Through a contact in Detroit, Capone arranged for
someone to call Moran and tell him that a special
shipment of hijacked whiskey was going to be delivered
to one of Moran’s garages on the north side. Adam
Heyer, a friend of Moran, owned the garage and it was
used as a distribution point for north side liquor. A sign
on the front of the building at 2122 North Clark Street
read “S-M-C Cartage Co. Shipping - Packing - Long
Distance Hauling”. Moran received the call at the garage
on the morning of February 13 and he arranged to be
there to meet the truck the next day.
On the morning of February 14, a group of Moran’s
men gathered at the Clark Street garage. One of the men
was Johnny May, an ex-safecracker who had been hired
by Moran as an auto mechanic. He was working on a
truck that morning, with his dog, a German Shepherd
named Highball, tied to the bumper. In addition, six other
men waited for the truck of hijacked whiskey to arrive.
The men were Frank and Pete Gusenberg, who were
supposed to meet Moran and pick up two empty trucks
to drive to Detroit and pick up smuggled Canadian
whiskey; James Clark, Moran's brother-in-law; Adam
Heyer; Al Weinshank; and Reinhardt Schwimmer, a
young optometrist who had befriended Moran and hung
around the liquor warehouse just for the thrill of rubbing
shoulders with gangsters.
George Moran was already late for the morning meeting.
He was due to arrive at 10:30 but didn't even leave for
the rendezvous, in the company of Willie Marks and Ted
Newberry, until several minutes after that. As the seven
men waited inside of the warehouse, they had no idea
that a police car had pulled up outside, or that Moran
had spotted the car as he was driving south on Clark
Street and rather than deal with what he believed was a
shakedown, stopped at the next corner for a cup of
coffee.
Five men got out of the police car, two of them in
uniforms and three in civilian clothing. They entered the
building and a few moments later, the clatter of machine
gun fire broke the stillness of the snowy morning. Soon
after, five figures emerged and they drove away. May's
dog, inside of the warehouse, began barking and
howling.
The landlady in the next building, Mrs. Jeanette
Landesman, was bothered by the sound of the dog and
she sent one of her boarders, C.L. McAllister, to the
garage to see what was going on. He came outside two
minutes later, his face a pale white color. He ran
frantically up the stairs to beg Mrs. Landesman to call
the police. He cried that the garage was full of dead men!
The police were quickly summoned and on entering the
garage, were stunned by the carnage. Moran's men had
been lined up against the rear wall of the garage and had
been sprayed with machine-guns. Pete Gusenberg had
died kneeling, slumped over a chair. James Clark had
fallen on his face with half of his head blown away and
Heyer, Schwimmer, Weinshank and May were thrown
lifeless onto their backs. Only one of the men survived
the slaughter and he lived for only a few hours. Frank
Gusenberg had crawled from the blood-sprayed wall
where he had fallen and dragged himself into the middle
of the dirty floor. He was rushed to the Alexian Brothers
Hospital, barely hanging on. Police sergeant Clarence
Sweeney, who had grown up on the same street as
Gusenberg, leaned down close to Frank and asked who
had shot him. “No one --- nobody shot me,” he groaned
and he died later that night.
The death toll of the massacre stood at seven but the
killers had missed Moran. When the police contacted
him later and told him what had happened at the garage,
he “raved like a madman”. To the newspapers, Moran
targeted Capone as ordering the hit. The authorities
claimed to be baffled though, since Capone was in
Florida at the time of the massacre. When he was asked
to comment on the news, Capone stated, "the only man
who kills like that is Bugs Moran". At the same time,
Moran was proclaiming that "only Capone kills guys like
that".
And Moran was undoubtedly right. The murders broke
the power of the north side gang and while there have
been many claims as to who the actual shooters were
that day, most likely they included John Scalise, Albert
Anselmi and "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, all of whom
were some of Capone's most trusted men. All three
men, along with Joseph Guinta, were arrested but
McGurn had an alibi and Scalise and Guinta were killed
before they could be tried.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre marked the end of
any significant gang opposition to Capone but it was also
the act that finally began the decline of Capone’s
criminal empire. He had just gone too far and the
authorities, and even Capone's adoring public, were
ready to put an end to the bootleg wars.
someone to call Moran and tell him that a special
shipment of hijacked whiskey was going to be delivered
to one of Moran’s garages on the north side. Adam
Heyer, a friend of Moran, owned the garage and it was
used as a distribution point for north side liquor. A sign
on the front of the building at 2122 North Clark Street
read “S-M-C Cartage Co. Shipping - Packing - Long
Distance Hauling”. Moran received the call at the garage
on the morning of February 13 and he arranged to be
there to meet the truck the next day.
