Sidney Korshak

Sidney R. Korshak (June 6, 1907 - January 20, 1996) was a lawyer and "fixer" for businessmen in the upper echelons of power and the Chicago Outfit in the United States. His reputation as the Chicago mob's man in Los Angeles made him one of Hollywood's most fabled and influential fixers. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E7DF1F39F931A15752C0A960958260 Sidney Korshak, 88, Dies; Fabled Fixer for the Chicago Mob] , The New York Times, January 22, 1996] His partnership with Chicago mobsters led him to be named "the most powerful lawyer in the world" by the FBI. [http://www.forward.com/articles/mafia-jews-inside-a-genuine-cabal/ Mafia Jews: Inside a Genuine Cabal] , Forward, October 27, 2006]

Early life

He was born in to a Jewish family on the West Side of Chicago on June 6, 1907. His father was a wealthy Chicago contractor. He was raised with his four siblings in the Lawndale community of Chicago. His younger brother, Marshall Korshak, became a longtime Chicago politician, city treasurer, and state senator. Sidney attended Herzl Grammar School, the University of Wisconsin and obtained his law degree from the DePaul University College of Law.

Career

His law practice brought him into contact with many mobsters, such as Al Capone, Frank Nitti and Sam Giancana. His services were used by the upper ranks of both legitimate and illegitimate business in the United States.

Korshak numbered among his friends many Hollywood celebrities and leading figures in the entertainment industry, including MCA/Universal chief Lew Wasserman, entertainment lawyer Paul Ziffren (the driving force behind bringing the 1984 Olympics to Los Angeles), MGM chief Kirk Kerkorian, Gulf + Western founder Charles Bluhdorn, Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, William French Smith (labor attorney and future United States Attorney General), Edmund "Pat" Brown, Edmund "Jerry" Brown, future Governor of California Gray Davis, producer Robert Evans, Warren Beatty, Barron Hilton, and Hugh Hefner.

Korshak was highly successful in the field of labor consulting and negotiations, and his client list included Hilton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, MGM, Playboy, MCA/Universal, and Diner's Club. One of his clients was Jimmy Hoffa, notorious head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Korshak was heavily involved in the Teamsters' west coast operations during a time when organized labor was at the peak of its activity.

Korshak was an attorney for various elements of the Chicago Outfit. He steered the mob toward a path of respectability, serving as its go-between with the white-collar world. Willie Bioff was once told by Cherry "No-Nose", a top capo for Frank Nitti to, "pay attention to Sid. He's our man. Remember, any message he may deliver to you is a message from us."Fact|date=March 2008

Korshak bought the J.P. Seeberg Corporation and immediately after the company stock rose from $35 to $141.50 a share. He then sold 143,000 shares to pivotal figures in the stock market like Bernard Cornfield, who owned the FOF Property Fund in Switzerland. Korshak received $5 million from the deal.Fact|date=March 2008

Personal life

Sidney Korshak married Beatrice and had three children, Harry, Stuart, and Katy. The Korshaks had as their primary residence for many years a mansion in Beverly Hills, with a secondary home in Palm Springs.

During the 1960s, he had longtime affairs with actresses Stella Stevens and Jill St. John.Fact|date=March 2008 It was Korshak who suggested St. John to Eon Productions for the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever". [http://books.google.ca/books?id=SwGHWoP9RMwC&pg=PT98&lpg=PT98&dq=sidney+korshak+jill+st.+john&source=web&ots=lZh9DvX6x3&sig=hkcHn_4ChZM9aOd7iZ7Rd3OBx4M&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion] , by Alan Barnes & Marcus Hearn, Batsford, 2003 ISBN 0713486457]

Sidney Korshak died on January 20, 1996, without ever having a criminal conviction against him (or even an indictment, according to his "New York Times" obituary). Marshall Korshak predeceased his brother by a day.

Cultural influence

Korshak was the inspiration for David Strathairn's character, Pierce Moorehouse Patchett, in "L.A. Confidential". In September 2006, investigative journalist and author Gus Russo published a comprehensive biography of Korshak entitled "Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America's Hidden Power Brokers", which discussed his mob connections extensively. Russo claimed that Korshak was the model for Tom Hagen, played by Robert Duvall, in "The Godfather" movies.

References

*"The Kid Stays in the Picture" a film about Robert Evans
*DeMaris, Ovid; "The Last Mafioso: Jimmy "The Weasal" Fratianno"