I've added a third article about famous Polish gangster Urke Nachalnik. This
one appeared in The Yiddish Forward on June 23, 2006, and deals mostly with
Urke's literary life. Also included is the original Yiddish version.

http://www.wizna.com/urke3.htm

Urke was born Icek Farberowicz in Wizna in 1897, to a wealthy family, but
his life took a rebellious turn after his father's second marriage. Urke
went >from Yeshiva boy, to a criminal, and then, to a self-made author who
was famous in his time and made a good living at it. And finally, to his
heroic end, in underground actions against the Germans, in Otwock, Poland
(near Warsaw). He was caught derailing Nazi trains, and killed as a result.
His books and stories were published in several languages, and made into
theater plays and newspaper serial stories. Likewise, numerous books and
articles about Polish gangsters have included sections about Urke. Urke's
wife Liza (>from Vilnius) and son Shmuel were last seen in the Warsaw Ghetto.

If you have connections to, and have stories (or photos) about Urke or his
wife, please contact me privately.

Jose Gutstein
E-Mail: Gutstein@...
Radzilow web page: http://www.radzilow.com
Szczuczyn web page: http://www.szczuczyn.com
Wizna web page: http://www.wizna.com
Gutstein web page: http://www.gutstein.net