Persits, notes Alan Block,
"primarily worked with Marat Balagula, once called the Russian
'Godfather' ... [He] sprinted to the top of the émigré underworld in
Brighton Beach ... He formed a fuel distributorship called Mallard with
Lev Naum, originally from Kiev, Efram Nezhinski, and Carlos Orsini. [BLOCK, A., 1996, p. 165]
Other Jewish associates in this criminal netherworld include Boris (a "fairly
typical heroin delaer") [BONNER, R., 11-16-01] and Benjamin Nayfield, Evsei Agron
("the most notorious Russian organized crime figure in New York until he was gunned
down"), Ilia Zeltzer, Michael Vax, and Efim Laskin. [Block, A., 1996, p. 166] Jewish
lawyer Robert Eisenberg became a "sort of 'consigliere'" for Marat Balagula. Another
player, also Jewish, in this network was Brooklyn Surrogate Court Judge Bernard
Bloom, "who was both corrupt and close to [New York governor] Cuomo." For $50,000
Bloom's office helped mob boss Balagula untangle from some restrictive legalities.
[BLOCK, A., 1996, p. 172]
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