Clarke Speaker Series - Ruthless Ingenuity: Detroit's Purple Gang

Cumming 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.

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