10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dutch Schultz

Dutch Schultz was one of the most colourful and unpredictable figures of the Prohibition era — a man whose bizarre last words, buried treasure, and plan to assassinate a New York prosecutor made him as strange as he was dangerous. He was shot at the Palace Chop House in Newark in 1935 and lingered for 22 hours before dying, leaving behind a set of delirious deathbed ramblings that have never been fully decoded. Here are ten things most people don’t know about the Dutchman.

1. His real name was Arthur Flegenheimer

Dutch Schultz was born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer in the Bronx on August 6, 1902. He adopted the name Dutch Schultz early in his criminal career — reportedly taking it from a deceased member of the Frog Hollow Gang — because he felt Arthur Flegenheimer was too long to fit in newspaper headlines. The calculation was correct.

2. He was shot because he planned to kill a prosecutor

Schultz was murdered not because of a territorial dispute but because he had announced his intention to assassinate New York Special Prosecutor Thomas Dewey, who was building a racketeering case against him. The Mafia Commission, fearing the heat that killing a prominent prosecutor would bring down on all of them, voted to kill Schultz instead. Lucky Luciano later said it was one of the easiest votes the Commission ever took.

3. His last words were 22 hours of delirious rambling

Shot on October 23, 1935, Schultz did not die immediately. He lingered for 22 hours in Newark City Hospital, feverish from peritonitis, drifting in and out of consciousness while a police stenographer recorded everything he said. The resulting transcript — a stream of disconnected phrases, apparent code words and surreal imagery — has fascinated researchers ever since. He reportedly said: ‘A boy has never wept nor dashed a thousand kim. You can play jacks and girls do that with a soft ball and do tricks with it.’

4. He may have buried millions that were never found

Schultz is believed to have buried a strongbox containing between $5 million and $9 million in cash and bonds somewhere in the Catskill Mountains shortly before his death. Multiple treasure hunters have searched for it over the decades. It has never been found. Whether the treasure actually exists or is an urban legend remains unresolved.

5. He ran the Harlem numbers racket

One of Schultz’s most profitable operations was taking control of the Harlem numbers racket in the early 1930s, muscling out the independent Black and Hispanic operators who had built it. The operation generated an estimated $20 million per year. Schultz used violence and corruption to seize and maintain control, and his takeover of Harlem’s numbers game made him one of the wealthiest criminals in New York.

6. He survived a previous assassination attempt

In October 1935 — just weeks before his murder — Schultz survived a shooting at the Palace Chop House that injured him but did not kill him. His enemies were persistent.

7. He was acquitted of tax evasion by a rural jury

Facing federal tax evasion charges, Schultz’s lawyers successfully argued for a change of venue from New York to Malone, a small town in upstate New York. Schultz spent weeks ingratiating himself with the local community — attending church, buying drinks, playing the friendly outsider. The jury acquitted him on all counts, to the fury of federal prosecutors.

8. Murder Incorporated carried out his killing

The men sent to shoot Schultz at the Palace Chop House were Charles ‘The Bug’ Workman and Emanuel ‘Mendy’ Weiss — both members of Murder Incorporated. Workman later claimed sole credit for the shootings, insisting he had shot Schultz, his bodyguard Lulu Rosenkrantz, his accountant Otto Berman, and associate Abe Landau essentially single-handed.

9. His accountant had a remarkable mathematical ability

Otto ‘Abbadabba’ Berman, Schultz’s accountant who was killed alongside him, was famous in criminal circles for his ability to calculate odds and manipulate the numbers racket’s payout formula in his head. He could reportedly perform complex probability calculations faster than most people could write them down.

10. He died without revealing where his money was

Despite 22 hours of recorded deathbed ramblings, Schultz never revealed the location of his alleged buried fortune. Whether the ramblings contained coded references to the money’s location has been debated for nearly ninety years. The treasure, if it exists, remains hidden.

Frequently Asked Questions — Dutch Schultz

Who was Dutch Schultz?

Dutch Schultz, known as The Dutchman, was Dutch Schultz was one of the most colourful and unpredictable figures of the Prohibition era — a man whose bizarre last words, buried treasure, and plan to assassinate a New York prosecutor made him a.

What was Dutch Schultz known for?

Dutch Schultz was known for his real name was arthur flegenheimer and he was shot because he planned to kill a prosecutor.

How did Dutch Schultz die?

Despite 22 hours of recorded deathbed ramblings, Schultz never revealed the location of his alleged buried fortune. Whether the ramblings contained coded references to the money’s location has been debated for nearly ninety years. The treasure, if it exists, remains hidden.