Isadore Blumenfeld (September 8, 1900–June 21, 1981), commonly known as Kid Cann, was the most notorious mobster in the history of Minnesota. He was born in the shtetl of Rumnesk , Romania, but was brought to the United States at the age of two. By his 20s, Blumenfeld and his brother (Harry "Yiddy Bloom" Blumenfeld ) held considerable power in north Minneapolis, and oversaw illegal activities such as bootlegging, prostitution, and labor racketeering. A number of deaths are attributed to him or his gang, including prominent journalists who were killed after writing articles explaining the inner workings of his organization. Blumenfeld was Jewish, and associated himself with many other Jewish mafia men.

There was a high degree of political and civil corruption in the region in the 1920s and 1930s. The main newspapers in the area hardly mentioned what was going on, as any outlet that published articles critical of the status quo were threatened. Some small alternative newspapers attempted to report what was going on, but reporters and editors quickly became targets. Howard Guilford of the Twin City Reporter was shot and killed on September 6, 1934. A decade later the paper lost another reporter when Arthur Kasherman was killed on January 22, 1945.

The most notorious death was that of Walter W. Liggett , founder and editor of the weekly paper The Midwest American. He had been threatened and offered bribes to stay quiet, but he persisted in reporting on links he found between area crime syndicates and the governor of Minnesota, Floyd B. Olson. Liggett was beaten up, framed, and finally died after being shot in the alley behind his home on December 9, 1935. His wife and daughter were nearby when it happened and witnessed the assassination. Cann was indicted by a grand jury, but poor investigative work and a careless trial meant that he wasn't touched.

Blumenfeld was indicted for the killing of a taxicab driver, and was also believed to be responsible for the attempted murder of police officer James H. Trepanier .

As the area streetcar system, operated by Twin City Rapid Transit, was being dismantled in the early 1950s and replaced with diesel buses, Blumenfeld owned a 16% stake in the company. Some people believe he held considerable responsibility for what happened, and although a court case years later led some people from the company to go to prison, Blumenfeld was not convicted.

In 1959, he was convicted on charges related to prostitution activities. After his release from prison, he moved to Miami Beach, Florida with his friend Meyer Lansky. They reportedly continued to make money through illegal activities, though they changed tack, focusing instead on stock market fraud, money laundering, and questionable real-estate dealings. He died in Minneapolis in 1981.

References

• Brendan King (October 7, 2003). Isadore 'Kid Cann' Blumenfeld. Find a Grave. Accessed August 25, 2004.
• Timothy D. Holtan (October 16, 2003). Minneapolis Who's Who. Accessed August 25, 2004.
• Marda Liggett Woodbury (1998). Abstract for Stopping the Presses: The Murder of Walter W. Liggett. University of Minnesota Press. Minneapolis. (ISBN 0816629293). Accessed August 25, 2004.
• Nadeshda Zareen. Book Review: Stopping the Presses. New Bangalore Online. Accessed August 25, 2004.
• Peg Meier (June 20, 2004). What goes around ... a look back at streetcars. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Accessed August 25, 2004.