413:: Hannah Opticer, Hannah Vygenbaum, a.k.a. Annie Alford, and Rachel Laskin a.k.a. Lizzie Silver, all of them fellow Polish Jews from Opatów, his mother's ancestral home, whom he had forced into prostitution beforehand. Silver was known to mistreat his wives, as well as the prostitutes and sex slaves that labored in his brothels, regularly subjecting them to sexual assaults. Contemporary accounts, as well as three of the four known photographs that exist of Silver which showed that his face was riddled with deep pockmarks, indicated that he contracted
622:, claiming that Isaacs was another one of Silver's aliases, both based largely around their shared names. Critics note, among other things, that van Onselen provides no evidence that Silver was even in London during the months the murders took place and that the accusation is based entirely upon speculation. Van Onselen has responded that the number of circumstances involved should make Silver a suspect. He would have been 20 at the time, much younger than contemporary suspect descriptions of Jack the Ripper.
135:
27:
340:
His original Polish name "Lis" means "Fox". His alias "Silver", was a reference to his mother, whose maiden name was
Kweksylber, derived from the German surname Quecksilber, both meaning Quicksilver. He was also known as Joe Liss, Joe Eligmann, James Smith, Joseph Schmidt, José Silva (also Silves),
464:
into her vagina and in 1898, he intimidated Lillie Bloom, a prostitute who had threatened to expose Silver's abuse to the authorities, by telling her in front of police that he would "slit belly open" in
Yiddish, which the officers did not understand. Silver continued to cooperate with police to
323:
The marriage of Silver's parents was marked by dysfunction. Hanna had several extra-marital affairs, resulting in the birth of Silver's younger brother Jacob in 1873, who was knowingly raised as Anzelm's son. Anzelm, a tailor by trade, was active in petty crime, being involved in the smuggling of
324:
alcohol and tobacco, and is known to have acted in at least one robbery on a fur store, but despite being identified, he was released without punishment after the arrest. The couple divorced in 1892, but they still shared living space, eventually reconciling in 1912. South
African historian
448:. He based his activities out of an establishment called the American Club, located on Sauer Street, which was described as housing "a trade union of pimps in coded, telegraphic and postal communication". During his time in South Africa, Silver frequently engaged in
377:
burglary in which he stole $ 1.50 (equivalent to $ 51 in 2023) and a silk shawl. Silver was released on 12 October 1891 and according to his own testimony, supported by police records, he ended up working as a "special agent" for NYC's
493:, for which he was convicted in 1906 and sentenced to three years imprisonment, of which he served two. Afterwards, he left the continent for Europe again, leaving behind his wife, who was subsequently admitted to a mental asylum in
825:
537:
456:. The majority of his aliases appear to date from his period in South Africa. Silver's brutality was noted to escalate, with him once punishing a disobedient prostitute by subduing her with
465:
maintain his connections and get rid of competitors, often providing anonymous testimony for criminal trials regarding burglary or theft. Nevertheless, Silver was briefly imprisoned in
855:
850:
830:
301:
361:, where he also started taking on numerous aliases and began cooperating with corrupt police officers for his personal gain, until leaving for the
845:
800:
653:
477:, and "AmaSilva" as a prison term for a procurer, specifically one who provides young white males as sex partners, to imprisoned members of the
865:
815:
810:
805:
316:
on
Hipoteczna Street (now Wolności Square). Silver was born in 1868 as the third of nine children (five girls and four boys) and raised with
428:, he operated a network of cafes, cigar shops and police-protected brothels, with the sex workers at the latter being primarily composed of
860:
243:; 1868–1918) was a Polish gangster active in the late 19th century and early 20th century. A career criminal, Silver was involved in
840:
110:
349:
At age 15, Silver, following the footsteps of several cousins, left Poland, obtained a passport on 14 August 1884, and entered the
631:
568:
297:
182:
614:. Building on the assertion, crime authors connected him to Lewis Lis, a shopkeeper who owned a business in Plumber's Row near
466:
384:
473:
inmate, an act which, according to van
Onselen, led to the coinage of the derorgatory term "impimpi" as a police informer in
48:
44:
599:
in 1888, citing their shared "pathological misogyny" and apparent desire "to exploit and humiliate" prostitutes inspired by
91:
285:
63:
379:
820:
795:
70:
37:
604:
406:
755:
482:
437:
77:
556:, where he lived between 1914 and 1916, although he was known to occasional stay in New York City and London.
