Thelma Lanksy, widow of reputed mobster Meyer Lansky, has died

Mrs. Lansky died Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital after a massive stroke. She was 89.

Mrs. Lansky was not a public figure despite being married to one of the most famous organized crime figures in the United States. Meyer Lansky, who died at the age of 81 in 1983, amassed a fortune by allegedly taking part in illegal enterprises ranging from gambling to stock manipulation.

Lansky controlled casinos in Cuba and Las Vegas, helping to finance the construction of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in the 1940s. The story behind its construction served as the backdrop for the movie "Bugsy," about the partnership between Lansky and mobster Benjamin Siegel.

Mrs. Lansky was by her husband's side when he had open heart surgery in 1973 and when he suffered from lung cancer in 1980. They were together while he ran casinos in Cuba in the 1950s and early 1960s. They also traveled to and lived in Israel until he was expelled in the 1970s because of his ties to the mob.

Despite her efforts to stay out of the spotlight, Mrs. Lansky testified on her husband's behalf and helped win his acquittal during a high profile tax evasion case in 1973.

The spotlight fell on her again in 1977 when her son from a first marriage was shotgunned to death outside his Bay Harbor restaurant. Authorities said at the time that it was a mob-related revenge slaying. Family members denied he was involved in organized crime.

Mrs. Lansky was buried Monday. She is survived by a daughter-in-law and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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