On the morning of February 14, a group of Moran’s
men gathered at the Clark Street garage. One of the men
was Johnny May, an ex-safecracker who had been hired
by Moran as an auto mechanic. He was working on a
truck that morning, with his dog, a German Shepherd
named Highball, tied to the bumper. In addition, six other
men waited for the truck of hijacked whiskey to arrive.
The men were Frank and Pete Gusenberg, who were
supposed to meet Moran and pick up two empty trucks
to drive to Detroit and pick up smuggled Canadian
whiskey; James Clark, Moran's brother-in-law; Adam
Heyer; Al Weinshank; and Reinhardt Schwimmer, a
young optometrist who had befriended Moran and hung
around the liquor warehouse just for the thrill of rubbing
shoulders with gangsters.
George Moran was already late for the morning meeting.
He was due to arrive at 10:30 but didn't even leave for
the rendezvous, in the company of Willie Marks and Ted
Newberry, until several minutes after that. As the seven
men waited inside of the warehouse, they had no idea
that a police car had pulled up outside, or that Moran
had spotted the car as he was driving south on Clark
Street and rather than deal with what he believed was a
shakedown, stopped at the next corner for a cup of
coffee.
Five men got out of the police car, two of them in
uniforms and three in civilian clothing. They entered the
building and a few moments later, the clatter of machine
gun fire broke the stillness of the snowy morning. Soon
after, five figures emerged and they drove away. May's
dog, inside of the warehouse, began barking and
howling.
The landlady in the next building, Mrs. Jeanette
Landesman, was bothered by the sound of the dog and
she sent one of her boarders, C.L. McAllister, to the
garage to see what was going on. He came outside two
minutes later, his face a pale white color. He ran
frantically up the stairs to beg Mrs. Landesman to call
the police. He cried that the garage was full of dead men!
The police were quickly summoned and on entering the
garage, were stunned by the carnage. Moran's men had
been lined up against the rear wall of the garage and had
been sprayed with machine-guns. Pete Gusenberg had
died kneeling, slumped over a chair. James Clark had
fallen on his face with half of his head blown away and
Heyer, Schwimmer, Weinshank and May were thrown
lifeless onto their backs. Only one of the men survived
the slaughter and he lived for only a few hours. Frank
Gusenberg had crawled from the blood-sprayed wall
where he had fallen and dragged himself into the middle
of the dirty floor. He was rushed to the Alexian Brothers
Hospital, barely hanging on. Police sergeant Clarence
Sweeney, who had grown up on the same street as
Gusenberg, leaned down close to Frank and asked who
had shot him. “No one --- nobody shot me,” he groaned
and he died later that night.
The death toll of the massacre stood at seven but the
killers had missed Moran. When the police contacted
him later and told him what had happened at the garage,
he “raved like a madman”. To the newspapers, Moran
targeted Capone as ordering the hit. The authorities
claimed to be baffled though, since Capone was in
Florida at the time of the massacre. When he was asked
to comment on the news, Capone stated, "the only man
who kills like that is Bugs Moran". At the same time,
Moran was proclaiming that "only Capone kills guys like
that".
And Moran was undoubtedly right. The murders broke
the power of the north side gang and while there have
been many claims as to who the actual shooters were
that day, most likely they included John Scalise, Albert
Anselmi and "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, all of whom
were some of Capone's most trusted men. All three
men, along with Joseph Guinta, were arrested but
McGurn had an alibi and Scalise and Guinta were killed
before they could be tried.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre marked the end of
any significant gang opposition to Capone but it was also
the act that finally began the decline of Capone’s
criminal empire. He had just gone too far and the
authorities, and even Capone's adoring public, were
ready to put an end to the bootleg wars.
