The Downfall of The Purple Gang
As highlighted at the end of the prohibition page, the downfall of the Purple Gang was a gradual process that began with, increased law enforcement pressure, internal power struggles, and the end of prohibition.
One of the key factors that led to the downfall of the Purple Gang was the increased attention from law enforcement agencies. The gang's tactics including their tendency to use violence to maintain their control drew the attention of federal authorities, who launched an effort to take down the gang. This pressure resulted in the arrest and prosecution of several key members of the gang, weakening their hold. Combined with this attention from law enforcement was attention from the public. The Purple Gang became a fixation of the local media, often the Gang's power and violence would be overblown as a way to drum up business. This Detroit News article provides excerpts from a trial with alleged connections to the Purple gang.
"A, Well, he was one of the characters around the city. He himself confided, before going over to see these people, that he was a member of the gang who kidnaped Kogan, and he was tried here as a part of the so-called Purple Gang.
Q. You had information that he Was actually connected with the Purple Gang?
A. Well, that depends on who the Purple Gang consists of. It seems that everybody arrested nowadays is a member of the Purple Gang, I don't know."1
This is a combined example of media influence and public opinion. The Detroit News gave this trial massive coverage even though there was a weak link between The Purple Gang and the killings. Well, the witness mentions that it seems like "Everybody arrested nowadays is a member of the Purple Gang." a common belief of the Detroit population.
Another factor that contributed to the gang's downfall was internal power struggles. As the gang grew in size and power, disagreements and rivalries developed between different factions within the organization. This infighting weakened the gang's ability to operate effectively and led to a loss of trust among its members. This dismantling is supported by the Detroit Historical Society. "Nonetheless, the Purple Gang began to dissolve in the early 1930s through inter-gang strife and warfare. In September 1931, the Purple Gang murdered three of its own members who were double-crossing the Gang. The three men, Herman (Hymie) Paul, Isadore (Joe) Sutker, and Joe Lebowitz, were invited to a peace negotiation at the Collingwood Manor Apartment building in Detroit. When they arrived, they were shot. Sol Levine, the man who unwittingly transported the three men to their deaths, was later caught by Detroit Police and pressured into testifying against the Gang. As a result, three of the four men involved with the murders, including Ray Burnstein, were convicted of third-degree murder and sent to jail for life."2
Lastly, the end of prohibition took away the gang's main source of income. This loss of income led to internal fighting and the gang wasn't the same after. The power gap left by the downfall of the gang led to a time of violence and instability in Detroit's underground. This gained Detroit an even bigger reputation as a violent and dangerous city.
Primary
1Detroit News (Detroit, Michigan), February 12, 1930: 14. Readex: America's Historical Newspapers. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/apps/readex/doc?p=EANX&docref=image/v2%3A143B808DB2B45FAC%40EANX-1648EBACA3B135A1%402426020-1648BA7D37FAA6D2%4013
Secondary
2“Encyclopedia of Detroit.” Detroit Historical Society - Where the past is present. Accessed April 15, 2023. https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/purple-gang