Myron 'Pep' Levin

Myron “Pep” Levin was a Camden‑born entrepreneur whose life blended legitimate business ventures with a long and well‑documented criminal history. Known locally as the self‑styled “King of Silver,” Levin built a reputation as a dealer in silver, coins, and collectibles, and he appeared frequently in the Camden Courier‑Post throughout the 1960s and beyond. His public persona—flashy, talkative, and always in motion—made him a recognizable figure in South Jersey for decades.

Levin’s notoriety grew not only from his business dealings but also from a series of criminal convictions. Over the years he was implicated in offenses including melting down coins for profit, trafficking in food stamps, and participating in an arson plot in Baltimore that resulted in the accidental death of one of the suspects. These cases led to prison time during the 1980s and cemented his reputation as a colorful but controversial figure in the region’s underworld.

Despite this background, Levin became most widely known for his role in one of South Jersey’s most sensational murder cases: the killing of Carol Neulander in 1994. Levin testified at both trials of Rabbi Fred J. Neulander, stating that Neulander had approached him months before the murder seeking help in finding a hitman. Levin’s testimony—delivered with his characteristic bluntness—became a key component of the prosecution’s case. Neulander’s first trial ended in a mistrial; the second, in 2002, resulted in conviction and a life sentence.

Levin’s personal life was anchored by family. He was the husband of the late Reta (Merlinsky) Levin and the father of Marc Levin and Steve Levin, the latter married to Sheryl Levin. He was also the brother of Ruth Levine, Helene Ludwin, and the late Melvin and Leonard “Yutie” Levin. In his later years he shared his life with his companion, Kitty Farina. Levin died on January 19, 2007, in Cherry Hill, and was buried at Crescent Memorial Park in Pennsauken.

By JIM WALSH

Services were held Sunday for Myron “Pep” Levin, a colorful figure who played a role in one of South Jersey's most sensational murder cases.

Levin, who died Friday after an illness, was a key prosecution witness at two trials against Rabbi Fred J. Neulander, a Cherry Hill clergyman accused of ordering his wife's murder on Nov. 1, 1994.

Neulander, whose first trial ended in a mistrial, was convicted at his second trial in November 2002. The once-prominent clergyman, now 65, is serving a life sentence.

Levin, who was a convicted felon, testified at both trials that Neulander sought his help in finding a hitman several months before the murder.

Levin said Neulander, who was his racquetball partner, threw his racquet to the floor in the summer of 1994 and said, “I wish I could get rid of my goddamn wife. I would have her killed on the ground one day when I get home.”

Levin, who said he did not help Neulander, disclosed the conversation to investigators in 1997. That was after he learned from a prosecutor's investigator that Neulander may have cheated him in the purchase of a Torah as a memorial gift for the rabbi's Cherry Hill synagogue, M'kor Shalom, in January 1994.

In a complaint filed in Cherry Hill municipal court in December 1998, Levin, a township resident, said Neulander claimed the scroll was worth $20,000, but its actual value was about $3,000.

Levin, a self-described entrepreneur who was sometimes called the “King of Silver,” served time in prison during the 1980s after several convictions. Among other offenses, authorities said he melted down coins, peddled food stamps and plotted an arson in Baltimore in which one of the suspects was accidentally killed.

Two men who admitted to fatally beating Carol Neulander in her Cherry Hill home, Len Jenoff and Paul Daniels, also are serving prison sentences.

LEVIN, MYRON 'PEP' — January 19, 2007, of Cherry Hill. Husband of the late Reta (nee Merlinsky) Levin. Father of Marc Levin and Steve (Sheryl) Levin. Brother of Ruth Levine, Helene Ludwin, the late Melvin Levin and the late Leonard Levin. Grandfather of Kenneth and Tara. Relatives and friends are invited Sunday beginning 12:30pm to PLATT MEMORIAL CHAPELS, Inc. 2001 Berlin Rd, Cherry Hill where funeral services will begin promptly at 1:00pm. Interment will follow at Crescent Memorial Park, Pennsauken, NJ. The family will return to the home of Steve and Sheryl Levin.