Jacob Shaprio reputedly got nicknamed “Gurrah” because of mispronunciations of the phrase “Get out of here” frequently encountered while trying to rob pushcarts as a youth in NYC Jewish neighborhoods.

A partner of labor racketeer Louis Lepke Buchalter, Shapiro was found guilty of conspiracy and extortion in 1944 and sentenced to 15 years to life.

On Jun. 9, 1947 he died of natural causes at age 50 in Sing-Sing prison.

Jacob Gurrah Shapiro image from promo card for Ron Arons' lecture The Jews of Sing Sing at Temple
Emanu-El


NYCHS webmaster notes beneath image.

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NYCHS board member Judy Berdy, who is administrator at the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El, suggested NYCHS website readers might be interested in the subject matter of Ron Arons' April 25 lecture sponsored by the Bernard Museum of Judaica & Stettenheim Library at Temple Emanu-El.

Judy also is president of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.

This presentation is a follow-up on her suggestion.

Elizabeth F. Stabler, Temple Emanu-El librarian, provided the photo postcard announcing the lecture.

Ron Arons, who designed the postcard, took the photos of the guard tower and Cell Block A. He credits the "illustrations of the various tortures" and the electric chair photo to "the Ossining Community Center."

The format for this web presentation was designed by the NYCHS webmaster whose own research notes appear on the left below the image.