| 1. Name the grim event that occurred at this Roaring 20's scene. 2. Name the two rival leaders involved, but not physically present. 3. What was the given name and breed of the dog that "announced" the shocking crime? |
 |  |  |  |
| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
 |  |  |  |
| 1. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre 2. Al Capone and Bugs Moran 3. A German shepherd named Highball |
| ********** |
| Answer to Quiz #197 - February 15, 2009 |
| ********** |
| ********** |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #197 Results |
| This quiz was submitted by Stan Read. |
| The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre |
| Highball in the Chicago Herald and Examiner on Feb 15th, 1929. Photo courtesy of Mario Gomes. http://www.thecabinet.com... |
| For graphic newspaper photos of the St. Valentine's Day massacre crime scene, click here. Viewer discretion is advised. |
| St. Valentines Day Massacre Headlines The San Francisco Call Feb. 15, 1929 http://www.nytstore.com... |
| You might think a Roaring 20s name like Highball for a German Shepherd would be colorful, but remember the names of some of the characters surrounding this gruesome event. Here to name a few: Pasqualino 'Patsy' Lolordo, Antonio 'The Scourge' Lombardo, Fred 'Killer' Burke, 'Shotgun George' Ziegler, 'Machine Gun' Jack McGurn, 'Big Jim' Colosimo, Earl 'Hymie' Weiss, Frank 'The Enforcer' Nitti, and my two favorites Murray 'The Hump' and Jake 'Greasy Thumb' Gusik!! Dennis Brann |
Chicago Tribune
February 15, 2009
On this frigid morning, in an unheated
brick garage at 2122 N. Clark St., seven
men were lined up against a whitewashed
wall and pumped with 90 bullets from
submachine guns, shotguns and a
revolver. It was the most infamous of all
gangland slayings in America, and it
savagely achieved its purpose--the
elimination of the last challenge to Al
Capone for the mantle of crime boss in
Chicago. By 1929, Capone's only real
threat was George "Bugs" Moran, who
headed his own gang and what was left of
Dion O'Banion's band of bootleggers.
Moran had long despised Capone,
mockingly referring to him as "The Beast."
At about 10:30 a.m., four men burst into
the SMC Cartage Co. garage that Moran
used for his illegal business. Two of the
men were dressed as police officers. The
quartet presumably announced a raid and
ordered the seven men inside the garage
to line up against a wall. Then they
opened fire. Witnesses, alerted by the
rat-a-tat staccato of submachine guns,
watched as the gunmen sped off in a
black Cadillac touring car that looked like
the kind police used, complete with siren,
gong and rifle rack.The victims, killed
outright or left dying in the garage,
included Frank "Hock" Gusenberg,
Moran's enforcer, and his brother, Peter
"Goosy" Gusenberg. Four of the other
victims were Moran gangsters, but the
seventh dead man was Dr. Reinhardt
Schwimmer, an optician who cavorted
with criminals for thrills. Missing that
morning was Capone's prize, Moran, who
slept in.
Capone missed the excitement too.
Vacationing at his retreat at Palm Island,
Fla., he had an alibi for his whereabouts
and disclaimed knowledge of the
coldblooded killings. Few believed him.
No one ever went to jail for pulling a
trigger in the Clark Street garage, which
was demolished in 1967.
Although Moran survived the massacre,
he was finished as a big criminal. For
decades to come, only one mob, that of
Capone and his successors, would run
organized crime in Chicago. But the
Valentine's Day Massacre shocked a city
that had been numbed by "Roaring '20s"
gang warfare over control of illegal beer
and whiskey distribution.
"These murders went out of the
comprehension of a civilized city," the
Tribune editorialized. "The butchering of
seven men by open daylight raises this
question for Chicago: Is it helpless?"
In the following years, Capone and his
February 15, 2009
On this frigid morning, in an unheated
brick garage at 2122 N. Clark St., seven
men were lined up against a whitewashed
wall and pumped with 90 bullets from
submachine guns, shotguns and a
revolver. It was the most infamous of all
gangland slayings in America, and it
savagely achieved its purpose--the
elimination of the last challenge to Al
Capone for the mantle of crime boss in
Chicago. By 1929, Capone's only real
threat was George "Bugs" Moran, who
headed his own gang and what was left of
Dion O'Banion's band of bootleggers.
Moran had long despised Capone,
mockingly referring to him as "The Beast."
At about 10:30 a.m., four men burst into
the SMC Cartage Co. garage that Moran
used for his illegal business. Two of the
men were dressed as police officers. The
quartet presumably announced a raid and
ordered the seven men inside the garage
to line up against a wall. Then they
opened fire. Witnesses, alerted by the
rat-a-tat staccato of submachine guns,
watched as the gunmen sped off in a
black Cadillac touring car that looked like
the kind police used, complete with siren,
gong and rifle rack.The victims, killed
outright or left dying in the garage,
included Frank "Hock" Gusenberg,
Moran's enforcer, and his brother, Peter
"Goosy" Gusenberg. Four of the other
victims were Moran gangsters, but the
seventh dead man was Dr. Reinhardt
Schwimmer, an optician who cavorted
with criminals for thrills. Missing that
morning was Capone's prize, Moran, who
slept in.
