Abe Bernstein
American mobster
About Abe Bernstein
Lived 1892 – 1968 (aged 75–76). Abe Bernstein was an American.
Abe Bernstein (c. 1892 – March 7, 1968) was a Detroit-based Jewish-American organized crime figure and leader of the infamous Prohibition-era Purple Gang.
Early life Born in New York City, Abe Bernstein and his brothers Joseph "Bill Bugs", Raymond, and Isadore Bernstein were children of Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. They moved as youths with their family to Detroit, which had a growing industrial economy based on automobile manufacturing.
In popular culture Bernstein was portrayed by Hal Alpert in the 2017 film Gangster Land.
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Important facts
People in Abe Bernstein's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Abe Bernstein's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Abe Bernstein?
American mobster
When was Abe Bernstein born?
Abe Bernstein was born in 1892 in New York City.
When did Abe Bernstein die?
Abe Bernstein died on 7 March 1968.
What nationality was Abe Bernstein?
Abe Bernstein was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Abe Bernstein. https://biography.guide/abe-bernstein/
MLA: "Abe Bernstein." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/abe-bernstein/.
Chicago: "Abe Bernstein." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/abe-bernstein/.
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