Rockaway even interviewed his own mother, who, a native of Detroit, Michigan, knew some friends and family members of the nefarious subjects of his research.
Once, while talking to his mother about the reprehensible conduct of a particular mobster, his mother stopped him short in his tracks: “All that you say may be fine and good, no one said the guy was a saint. Between you and me, he was known to have made a few people disappear… But you shouldn’t rush to judgment. Don’t forget that he was always kind to his mother! Does that count for nothing? Trust me; the man was a real Mentch!”
The Weekly Sedra – Re’eh – A Vote Against “Change”
When Robert A. Rockaway, a recognized authority on Jewish-American history, decided to chronicle the story of the Jewish mob, he sought out Jewish old-timers, their family and friends, in order to gather information on this less than reputable element.
Rockaway even interviewed his own mother, who, a native of Detroit, Michigan, knew some friends and family members of the nefarious subjects of his research.
Once, while talking to his mother about the reprehensible conduct of a particular mobster, his mother stopped him short in his tracks: “All that you say may be fine and good, no one said the guy was a saint. Between you and me, he was known to have made a few people disappear… But you shouldn’t rush to judgment. Don’t forget that he was always kind to his mother! Does that count for nothing? Trust me; the man was a real Mentch!”
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