Back to All Events

Ruthless Ingenuity: Detroit's Purple Gang (Cummings Endowed Lecture)

  • Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium, Park Library 250 East Preston Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859 United States (map)

Cummings Endowed Lecture

Dr. Catherine Cangany, Jewish Historical Society of Michigan

Jewish mobsters ran Detroit during Prohibition (1920-1933).  Known for shocking violence and vicious turf wars, the untouchable Purples were also emblematic of the Detroit neighborhood they called home: scrappy, resourceful, innovative, and proudly Jewish.  And yet, the Purples remained sharply at odds with local Jewish communities, which endured shame and retaliatory antisemitism for the Purples’ actions in Detroit and mid-Michigan. 

Sponsored by the Clarke Historical Library. A reception in the Clarke Library will follow this event.

CMU Events Link