Whitey Krakow

Who was Whitey Krakow?

Whitey Krakow or Krakower was a New York mobster who, during the 1930s, served as a hitman for Murder, Inc. His sister, Esta, was married to fellow Murder, Inc. member Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.

Whitey was suspected in the 1939 gangland slaying of Harry "Big Greenie" Greenberg with Frankie Carbo and brother-in-law Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. Implicated by fellow Murder, Inc. members Abe "Kid Twist" Reles and Allie "Tick Tock" Tannenbaum, he was one of the first members of Murder, Inc. to be killed when he was found shot to death on Manhattan's Delancey Street on July 30, 1941. In the months around his death, Benjamin Tannenbaum, Sidney "Shimmy" Salles, Tony Romanello and most likely James "Dizzy" Ferraco were all murdered before members began turning themselves in to authorities.