Something about Virginia Hill, one of the most famous women in the world of gangster USA.
Virginia Hill born on August 26, 1916 in Liskombe, Alabama.Since childhood, he was keen on the criminal world.In 1930, with his mother and two brothers moved to Chicago.First Virginia organized a party in nightclubs owned by the Mafia, and then joined the group of the famous Al Capone, where she worked as a courier for the transport of "black money".
Then Hill in hopes of becoming a movie star, went to Los Angeles.In Hollywood, Virginia engaged in blackmail: in his mansion suit "place of intimate meetings" for members of the local elite, and then extorted money from guests, threatening them with compromising.And continues to dream of a film career.But instead, in order to shine on the screen of Virginia became a star surrounded by the famous gangster Bugsy Siegel.He fell in love with the beauty-skandalistki and even became for her a bigamist not divorced from his legal wife, Bugsy secretly signed with Virginia in Mexico.
Relations Bugsy did not interfere with Hill to provide courier services to other mobsters.Although she was a jealous lover: once nearly turned the other jaw passion Segal - Hollywood actress Wendy Barrie.
In early 1945, Segal thought about gambling oasis in the desert.According to the legend, he chose a lonely place seven miles from downtown Las Vegas and threw a symbolic piece of dirt in the place where two years later, was to build a hotel-casino "Flamingo" with the words "In a few years this place will be filled with beautiful hotels".
Bugsy persuaded Meir Lansky and Lucky Luciano, to invest in the business of $ 1 million (originally conceived the cost of the hotel-casino).Later, the amount increased to $ 6 million.
Hotel Bugsy named after Virginia Hill "Flamingo" (just a nickname she wore because of the red hair).
In several European banks Segal accounts were opened in the name of Virginia Hill, where Bugsy sent withdrawn from the construction money.
Segal promised investors that will open the "Flamingo" just after Christmas in 1946.Although this date hotel-casino has not been completed, on the night of December 26, 1946 the opening took place.
two planes in "Flamingo brought several dozen Hollywood stars including Clark Gable, Lana Turner and Joan Crawford. But it turned out that they simply had no place to place.
1 February 1947 the casino was closed and reopened March 1 - have the hotel200 rooms. From that moment it began to bring significant income and for many years was considered the "pearl" of Las Vegas. "
Bugsy But it did not save.Ever since the construction mafia interested in the outflow of money from the "Flamingo".Frequent trips Virginia Hill to Zurich only strengthened their suspicions.Taking into account its experience in the carriage of "black money", the purpose of these visits was more than understandable.Virginia loved a lot more money than Bugsy.It was she who offered him cash in on Las Vegas before, like Las Vegas profits from the gambling players.But the laws of the underworld is much more effective and tougher civilized world.Later, Lucky Luciano told his biographer that Bugsy fate was sealed in December 1946, when it was discovered that Virginia has contributed money to a Swiss bank.
evening of June 20, 1947 Bugsy was in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills, which served as a meeting place for him to Hill, and sitting on the couch reading a newspaper.Virginia was not at home: a few days earlier, they had a falling out with Seagal, and she defiantly went to Europe.About half of the eleventh killer fired through the open window.One of the bullets hit Bugsy around the nose and eyes bowled four other flashed his body and caused instant death.Police investigation was at a standstill, and the murder remains unsolved.In one version of the quarrel was not accidental: Meir Lansky advised Virginia to go to the same account only knew Virginia, which kept the stolen money.Hill disappeared, having given the location Segal, although she always denied this fact.
Whatever it was, when she was told that Bugsy Siegel was killed, she fainted.And then double-summer of 1947 tried to commit suicide in Paris, although she was there an affair with 21-year-old wealthy heir Nicholas Foletti.
then she has lived in Mexico, and a couple of years back in Chicago.
In 1950, Virginia met the instructor and world champion in alpine skiing Hans Hauser.They were married, the couple had a son.
And then came the Kefauver Commission.Ambitious Est Senator Kefauver devoted himself to exposing the Italian-American mafia, in particular, its relations with representatives of business and politics.The climax of the commission began public hearings, which were broadcast on television.Much of what we know about the Mafia '50s, we know, thanks to the Kefauver Commission.They called back and Virginia.By the way, the most spectacular photos of Virginia Hill were made just in time for its participation in these hearings.
But what Hill told the commission?And nothing.Imposingly in a chair, on all issues Virginia answered "no" and "do not know".But the rhetorical question why the mafia so appreciated her and are involved in their affairs, Virginia responded with her usual directness.She said that is unrivaled talent to do great blowjob.Most of the Commission had lost the power of speech, but nothing of her was not achieved.
The couple offered to leave the country.They sold their luxury home and personal belongings of Virginia for a song at auction.In September 1951, Virginia had an Austrian passport in the name of Virginia and Hauser appeared on the fashionable resort in Switzerland.At this time, it took over the FBI.Office sought her return to the States.Her tax debts were too high, about twice the price at which the couple sold their house.
Couple at this time was going to build a ski resort.In search of investors, they were in Hong Kong, Paris, Italy and Switzerland.Virginia drank a lot.
And in the US it was charged with tax evasion, and it has become the number 3 in the list of Most Wanted, most wanted men.She wanted to hide in Mexico, but authorities there denied her a visa.She arrived in the Bahamas in 1961 to meet up with old friends from the Syndicate.Apparently, she was trying to lure money from one of the most influential members of the national crime syndicate, Joe Adonis, and blackmailed him by threatening to publish their memoirs.Perhaps she got the money.
She met with Joe Adonis, and later in Naples in 1966.The FBI bugged the phone.Then, Va returned to Austria with two friends of Adonis.And soon the light went on.Officially it was a suicide.But, of course, there are those who believe that the mafia has not forgiven her affairs with Bugsy Siegel, and get to it.
According to the official version, the middle of the night Virginia went out of the restaurant near Salzburg, before it swallowed 20 sleeping pills.Throwing a coat, a woman entered the forest.There she became ill, she leaned against a tree, slid down and fell asleep.Her snow-covered body was found two days later.First, we decide that the death was a heart attack, but it turned out that the cause was an overdose of sleeping pills.
There was a suicide note in which Hill wrote that she was tired of life.
Virginia buried in the cemetery Agee in Salzburg.
Photo source: dobizha.livejournal.com