835:
398:
429:
421:
59:
563:, while Silver was in Europe, he was recruited by the newly formed Russian government to act as a spy in
769:
738:
474:
402:
657:
790:
785:
705:
401:. Shortly after, he was tried for rape, but acquitted on a technicality before serving a sentence in
596:
325:
607:
instead involving the bathing in the blood of prostitutes, a claim that has been characterized as
536:
in 1910 and conducted human trafficking operations for his brothels in Europe within neighboring
461:
354:
713:
252:
248:
549:
478:
84:
619:
592:
564:
374:
264:
244:
215:
186:
156:
512:
was taken by French authorities police in 1909. For a year, he ran prostitution rings in
553:
436:, steadily expanding his criminal reach within the country, including to the cities of
433:
350:
289:
160:
779:
545:
501:
494:
366:
362:
608:
533:
453:
445:
425:
267:, oftentimes supported by corrupt law enforcement, becoming known as the "King of
134:
615:
611:
572:
560:
470:
205:
178:
26:
600:
486:
457:
449:
390:
305:
717:
552:, while working as a police officer. Silver's last official residence was in
576:
529:
441:
370:
589:
The Fox and The Flies: The World of Joseph Silver, Racketeer and
Psychopath
293:
420:
In 1898, Silver, along with his third wife Rachel Laskin, appeared in the
603:, also alleging that Silver was motivated by a twisted interpretation of
541:
521:
517:
490:
414:
410:
329:
313:
260:
201:
393:
and in 1895, Silver fled New York for London, where he went on to run a
341:
J. Cosman, Charlie Silver, Charles
Greenbaum, Abraham Ramer and Ludwig.
513:
509:
394:
317:
525:
389:. Between 1893 and 1894, Silver was involved in criminal activity in
358:
309:
256:
152:
505:
654:"Historian: Ripper was South Africa's 'King of Pimps' - CNN.com"
268:
197:
284:
Silver's family, on both his paternal and maternal side, were
20:
452:
and wrote vehement letters to newspapers who reported on his
409:
for petty larceny. While in London, Silver was recorded as
618:, and Joseph Isaacs, a potential suspect in the murder of
353:
sometime in 1885, beginning his criminal career in the
304:
while his mother Hanna
Kweksylber was born in 1850 in
222:
211:
193:
167:
141:
125:
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
312:in 1863, married in 1866 and lived primarily in a
587:In 2007, Charles van Onselen claimed in the book
826:Executed people from Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
332:was influenced by his mother's infidelities.
8:
300:. His father Anzelm Lis was born in 1849 in
133:
122:
432:women that were trafficked from parts of
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
856:Immigrants to the South African Republic
770:"Historian claims to ID Jack the Ripper"
756:"Historian Claims To ID Jack The Ripper"
642:
851:Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom
686:van Onselen, Charles (5 April 2007).
7:
704:Nicholl, Charles (7 February 2008).
699:
697:
681:
679:
677:
675:
648:
646:
49:adding citations to reliable sources
460:and threatening to pour irritating
380:Society for the Prevention of Crime
831:People executed by Austria-Hungary
559:In 1917, during the late stage of
288:tobacco merchants and hailed from
14:
485:, setting up illegal brothels in
632:List of Jack the Ripper suspects
25:
36:needs additional citations for
846:Emigrants from Congress Poland
801:People from Kielce Governorate
540:, largely in the area between
1:
866:Polish emigrants to Argentina
816:20th-century Polish criminals
811:19th-century Polish criminals
712:. Vol. 30, no. 03.
591:that Silver was the infamous
296:respectively, in what is now
806:Jews from the Russian Empire
706:"Who was he? Joe the Ripper"
656:. 2 May 2007. Archived from
575:, where he was executed for
861:Polish emigrants to Belgium
481:. In 1905, Silver left for
475:South African English slang
320:as the household language.
308:. They separately moved to
882:
497:, where she died in 1945.
298:Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
743:The Sydney Morning Herald
407:HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs
369:, he served two years at
132:
841:Jack the Ripper suspects
772:Associated Press article
571:and held in a prison in
483:German South West Africa
583:Jack the Ripper suspect
579:in the spring of 1918.
567:. Silver was caught in
739:"Ripper's pimp theory"
710:London Review of Books
422:South African Republic
688:The Fox and the Flies
595:serial killer in the
403:HM Prison Pentonville
328:posits that Silver's
16:Polish sex trafficker
690:. Jonathan Cape Ltd.
