The Mob Museum's Newest Exhibit 'National Syndicate'

The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces its newest exhibit, "National Syndicate," is now open to the public. Featuring the stories of pivotal law enforcement and Mob figures as well as rare artifacts, "National Syndicate" explores the rise and national expansion of organized crime in the United States following Prohibition.

The exhibit spotlights the rise of New York's Five Families and their strategic collaborations with Jewish mobsters. Underworld kingpins, including Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, are prominently featured, tracing their roles in transforming local rackets into a national enterprise. It also highlights the emergence of organized crime in Harlem's Black community, led by influential figure Stephanie St. Clair and her enforcer, the future "Godfather of Harlem" Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson.

Among the rare artifacts on display are the pistols once owned by two Detroit law enforcement figures"Detective William DeLisle and Officer Ben Turpin. Contemporaries, DeLisle and Turpin's interactions with Detroit's notorious Purple Gang exemplify how law enforcement agencies across the country evolved in response to organized crime's growing threat.

A striking centerpiece of the exhibit is a 1967 Life Magazine illustration mapping the syndicate's structure, accompanied by a video featuring insights from renowned Mob historian and Museum Advisory Council Member T.J. English. 

"This exhibit brings into sharp focus the period toward the end of Prohibition when crime organizations reorganized and expanded their criminal enterprise beyond bootlegging in their local regions," said Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs, The Mob Museum. "The 'National Syndicate' reveals how mobsters collaborated across cities and ethnic lines to build a vast criminal network. It's a story of ambition, strategy and influence that's told through rare artifacts."

This exhibit was created with the generous support of Steven A. DeLisle and the DeLisle Family Trust.

Located on the Museum's third floor in the Tentacles Spread gallery, "National Syndicate" is included with regular Museum admission. The Mob Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.