 1964.Workman spent 23 years in prison.