504:, Silver headed for
411:marrying three times
45:improve this article
821:South African pimps
597:Whitechapel murders
469:, where he raped a
326:Charles van Onselen
796:People from Kielce
528:. Silver moved to
500:After arriving in
253:prostitution rings
548:, in addition to
249:human trafficking
234:
233:
175:(aged 49–50)
121:
120:
113:
95:
873:
758:
753:
747:
746:
735:
729:
728:
726:
724:
701:
692:
691:
683:
670:
669:
667:
665:
650:
569:Austrian Galicia
399:Waterloo station
388:
228:Hannah Vygenbaum
174:
137:
123:
116:
109:
105:
102:
96:
94:
53:
29:
21:
881:
880:
876:
875:
874:
872:
871:
870:
776:
775:
766:
761:
754:
750:
737:
736:
732:
722:
720:
703:
702:
695:
685:
684:
673:
663:
661:
652:
651:
644:
640:
628:
620:Mary Jane Kelly
593:Jack the Ripper
585:
565:Austria-Hungary
467:Old Fort Prison
382:
375:Lower East Side
347:
338:
282:
277:
265:Southern Africa
247:, specifically
245:organized crime
229:
227:
216:Jack the Ripper
204:
200:
189:
187:Austria-Hungary
176:
172:
163:
157:Congress Poland
150:
148:
147:
128:
117:
106:
100:
97:
60:"Joseph Silver"
54:
52:
42:
30:
17:
12:
11:
5:
879:
877:
869:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
836:Polish rapists
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
778:
777:
774:
773:
765:
764:External links
762:
760:
759:
748:
730:
693:
671:
641:
639:
636:
635:
634:
627:
624:
584:
581:
554:Rio de Janeiro
434:Eastern Europe
417:in the 1890s.
351:United Kingdom
346:
343:
337:
334:
281:
278:
276:
273:
232:
231:
226:Hannah Opticer
224:
220:
219:
213:
212:Known for
209:
208:
195:
191:
190:
177:
169:
165:
164:
161:Russian Empire
151:
145:
143:
139:
138:
130:
129:
126:
119:
118:
33:
31:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
878:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
783:
781:
771:
768:
767:
763:
757:
752:
749:
745:. 3 May 2007.
744:
740:
734:
731:
719:
715:
711:
707:
700:
698:
694:
689:
682:
680:
678:
676:
672:
660:on 6 May 2007
659:
655:
649:
647:
643:
637:
633:
630:
629:
625:
623:
621:
617:
613:
610:
606:
602:
601:Ezekiel 23:25
598:
594:
590:
582:
580:
578:
574:
570:
566:
562:
557:
555:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
498:
496:
495:Potchefstroom
492:
488:
484:
480:
476:
472:
468:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
418:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
386:
381:
376:
373:prison for a
372:
368:
367:New York City
364:
363:United States
360:
356:
352:
344:
342:
335:
333:
331:
327:
321:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
279:
274:
272:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
237:Joseph Silver
230:Rachel Laskin
225:
221:
217:
214:
210:
207:
203:
199:
196:
194:Occupation(s)
192:
188:
184:
180:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
144:
140:
136:
131:
127:Joseph Silver
124:
115:
112:
104:
101:February 2024
93:
90:
86:
83:
79:
76:
72:
69:
65:
62: –
61:
57:
56:Find sources:
50:
46:
40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
751:
742:
733:
721:. Retrieved
709:
687:
662:. Retrieved
658:the original
588:
586:
558:
534:Buenos Aires
508:, where his
499:
462:blue vitriol
454:racketeering
446:Bloemfontein
426:Johannesburg
419:
365:in 1889. In
348:
339:
322:
283:
240:
236:
235:
173:(1918-00-00)
107:
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
791:1918 deaths
786:1868 births
664:19 November
616:Whitechapel
612:blood libel
609:antisemitic
561:World War I
550:gun-running
383: [
290:Działoszyce
255:throughout
206:Businessman
780:Categories
638:References
546:Valparaíso
502:Neumünster
487:Swakopmund
458:chloroform
450:litigation
391:Pittsburgh
280:Background
275:Early life
71:newspapers
718:0260-9592
577:espionage
530:Balvanera
479:Ninevites
442:Cape Town
438:Kimberley
371:Sing Sing
302:Chmielnik
241:Józef Lis
223:Spouse(s)
146:Józef Lis
626:See also
573:Jarosław
542:Santiago
518:Brussels
491:Windhoek
415:syphilis
355:East End
330:misogyny
314:tenement
261:Americas
202:Criminal
179:Jarosław
723:29 June
605:Tevilah
514:Antwerp
510:mugshot
395:brothel
318:Yiddish
306:Staszów
218:suspect
183:Galicia
85:scholar
716:
526:Aachen
524:, and
444:, and
430:Jewish
359:London
345:Career
310:Kielce
294:Opatów
286:Jewish
259:, the
257:Europe
239:(born
153:Kielce
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
538:Chile
522:Liège
506:Paris
424:. In
397:near
387:]
269:Pimps
92:JSTOR
78:books
725:2024
714:ISSN
666:2021
544:and
489:and
471:Zulu
405:and
336:Name
292:and
263:and
251:and
198:Pimp
171:1918
168:Died
149:1868
142:Born
64:news
357:of
271:".
47:by
782::
741:.
708:.
696:^
674:^
645:^
532:,
520:,
516:,
440:,
385:de
185:,
181:,
159:,
155:,
727:.
668:.
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
