Lansky: A Kind-Hearted Gangster

People who love gambling and are passionate about it know who Lansky is. From introducing casinos in the USA to running an organised crime syndicate behind, Lansky is worshipped by hardcore gamblers, but the petty ones might never hear about him. As gambling and crime go hand in hand, it’s no wonder why the biggest crime syndicate was formed during his time, and this movie “Lansky,” released in 2021, is based on the bio of Meyer Lansky, the notorious gangster with a kind heart. But his act of kindness is only reserved for his family and friends. Talk about rivals and betrayers; he and his men never trembled before pulling the trigger.

The feature of the movie that delighted me is not his gun-slinging nor the style of using knives but the perfection old timers can achieve on the set. A few movies released in 2021 and around, including The Mule and The Irishman featuring actors in their late 80s or 90s, are a thing to behold. They are kind of slow but interesting enough to keep you rabbit-eared.

Although age restricts them from being agile and energetic, their signature moves and expression make the movies a good watch. Old is gold— once again, it is proved.

Now, about the movie— no, I won’t talk about the plot; it’s available online. Go and watch if you are interested. What fascinated me about the movie is the unconditional love the gangster holds for his family and friends throughout his life.

From his early married life to the last day, as seen in the movie, he is a loyal husband, a dedicated father, and a shield for the whole family, including friends. Although there are incidents that put his dedication to the family in question, what he did is above average for a gangster with a world of casinos to handle. With so much money to count and keep track of, it’s perfectly normal to find less time to spend with the family. So, to me, his temperament from time to time seems to be justified.

Again, his fatherhood matches none. The way he has shown concern for his disabled son is priceless. He knew his son was incurable, but he tried his best to comfort him in the possible ways— a rare scene I have seen among the gangsters. Either they hire a permanent nurse to take care of the patient or leave him at the mercy of fate and enjoy his day drinking and watching strippers.

There was a reason the FBI gave Meyer Lansky much attention; they thought he had fortunes stashed away somewhere, only he knows its whereabouts. So, they kept spying on him but found none. Interestingly, when Lansky consented to show his hidden wealth to his writer, he took him to a distant place and referred to his bed-ridden son as the wealth— only a father with pure affection can do that. Besides, throughout the movie, he tried to shield his close friend from angry gangsters, assisted Jews in fighting against the holocaust, and gave the idea of mass economisation of gambling to the US government— way too much for a notorious man.

While many of us may evaluate the movie from the Money point of view, to me, it's all about a man's devotion to his family and life-long struggle to keep his loved ones protected from odds.

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