Mystery Man: Gangsters, Oil, and Murder in Michigan

by Robert Knapp

On the spur of the moment, Livingston decided he had to kill Leebove, now. He went through the Doherty Hotel lobby and up to his room. He took a gun from a trunk. It had five bullets in it. He put the gun in his coat pocket and went back downstairs, reentering the lounge unnoticed by Leebove, who had his back to the entrance from the lobby. Livingston sat another three or four minutes, thinking over what he was going to do. Then he got to his feet. Delusional from drink and stress, his eyes darted about the room. He thought that he saw Leebove glancing up at him. To Livingston, it looked like Leebove was trying to get the jump on him. Nervously jerking his hand in and out of his coat, he took a few short steps to the booth where Leebove sat. He halted directly in line with Leebove, who was turned slightly as he talked with a friend. Blinded by rage, fear, and resolve, Livingstone saw only Leebove as he pulled the .38 revolver from his coat pocket and took aim at the man who had once been his close friend...

Mystery Man is the story of Isaiah Leebove, Jack Livingston, and a cast of innocents and not-so-innocents. Oil barons from Oklahoma like Nathan Livingston and Henry Sinclair, New York gangsters like Arnold Rothstein and "Legs" Diamond, Detroit's Purple Gang, even Charles Lindbergh's baby all figure in the unfolding drama that ultimately played out in Clare in the days of Michigan's oil boom. A personal grudge led to Leebove's murder--or was it the perfect gangland slaying?

236 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2014

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a small town in central Michigan became the nexus of gangsters, shysters, wannabe oil barons, and corruption on a small but ludicrous scale. More to the point, it tells of the murder of one Jack Livingston by one Isaiah Leebove in 1938. Both men were from out of state, drawn to the region by the small oil boom Michigan experienced in the 30's. Leebove was a lawyer, a close associate of Arnold Rothstein, and Livingston was a huckster who specialized in obtaining oil leases from local yokels. When Rothstein died, Leebove needed to seek new fields so he made his way to Detroit and became a lawyer for the notorious Purple Gang. Livingston was also an alcoholic and he became obsessed with a debt that Leebove owed him and indicated would probably never be paid.

Author Robert Knapp does a good job in showing how state politics, the depression, the rise of organized crime, and just plain ironic circumstance can weave a fascinating story in the most unlikely places.

[Kate Reasoner]

📚 Bookclub book

[Ltlreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery Man, Gangsters, Oil, and Murder in Michigan by Robert Knapp is a very good read, especially for history buffs. It is hard to think of Clare, MI as the center for vice, villains, and violent death. Nevertheless, Clare's Doherty Hotel was the scene of the murder of oil speculator Isaiah Leebove by Carl "Jack" Livingston on May 14, 1938. Leebove was an enigma in Clare, living an affluent lifestyle at his Wildwood estate on Clare's north side. Yet he had ties to the underworld. Jack Livingston lived in a world between principle and delusion, but his affinity for attention and alcohol stoked the fires of misunderstanding. The use of photos throughout the book adds to the enjoyment of the historical narrative, and extensive footnotes attest to the research involved. I recommend the book to mystery and history lovers, especially Michiganians.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not just the story of the murder of Isaiah Leebove by Jack Livingston. This is the story of their lives and the lives of everyone they met. ¬Robert Knapp did his research and tells everything that led up to this murder. Knapp tells of their upbringing, business dealings and personal lives from the time they were born. I love that Knapp cited each bit of information that he used in his book. The back of the book contains the notes he used, a bibliography, an index and makes sure to credit every image used as well. Things were very different back in the days of Leebove and Livingston. They certainly led very interesting lives that were chronicled very well in this book. I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Charles Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sharp clarification (no pun intended) of an incident in our (full disclosure, the author and I are brothers) father's hometown of Clare, MI, when he was a young man. Although we heard the story, more than once, from both him and our grandmother, it was just a snapshot. This book fills in the details and background in an entertaining yet detailed manner. I recommend it to fans of Michigan history, gangland history, or people who just enjoy a good read.

[Eliz L · Rating 1 out of 5]

kind of fun but overly sensationalized account of a cut-and-dried murder in clare, mi in the late 1930s. good for an overview of some of the area's history. weak in the true crime canon.