Vaudevillian Fanny Brice defends Gangster Nicky Arnstein
One hundred years ago today … A 1920 New York power couple was defying the law.
The Daily News reported that vaudeville star Fanny Brice, the original “Funny Girl,” was stalwart in her defense of her husband, Nicholas Arnstein (“Nicky”), who was the the subject of the most extensive search “ever made by the police of this city for any man.” The NYPD were joined in the search by the secret service and the Internal Revenue Department.
Brice had endured four hours of interrogation.
Arnstein was suspected of coordinating a theft of $5,000,000 worth of securities from Wall Street brokers–who must have been going nuts.
The Daily News, Feb 23, 1920, p. 3. Newspapers.com.