Julius Helfand
Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission
In office
1955–1959
Preceded byRobert K. Christenberry
Succeeded byMelvin Krulewitch
Member of the New York House of Representatives
from the 6th Kings district
In office
1935–1935
Preceded bySamson Inselbuch
Succeeded byRobert J. Crews
Personal details
BornDecember 11, 1902
Brooklyn
DiedAugust 17, 1987 (aged 84)
West Palm Beach, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materNew York University School of Law
OccupationJurist

Julius Helfand (December 11, 1902 – August 17, 1987) was an American politician and attorney who served as the assistant Brooklyn District Attorney in charge of organized crime prosecutions, chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, and a New York state court judge.

Early life

Helfand was born on December 11, 1902, in Brooklyn and attended Boys High School.[1][2] He graduated from the New York University School of Law in 1923 and was admitted to the bar in 1924.[2]

New York State Assembly

In 1934, Helfand was elected to the New York State Assembly by 15 votes.[3] He sponsored an amendment to the New York State tax law which prohibited educational institutions from denying admission to qualified applicants because of race, color, or creed.[1] He was defeated in 1935 by Republican Robert J. Crews.[4]

Assistant District Attorney

In 1937, Helfand became a deputy assistant Brooklyn District Attorney. He was promoted to assistant district attorney in 1940 and was made the chief of the homicide division in 1946.[2][5] In 1949 he became District Attorney Miles F. McDonald's chief organized crime prosecutor.[5] In 1951 Helfand led the prosecution of Harry Gross, a bookmaker whose $20 million a year operation was protected by members of the New York Police Department and city government.[6] Gross was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison.[7] The investigation also led to the conviction of 10 police officers and the resignation of New York City Police Commissioner William O'Brien.[8] Helfand also led an investigation into conditions on Brooklyn's waterfront, which led to convictions for payroll padding, usury, kickbacks, and theft of union funds.[5]

1953 election

In 1953, Helfand ran for President of the New York City Council on the ticket of Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri. Impellitteri, Helfand, and the third member of their ticket, Comptroller were challenged for the Democratic nomination by the Tammany Hall-backed ticket led by Robert F. Wagner Jr.[9] Wagner's ticket was victorious, with Abe Stark defeating Helfand to 62% to 38% in the Democratic primary.[10]

New York State Athletic Commission

In 1955, Helfand was appointed chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission by Governor W. Averell Harriman.[2] He spent much of his first year in office investigating the Boxing Guild of New York, a boxing manager's guild. On December 12, 1955, Helfand outlawed the guild, accusing it of conspiring to blackballing fighters who were not in the good graces of its members, having monopolistic power over television contracts, associating with underworld figure Frankie Carbo, and requiring out-of-state managers to pay the guild to work in the state. He and fellow commissioner Robert K. Christenberry gave the members until January 16, 1956, to quit the guild or have their license suspended or revoked.[11] On January 5, 1956, the Guild's members voted unanimously to ignore Helfand's order and not disband.[12] On January 7, the Guild was dealt a major blow when Al Weill, manager of world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, resigned.[13] By Helfand's January 16 deadline, 59 of the 74 managers had resigned from the guild.[14] Willie Gilzenberg and Tex Sullivan, who ran Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena, announced they would move their operations to the Baltimore Coliseum in response to Helfand's order. Maryland Governor Theodore McKeldin sided with Helfand and persuaded his state athletic commission to ban Gilzenberg and Sullivan.[15] On February 26, 1956, the commission voted to revoke Gilzenberg and Sullivan's licenses.[16] In 1956, the commission passed a rule requiring managers to submit itemized expense accounts to the board after every fight.[17] Later that year the commission indefinitely banned former lightweight world champion Paddy DeMarco from fighting in New York for having a person with a criminal record as a manager.[18] In 1959, Harriman's successor Nelson Rockefeller appointed Melvin Krulewitch to succeed Helfand as chairman.[19] Helfand remained on the commission until his term expired in 1960.[8]

Judicial career

In 1961, Helfand was made a magistrate of the Brooklyn Felony Court. In 1963 he was promoted to acting justice of the New York Supreme Court. In 1967 he presided over one of the trials of George Whitmore Jr.[8] He retired from the bench on January 31, 1972. Upon announcing his retirement, Helfand called for the legalization of gambling, the return of capital punishment, and the distribution of free narcotics.[20]

Later life

Helfand retired to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he died on August 17, 1987, at the age of 83.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Heisbrandt to Hellyer". PoliticalGraveyard.com. Lawrence Kestenbaum. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Conklin, William R. (January 1, 1955). "Helfand Named Chairman Of the State Athletic Board". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ "Orders Scanning of Helfand's Vote". The New York Times. January 4, 1935.
  4. ↑ Hagerty, James A. (November 6, 1935). "Decisive Gains in State". The New York Times.
  5. 1 2 3 "2 Long in Politics to Run With Mayor". The New York Times. July 22, 1953.
  6. ↑ Conklin, William R. (September 28, 1951). "Top Police Linked to Gross Pay-Off as Trial Resumes". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ "Gross Loses Plea to Cut Sentences". The New York Times. January 22, 1953.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Smothers, Ronald (August 18, 1987). "Julius Helfand Is Dead at 84; Led New York Boxing Inquiry". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Keegan, Helfand on Mayor's Slate; Wagner is in Race". The New York Times. July 22, 1953.
  10. ↑ Hagerty, James A. (September 16, 1953). "Wagner Wins Primary Vote; Margin Over Impellitteri May Run as High as 155,000". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Briordy, William J. (December 13, 1955). "Helfand Moves to Abolish Boxing Managers' Guild". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Nichols, Joseph C. (January 6, 1956). "New York Boxing Managers Vote to Ignore Helfand's Order to Quit Guild". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ Nichols, Joseph C. (January 8, 1956). "Marciano's Pilot Resigns, Dooming Local Ring Guild". The New York Times.
  14. ↑ Nichols, Joseph C. (January 17, 1956). "Helfarid Gels 59 Resignations From Membership of 75 in Boxing Guild Here". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ Nichols, Joseph C. (January 7, 1956). "Norris Assures Helfand of Cooperation and Continuation of Boxing Here". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ Nichols, Joseph C. (February 27, 1956). "Sullivan, Gilzenberg and Club Promoting Bouts at St. Nicks Lose Licenses". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ "Helfand Seeking Pilots' Accounts". The New York Times. March 10, 1956.
  18. ↑ "NY Bans Paddy DeMarco". The Boston Daily Globe. September 20, 1956.
  19. ↑ "General Appointed Helfand Successor". The Boston Daily Globe. January 7, 1959.
  20. ↑ Kaplan, Morris (November 9, 1971). "Judge Helfand, Retiring, Asks Legalized Gambling". The New York Times.
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