What Killed Jerry Siegel's Father? By Matthew Rizzuto

Great Caesar’s Ghost!!!!

Many individuals throughout the decades have asked the sensational question about what inspired Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to give us a man from another world, that’s impervious to bullets, can see through walls, has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men and The Gift of Flight?

Yet, more importantly, there are those who’ve asked what happened to Jerry Siegel’s father? Was he shot? Was he murdered? Something worse?!

Did writer Jerry Siegel, along with artist Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel’s best friend and fellow classmate from Glenville High School’s Class of 1934, purposely create an indestructible man from a different galaxy that could wield Heat Vision? There are those who have thought so because of the death of Jerry Siegel’s father.

When you take a moment, please read this. It should answer all of your interesting questions about Michel Siegel’s untimely demise.

Just in case anyone asks, no, Michel Siegel was not from the planet Krypton. Jerry Siegel’s father is from a place on the planet Earth: The country of Lithuania.

On the report from June 2nd, 1932, it reads:

It says: “When Michael Siegel became excited when three unknown Negroes entered his store at 3530 Central Ave. and one of them walked out with a suit of clothes. through the excitement Michael Siegel fainted and fell down on the floor causing his death”.

From The Cleveland Press, dated on June 3rd, 1932.

Phrase: “Supposed to have come to his death from violence” in boilerplate, store not named, hazel eyes, gray hair, no beard, mustache, light complexion, 65 inches high, 150 (maybe 160) pounds, “no wounds” (on body), “ears & nails cyanotic”, (a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes; a sign that oxygen in the blood is dangerously diminished, as in carbon monoxide poisoning), “came to his death…in a room? Or a store or place of business by the said Michael Siegel – where he collapsed and died? As the result of natural causes following the theft of a suit of clothes by ? Negro; death due to 1 – acute dilatation of heart, 2 – chronic myocarditis”.

In other words, the father of Jerry Siegel wasn’t shot.

He died of a heart attack.

In recent studies, it is more than evident that Jerry Siegel lost his father to a heart attack, not a gunman, as a young child.

It is suggested by many that Superman was the avenger to Siegel’s father and that is completely inaccurate.

Sure, it would be nice to make the claim that Jerry Siegel based his cosmic bulletproof superhero on his father, but that has now been proven to be not factual whatsoever.

Michel Siegel (Pronounced Michael) was born Mikhel Iankel Segalovich in Lithuania and his mother was born Sora Meita Khaikels, but they changed their names to Michael and Sarah Siegel, after moving to the United States of America in 1900 to Americanize their names.

Jerry Siegel was the last of six children (Isabel, Leo, Minerva, Roslyn and Harry). His father was a tailor and owned a clothing store, also known as a haberdashery shop in Cleveland, Ohio.

Unfortunately, just like her husband, Sarah Siegel passed away of a heart attack as well, on August 17th, 1941.

Within the realm of my personal opinion, I firmly believe that Mr. Siegel would’ve been incredibly ecstatic and immensely proud of his youngest son, his son’s best friend and of their accomplishments in creating one of the greatest fictional characters of all time:

Superman.

Thank You. \S/

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Use of images are not intended to infringe on copyright, but merely used for academic purpose.