Zwi Migdal

Zwi Migdal (צבי מגדל, ˈtsvɪ mɪɡˈdal Polish: Cwi Migdał) was a criminal organisation founded by Jews in Poland in the 19th century, based mainly in Argentina. The group's main operation was the trafficking of Jewish women from Central Europe (mainly from Warsaw) into sexual slavery and forced prostitution. The organization, whose operators were Jewish, functioned from its foundation in the 1860s until 1939. The organisation's annual turnover was $50 million at the turn of the 20th century. After the First World War, it had 400 members in Argentina, Buenos Aires being its main centre of operations. It had branch offices in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santos), the United States (New York City), Poland (Warsaw), South Africa, India and China. During the 1920s, the organisation grew to its largest-ever size. At its height, 430 individuals, acting as pimps and in other criminal roles, oversaw a network of 2,000 brothels and approximately 4,000 women in Argentina alone. The organization's success stemmed from the fact that its members were bound by rules that were "based on order, discipline, and honesty." The network was well-organized and members cooperated closely to protect their interests. The organization's founders having originated from Warsaw, the group was legally registered as the Varsovia Jewish Mutual Aid Society, in order to facilitate operations ("Varsovia" is the Spanish word for Warsaw). In 1927, after the Polish envoy to Argentina filed an official complaint regarding the organization's use of the city "Warsaw" in the name, the group was renamed "Zwi Migdal" in honour of Luis Zvi Migdal, one of its founders. The name is rendered in Polish as "Cwi Migdał". The organization lured girls and young women from Europe in several ways. Pindel describes one ruse in which a well-mannered and elegant-looking man would appear in a poor Jewish village in Poland or Russia. He would advertise his search for young women to work in the homes of wealthy Jews in Argentina by posting an advertisement in the local synagogue.