Italian Mafia vs Jewish Mob: Mickey Cohen & The War for Los Angeles

Video Description

Before Los Angeles became a playground for celebrities and studios, it was a battleground. In the years after Prohibition, the city’s underworld was up for grabs. Old-world Mafia rules meant little on the West Coast, where power was still fluid and violence often decided who ruled. Into that vacuum stepped Mickey Cohen — a former prizefighter turned enforcer, sent west to protect the interests of the Jewish mob after the assassination of Bugsy Siegel. What followed was not a quiet transition of power, but a prolonged and public war. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, Los Angeles became the stage for a brutal struggle between the Italian Mafia and the Jewish mob, fought along the Sunset Strip and spilling into nightclubs, hotels, and restaurants. Car bombings, drive-by shootings, and assassination attempts turned Hollywood’s nightlife into a front line, as Mickey Cohen refused to submit to Mafia authority and instead carved out his own criminal empire. This documentary traces the full arc of Mickey Cohen’s life — from his childhood and boxing career, to his rise under Bugsy Siegel, and finally to his transformation into the most visible and defiant mob boss Los Angeles had ever known. It explores the alliances and betrayals that defined the war for the city, the Mafia figures determined to remove him, and the law-enforcement pressure that eventually closed in from all sides. This is not just the story of a gang war, but of how organised crime took root in Los Angeles — how violence replaced tradition, how Hollywood glamour masked a ruthless power struggle, and how one man became the symbol of a city’s criminal awakening. If you enjoy in-depth, long-form documentaries about the true history of organised crime, consider subscribing and turning on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes. All music in this video is licensed through Epidemic Sound. ⚠️ Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. All video clips, images, and audio in this documentary are used for educational and historical purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.