Charlie Luciano and Meyer Lansky were the type of mob bosses who believed that attacking law enforcement was a line they should never cross. In their view, engaging in illegal activities, operating in the grey area, and bending the rules were merely survival tactics, ways to make money. This had nothing to do with any so-called moral high ground; it was just part of their traditions or customs. It was their way of striving for a better life. In their hearts, they didn't think they were doing anything wrong.
However, they had one absolute rule: never kill law enforcement officers!
The reasoning behind this was simple. If they attacked or killed law enforcement personnel, public opinion would turn against them quickly. Politicians, eager to please voters and gain their support, would cut other expenses and divert a large portion of funds to law enforcement agencies, strengthening their power and expanding their staff. This would allow law enforcement to compete with the mob, even bribing informants and framing mob bosses, sending them to prison.
So, if Schultz were to kill Dewey, he would break the mob's rule!
It wasn't just about breaking one person's rule; it was about breaking the rules of all mobsters, even those from other mobs. It would be seen as a betrayal, making Schultz an enemy of every mob boss who was laying low, meaning his death was now inevitable.
After discussing the matter with Meyer Lansky, Charlie Luciano sent someone to notify Schultz that he wanted to talk to him, hoping to find a way to buy peace with money.
Dewey was one of the leading candidates for the next Southern District Attorney of New York. However, elections, as everyone knew, required campaign funds. Though Dewey's family was wealthy, they couldn't use their own money for his campaign.
Using an old example, Trump's campaign accepted political donations from all over the country and even the world, despite his billion-dollar fortune and reluctance to pay taxes.
Since Dewey would need campaign funds, and the mob had the means to buy peace with money, it seemed like a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Clearly, this reason seemed perfectly legitimate, and Schultz, upon hearing it, agreed. He knew that attempting to assassinate Dewey was a taboo, and if he could spend $100,000 or $200,000 to secure his own safety or take a light sentence and spend a few months in prison, he was more than willing to do so.
The two quickly met at a hotel. To avoid attracting attention, they deliberately didn't meet in a private room but instead discussed the matter casually in the hotel restaurant lobby. Schultz made it clear that money wasn't an issue—if Dewey asked, he could arrange for dozens of his men to give Dewey hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations.
After hearing this, Charlie Luciano patted him on the back, signaling that the deal was good to go. "You don't need to worry. I'll go to the restroom first, and when I get back, we'll celebrate."
Two minutes after Charlie left, three men in a hurry entered the hotel restaurant, approached Schultz, and shot him repeatedly with guns.
Schultz was hit by six bullets and died on the spot. One bullet even went through his head, splattering brain matter and blood onto the white tablecloth in front of him. The three killers quickly left and vanished without a trace.
The straightforward assassination naturally prompted someone to call the police, who quickly arrived at the scene and arrested Charlie Luciano, who had been dining at the same table. However, Luciano had a perfect alibi—he had been in the restroom, and there were many witnesses who could confirm it.
When the police questioned Charlie Luciano about the unlikely timing of his restroom visit and the fact that he stayed there for so long, he responded with a line that anyone might have said:
"You guys manage the skies and the earth, but are you really going to manage when I take a shit or fart?"
The investigation ended with no results. The three killers had likely already fled back to Italy, and Charlie Luciano was released with no charges. There was no evidence to prove he had killed Schultz.
Meanwhile, in the New York District Attorney's office, Dewey heard the news and began to look at Charlie Luciano in a slightly different light. He understood that Luciano had solved a problem for him.
Although Dewey had promised his voters that he would fight the mob and maintain law and order, this didn't necessarily mean he had a personal vendetta against the mob. Sometimes, you just have to work things out.
The two had reached a simple "pre-lawsuit deal" in American style—a type of settlement before a lawsuit even begins. With a pre-lawsuit deal, even serious crimes like murder, arson, robbery, or rape could be avoided as long as the deal was struck beforehand.
The details of the deal were as follows: Dewey would find some cheap workers from the sex industry, charge Charlie Luciano with pimping, and then convict him. The crime wasn't very severe—it was the era of women's liberation, and forcing women into the sex trade was considered a big crime.
The suggested sentence was six to nine months in prison, along with a $30,000 fine.
At the same time, Charlie Luciano, through dozens of intermediaries, would send $90,000 in political donations to Dewey's campaign office, helping raise a large sum of money for Dewey's election campaign.
Both sides had reached an uneasy truce. They sat at the table, seemingly friendly, though the gin in front of them remained untouched.
"I have a little friend who wants to go to college," Charlie Luciano suddenly remembered another favor he owed.
"What's the kid's name?" Dewey nodded, took a piece of letterhead from his office, and said, "Never mind, you can fill it out yourself."
Charlie Luciano didn't respond immediately, but Dewey had already guessed: Luciano was probably just using the letter to do someone a favor. The "little friend" was likely just the son of some mob boss, trying to clean up his act by going to college for some good PR, perhaps even running for office someday.
"Thanks! If you can, write two letters," Charlie Luciano seized the opportunity.
The $90,000 had been sent, and Luciano figured it would take many bottles of fake liquor to earn that much. Now that he had made the pre-lawsuit deal, it was time to ask Dewey for a little more benefit before he left.
Dewey didn't refuse; one letter or two, it was all the same to him. Even if Luciano didn't ask him, he could find someone else to write it. Mobsters know a lot of influential people. Dewey wasn't keen on owing favors to the mob, so it was best to get it over with quickly.
In the end, a deal had been struck.