Minnesota’s Most Notorious Mobster: The Making and Breaking of Kid Cann

by Ron de Beaulieu

“Ninety percent of [what] was written about me is bullshit”

Isadore Blumenfeld, aka Kid Cann, came to Minnesota as a toddler when his family emigrated from Romania. In Prohibition-era Minneapolis, a city of vast wealth inequality and vicious antisemitism, young Isadore rose from impoverished newsboy to millionaire. Kid Cann’s ruthless determination, growing organized crime network and willingness to commit wanton violence ignited his meteoric ascent. He got away with innumerable crimes over four decades before a series of relatively minor offenses brought him down. Although ravaged by stress and stripped of his social stature, the infamous gangster earned a place in the folklore of Minnesota. Historian Ron de Beaulieu recounts the saga of the state’s most notorious crime boss.

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always amazed when I read books about this time period in Minnesota at how corrupt the police departments were. It is no wonder that criminals liked being here! Spreading money around could buy a lot of freedom to do as you wanted.

[Gena Horbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read with lots of detail about the crime scene surrounding Kid Cann, but I wish there had been more about him personally. Isadore is an exploiter and manipulator, but the book doesn’t share what he is directly doing besides being a shadow operator. 4/5

[Logan West · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well-sourced introduction to this topic, though it does leave some to be desired about Isadore himself.