Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., November 19, 2008 Cheshvan 21, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:13 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

The way of all villains By Roni Singer-Heruti Every big criminal can imagine his own final scene: His car in the middle of a major downtown street, its doors, hood and trunk open, his broken body on the pavement. Standing around are the police detectives he knew from thousands of hours of interrogations, during which he always claimed to have "no enemies" when asked about his rivals. The Crime Scene Identification team examines the remains of the bomb, searching for the remote detonator. Nearby, behind the crime-scene tape, are the reporters and photographers he knew so well from the interviews in which he denied it all. His wife will be in shock, and within a few minutes his soldiers will be with her, the ones who attended each of his dozens of bail hearings. Everyone will refuse to point fingers. Months later there will be another explosion in another city. Retribution. Advertisement Ya'akov Alperon was the brain, his brother Nissim the brawn. But Ya'akov could apply force when needed. The Alperons were always local, on the turf of the Tel Aviv District Police. But they had alliances with other crime families in other areas. In recent years they branched into the beverage-container deposit business. But the protection racket was always their forte. While the Alperon brothers became celebrity criminals, largely thanks to the media, they often engaged in petty brutality. Ya'akov was convicted of extorting roadside flower sellers, was arrested for head-butting an employee and was charged with threats and extortion against sand-quarry contractors. His rap sheet was long, of course, but this "senior mafioso" was once caught on his home security cameras puncturing the tires of a car parked on his street. Ya'akov and Nissim managed to fall out with most of their "colleagues" - Amir Mulner, Yitzhak Abergil, Rafi and Moshe Ohana - and on many occasions escaped assassination attempts resulting from the broken alliances. Recently a senior police officer with thousands of "Alperon hours" under his holster was asked how it was that the Alperons were still out there and alive. "A bit of luck," he said yesterday. "The only reason all the others rise and fall, are taken out or arrested, and these people aren't, is a little bit of luck. Only God and the police detectives know how many investigation files they have and how many threats and conflicts they've chalked up. Who hasn't wanted to do them in? And still, until now no one succeeded. Only by chance." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Iran arrests blogger Hossein Derakhshan admitted to spying for Israel, claims Iranian Web site. Peace through sport Jewish and Arab youngsters are finding common ground through Hand in Hand.

Read & React MI Chief: U.S. can halt Iran nukes via dialogue Responses: 72 Report: Abbas asked Olmert to free Barghouti as goodwill gesture Responses: 60 Fayyad: Settlement building will destroy the peace process Responses: 63 Peres: Syria knows benefits of peace deal with Israel Responses: 49 More Headlines 20:06 Iran aims to launch nuclear plant in 2009 00:09 Settler rabbi: State of Israel is an enemy of the people 21:43 Israel outraged at UN remarks urging end to Gaza blockade 21:18 Iranian blogger who visited Israel arrested for spying 00:29 Alperon's sister: Whoever killed Ya'akov, the same will be done to his children 01:11 Peres' speech in U.K. disrupted by anti-Israel protesters 00:52 U.S. paper: War on terror must include war on terrorists' cash 23:18 Palestinian, Israeli kids find peace on basketball court 18:53 Abbas said to ask Olmert to free Barghouti as goodwill gesture 18:53 Report: Suspected Lebanon spy made frequent visits to Israel 18:53 MI Chief: U.S. can halt Iran nuclear program with dialogue 18:53 IDF Home Front links Ashdod up to rocket-warning system 18:53 Egyptian court bans natural gas exports to Israel 19:44 Haredi man jailed for causing death of infant son 18:53 Israeli diamond trader murdered in Johannesburg 18:53 Palestinian PM: Settlement building will destroy peace process Previous Editions Select Day 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 10 nov 09 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov

Special Offers Advertisement Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Dan Boutique Jerusalem New Dan Hotel in Jerusalem Young, Fun & Distinctively Dan Book Now Online! Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Dial 013 for your long-distance calls and get all your money back US CITIZENS Vote for real change. Request your ballot today! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved