In the fall of 1935, a violent end came for Otto 'Abbadabba' Berman, a man known more for his mathematical genius than for muscle in the organized crime world of New Jersey. A Jewish man of 44 years, Berman had carved out a niche as the trusted accountant and advisor to the notorious gangster Dutch Schultz. His ability to calculate complex figures in his head was legendary, a skill he applied to Schultz's lucrative and illicit enterprises.
On the evening of October 23, 1935, Berman was
in the company of Schultz and two of his gunmen, Abe Landau and Bernard 'Lulu' Rosenkrantz, at the Palace Chophouse in Newark. The meeting was not one of celebration, but a prelude to a bloody confrontation. Assassins, reportedly dispatched by the notorious Lucky Luciano, stormed the establishment with a clear and brutal objective. Gunfire erupted, tearing through the tavern and its occupants. Berman was struck by multiple bullets and buckshot from a 12-gauge shotgun.
The attack was swift and merciless. Of the four men targeted, Berman was the first to succumb to his injuries, dying in the early hours of the following morning, October 24th. His death marked the beginning of the end for Schultz's reign, as the gangster himself, along with his other associates present, would also die from their wounds. The hit was a strategic move by rival factions to eliminate Schultz and absorb his criminal operations.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the investigation identified the triggermen as Charles Workman and Emanuel 'Mendy' Weiss, members of the infamous enforcement arm of the National Crime Syndicate known as Murder, Inc. While Weiss would later be executed for a different murder, Workman was eventually brought to trial for his role in the Palace Chophouse slayings. He was convicted and served a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of Dutch Schultz and his associates, including Otto Berman. The violent end of the man they called 'Abbadabba' was a stark reminder of the ruthless nature of the criminal underworld he inhabited.
