Peake - Stiles - Person Sheet
Peake - Stiles - Person Sheet
NameVera Marie WEST
BirthNov 12, 1896, Brooklyn, Kings Co., NY70
DeathSep 6, 1941, Rao’s Bar, East Harlem, New York, NY71
BurialSep 1941, Woodstock Cemetery, Ulster Co, NY
OccupationNone
ReligionNone
FatherCharles Elijah WEST (1867-1953)
MotherEleanor Marie (Ella) SHORT (1874-1965)
Misc. Notes
Lived in Brooklyn, NY with family in 1910 census.

She and her siblings all had red hair.

Mrs. Vera Rubin of 124 W. 47th St., sister-in-law of labor racketeer Max Rubin who testified against Louis (Lepke) Buchalter at his trial in February, 1940, was killed while standing at the bar of a bar and grill owned by brothers of Joey Rao, notorious Harlem gangster on parole. She was shot three times near the heart. Her companion, Anna (Trixie) DeLong, escaped injury when she was hurled to the floor by a man seated next to her. While the police officially say the shooting was a foiled attempt to hold up the bar, it was admitted unofficially that gang vengeance probably was the true explanation.

According to police, Detective Elmer Mason was seated with friends in a booth when five thugs walked into the place and announced, This is a holdup.” At the bar were Vera Rubin, Trixie DeLong, several customers, and two plainclothes patrolmen. A moment later pistols were blazing. Mason had his gun shot from his hand, one of the thugs was hit, and Vera Rubin was dead. The bandits fled and escaped when they jumped into a getaway car two blocks away. The revolver, believed to be the one used to kill Vera Rubin, was turned over to police after a citizen found it on a Bronx street.

Witnesses said Joey Rao was at the bar, but the police and his two brothers denied he was there. Police refused to discuss whether Vera Rubin or Trixie DeLong, said to be friends of Joey Rao, or even the gangster himself, had been the intended target of the gunmen. Rao, who was an inmate of the Welfare Island Penitentiary and ruled it with an iron hand some years ago, selling favors to less powerful convicts, was the target of Vincent (Mad Dog) Coll a few years past. Rao was a right hand man of gangster Dutch.

Another motive could be a revenge killing against Max Rubin, Vera’s brother-in-law, who had testified against Jacob (Lepke) Buchalter, the racketeer chief who was put to death for a Brooklyn murder. Max had been shot in the head by Buchalter’s gang, but survived and to testify against him.

In 1946, Benedetto Romeo, 29 years old, a convict known as “Big Six” was found guilty of first-degree murder of Vera Rubin. The jury recommended mercy, and Judge George L. Donnellan sentenced him to life in prison instead of the death penalty. Two of Romeo’s confederates, John Gramando and Samuel Cafisco, who were also indicted along with one other man, testified for the state in the trial. The judge remarked that one of murderers who testified wept on the witness stand relating the injury of his wounded companion, but gave not the slightest indication of regret for the slaying of Mrs. Rubin, an innocent victim. Romeo was serving a term in prison when he was implicated in the death of Vera Rubin. An appeal for Romeo’s release was denied in 1969.71

Billy West said Vera West dated Jewish men, Gladys dated Italian men.

1940 Census: Lived at 124 W. 47th St., NY at the St. Francis Hotel, run by Benny Rubin. No occupation listed. She states that she had only been married once, age at first marriage was 21, and that she never had children.

Death Certificate info: Vera W. Ruben, age 42, died Sep 6 1941, Cert # 18203, Manhattan, Soundex R150

“I could not find the headstone for Charles or Ella  - it is my recollection that they are buried in the Short plot.   Vera, Gladys and Charles are buried in the same plot with the same headstone.” -Billy West, 2014
Spouses
BirthMay 23, 1887, Munkacs, Bereg Megye, Austria-Hungary35,36
DeathApr 1964, Queens, NY
BurialApr 17, 1964, Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
OccupationMerchant, Importer of Fine Infants Wear From Phillipines 1930
EducationBoy’s High School; Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, NY 1907, Civil Engineer Degree 1920
ReligionJewish
MotherSaly W. (Salie) FRIED (1858-1911)
Misc. Notes
Immigrated to the US with most of family Feb 24-Mar 31, 1901, aboard the Graf Waldersee.
Family lived at 1802 Fulton Street
Sept. 11, 1907 - Entered Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn; 1911 - Graduated w/ Civil Engineer Degree

Naturalized by the Supreme Court of Kings County at Brooklyn, NY on May 8, 1911

Lived with brother David in 1915 NY Census. Listed as Civil Engineer.

Kismet Temple, AAONMS of Brooklyn, N.Y. Alex Stark #3731 January 1, 1918. At some time he became a 32 Degree Mason, Shriner

June 19th, 1946:
Certificate of Naturalization # 195140 --- Application #: 2300-4735 / 0300-5980
Male, White, Fair complexion, Blue eyes, 5’ 7”, 150 lbs. Hungarian

7/1/1915 - Lived with his brother David and wife Helen, 3407 Fulton St., NY, age 28, listed as Civil Engineer in 1915 NY Census
4/18/1940 - Lived at 8331 Penelope Ave. West Forest Hills, Queens, NY
8/21/1961 - Lived at 8707 35th Avenue, Jackson Heights 72, NY

SSN 084-01-7071 (bef. 1951 NY)

Munkacs, Austria-Hungary has had many names. Munkacs in Hungarian, Muntatsch in German, Mukacevo in Slovakian and Mykachevo in Ukranian. It was part of Hungary from 895 to 1920; part of Czechoslovakia from 1920 to 1938; part of Hungary again from 1938 to 1945; part of Soviet Union 1945-1992; and now part of the Ukraine.

WWII draft card lists his employer as E. Awad & Sons, 1333 Broadway, NYC.

Wife Lucille, son Bobbie, and mother in law Lucy Coburn lived with him in 1940 Census.

Divorced Vera between 1925 and 1930.
MarriageJan 30, 1917, Norwalk, Fairfield Co., CT
Divorce
ChildrenShirley (1917-2006)
 Robert (Bobbie) (1923-2004)
BirthSep 18, 1895, NY
DeathApr 18, 1960, New York, NY
BurialApr 22, 1960, St. Joseph Cemetery, Bardstown, Nelson Co., KY
OccupationHotel Operator, Manhattan. Owned “Model Liquor”, Bardstown, KY.
FatherHarry RUBIN (1868->1925)
MotherYetta ROTHBARD (1865-1937)
Misc. Notes
Owned the Coolidge and St. Margaret hotels in New York City.
Owned and lived in St. Francis hotel.
Married 4 or 5 times.
Owned “Model Liquor” on Main Street, Bardstown, KY. Jailed in Louisville for being a bookie.
WWI veteran., Sgt. Quartermaster Corps.

Died on his way to work at the Warrington Hotel, where he was assistant manager. Death was attributed to a heart attack. He had suffered previous heart trouble. Survived by his wife, the former Beulah Mattingly of Bardstown, two sisters, Mrs. Jane Neuman and Mrs. Sophie Wagner, and four brothers. Mr. Rubin came to Bardstown about 1940 and was associated with his brother-in-law, the late Charles Neumann in the distilling industry. For a while he was with the distillery at Ekron. He later returned to his former home in New York. - The Kentucky Standard, April 21, 1960, pg. A1

Was very hard of hearing in later years.
Last Modified Dec 26, 2022Created Jun 23, 2024 using Reunion for Macintosh