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David Heineman and
the flag of Detroit,
which he designed.
riddled with 110 bullet holes
after three mobsters were
killed there.
Today, nothing remains of
106 E. Alexandrine. The
grounds where the apart-
ment once stood are now
part of Harper Hospital in
the Detroit Medical Center.
The second Purple Gang
gun fight occurred at the
Collingwood Manor, 1740
Collingwood St., east of
Linwood.
The site of the Collingwood
Massacre is today an empty
lot filled with trash and
broken bottles. But on Sept.
16, 1931, it was the scene of
a slaughter that would lead
to the demise of the Purple
Gang.
It all started in August
1931, when Herman Paul,
Joseph Lebovitz and Joseph
Sutker moved into apart-
ment 211 at the Collingwood
Manor, the midst of a law-
abiding neighborhood. The
three, members of the Third
Avenue Navy, a St. Louis
gang, were rivals to the
Purples.
Paul, Sutker and Lebovitz
had purchased 100 gallons of
alcohol from Purple Gang
leader Bernstein. The men
decided to use the alcohol to
start their own bootlegging
business. Bernstein found
out, and he didn't like it.
Bernstein rounded up
fellow Purples Irving
:
Edward Kanter, Mich-
igan's first Jewish poli-
tician and banker, and
the site of his German-
American bank as it is
today. (Kanter and
Heineman pictures,
courtesy Rabbi Leo
Franklin Archives of
Temple Beth El.)
Milberg, Harry Keywell and
Harry Fleisher. They drove
to the Collingwood Manor,
took out their guns, and with
16 shots killed the unarmed
Paul, Lebovitz and Sutker.
It didn't take long to catch
the perpetrators and put
them on trial. Solly Levine,
a bookie, testified against
them. Twelve police guards
accompanied Levine to the
courtroom.
The gang members were
all found guilty and sent to
Marquette State Prison.
Harry Millman took over the
group and served as the
Purples' last leader until
1937, when he was shot to
death in 12th Street restau-
rant after eating dinner.
MIXING MONEY AND
POLITICS
Edward Kanter was an
original — Michigan's first
Jewish banker and first Jew-
ish politician, elected to the
Michigan State Legislature
in the mid-1800s.
Born in Breslau, Germany,
Kanter came as a stowaway
to New Orleans, then settled
in Detroit. in 1844. Soon
thereafter, when he was 20,
he found a job as an inter-
preter for the American Fur
Company on Mackinac
Island, then returned in
1852 to Detroit.
Kanter operated a store at
4&6 Woodward in 1863. A
notice for the store, advertis-
ing groceries, produce and
ship chandlery, can be found
in old city directories.
In 1865, Kanter organized
the American National
Bank, becoming the first
Jewish banker in the city. In
1871, he founded the Ger-
man American Bank, and in
1880, was named its presi-
dent. The bank was located
in 1897 at Campus Martius,
which today can be found at
the junction of Michigan
Avenue and Woodward and
Monroe Streets.
Friendly with the area's
Indians, who called him
"Firecracker," Kanter was
once seen smoking a peace
pipe with Indians in front of
his store.
In 1856, Kanter was elect-
ed to the Michigan State
Legislature, the first Detroit
Jew to enter politics. A
Democrat, he found support
among local Protestant
churches, but faced hostility
from citizens who opposed
new immigrants.
Kanter, vice president of
Congregation Beth El, later
campaigned unsuccessfully
for the office of state
treasurer.
In addition to his work
with the state legislature,
Kanter in 1860 served as
secretary to the Democratic
State Central Committee
and vice president of the
Democratic Central Associ-
ation of Detroit.