“BUGSY” SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY adorable name for a ruthless mobster, so how did it become so widely associated with grim mafiosos?
From Murder, Inc. founder Bugsy Siegel to more recent criminals like Bugsy Noonan, the silly-sounding name has instilled intimidation and fear among those in the criminal underworld for decades. It’s still a name that is mainly recognized as having criminal connotations in popular media. And it’s all thanks to crazy.
The exact origin of the term is unclear, but it seems to have become popular during the early 20th century. Rather than just having a playful cadence, “bugsy” came from comparisons to someone who’d been driven insane by bugs. To call someone “bugs,” or refer to a person as “bugsy” was to call them crazy, or unstable. Not a bad rap for a criminal looking to create a reputation for violence.
