Yehuda Attias (died January 1990) was an Israeli mobster born in Morocco. He is famous for having established the ultimately-short-lived New York branch of the Israeli mafia.

In New York City in the late 1980s Attias operated a criminal organization heavily involved in drug trafficking, making millions through importing heroin from Amsterdam and Thailand as well as hashish from Turkey. They also pulled off the biggest gold heist in the history of Manhattan's jewelery district, getting away with over $4 million in gold jewelery. However Attias was ultimately murdered by former accomplice Ran Efraim in January 1990, and New York's Israeli mafia fell apart soon after. Several members such as Ron Gonen had turned informant and the authorities arrested the rest of the gang in September of that year.^[1]

[edit] References