Lansky was a short, even-tempered man who provided a calmer counterbalance to hot-headed Mob members. He was a key figure in the Jewish wing of the Italian-Jewish Mob that became known as the American Mafia. He was extremely smart surrounded himself with the likes of Luciano and Siegel. Both of the men were prominent gangsters themselves. Meyer Lansky, nicknamed the “Mob's Accountant,” was one of the most famous and financially successful gangsters in U.S. history.