Capone missed the excitement too.
Vacationing at his retreat at Palm Island,
Fla., he had an alibi for his whereabouts
and disclaimed knowledge of the
coldblooded killings. Few believed him.
No one ever went to jail for pulling a
trigger in the Clark Street garage, which
was demolished in 1967.
Although Moran survived the massacre,
he was finished as a big criminal. For
decades to come, only one mob, that of
Capone and his successors, would run
organized crime in Chicago. But the
Valentine's Day Massacre shocked a city
that had been numbed by "Roaring '20s"
gang warfare over control of illegal beer
and whiskey distribution.
"These murders went out of the
comprehension of a civilized city," the
Tribune editorialized. "The butchering of
seven men by open daylight raises this
question for Chicago: Is it helpless?"
In the following years, Capone and his
Al Capone, most notorious gangster in American history,
was one of nine children born in Brooklyn to Italian
immigrants Gabriele and Teresina Capone. He was given the
nickname Scarface as a young hoodlum after being cut in
the face during an altercation. (His friends, however, called
him Snorky, which means elegant.) As a member of New
York's Five Points Gang, Capone went west to serve as
was one of nine children born in Brooklyn to Italian
immigrants Gabriele and Teresina Capone. He was given the
nickname Scarface as a young hoodlum after being cut in
the face during an altercation. (His friends, however, called
him Snorky, which means elegant.) As a member of New
York's Five Points Gang, Capone went west to serve as
| Police reenactment of the massacre. February 1929 www.mysterynet.com/vdaymassacre/ |
| S. M. Cartage Co. garage where massacre took place. http://www.hymieweiss.com... |
| A crowd gathers in front of the S.M.C. Cartage Co. in Chicago on Feb. 14, 1929, following the St. Valentine's Day massacre. (Chicago History Museum) http://www.post-gazette.com... |
| Chicago Daily Tribune |
| Comments from Our Readers |
Did you know the brick from the wall were removed by a later owner of the building
where the massacre took place. He sold the bricks to a Canadian business man who
opened a roaring 20's bar and used the bricks as part of the mens restroom. When the
bar closed, the businessman sold the bricks with an authentication written document
for $1000 each. Many of the bricks were returned citing the owners as saying they
came across bad luck (financial ruin, illness, etc.). Where the bricks are today are not
know. Douglas G. Smith
*****
It belonged to Moran’s mechanic, Johnny May (one of those killed). The dog was tied
to the bumper of a truck that May was repairing. His barking might have translated into
“Please don’t shoot me! Remember, I’m supposed to be ‘man’s best friend’”.
Don Draper
*****
We moved to Chicago this past July, and I haven't gotten to take a tour of the Capone
hangouts, but I drive down Clark Street pretty frequently. Next time I'll slow the car,
but according to this website, I may not want to linger:
http://www.prairieghosts.com/valentine.html Joe Ruffner
*****
Before I even looked at the picture, I had a feeling it would be the St. Valentine's day
massacre. Then, when I looked and told David I was right, he gave me the event, city
it occurred, two hoodlums and the breed of the dog. So, he knew it all (except the
dog's name) before any research. I teased him, "Just goes to show how old you are!"
Now I'm going to do research - 'cuz that's the most fun part!! Elaine C. Hebert
*****
The clues provided helped me solve this week’s photo quiz. The fact this event took
place in the Roaring ‘20’s and that Valentine’s Day was the day before the quiz was
posted were enough to help me clue into the St. Valentine’s Day massacre which
occurred on February 14, 1929. I remember studying this in school many years ago
and seeing this scene reenacted in movies as well. I googled St. Valentine’s Day
massacre and obtained the information necessary to answer the quiz questions.
Norm Smith
*****
Very interesting . I have heard of this before but never knew much about the story.
Sharon Martin
*****
There would have been a 2nd St. Valentines Day Massacre in Ft. Lauderdale if Mr.
Rick had forgotten to bring Jina a box of candy and flowers last Friday!
Mr. Ric and Jina Yi
*****
May wasn't even a member of the gang. I guess the gang members weren't all bad or
they would have killed the dog, too. Dawn Colket
*****
I believe I have an answer to your question....as I was told...the sound of machine guns
was pretty common in that neighborhood...,.and the dog wasn't really barking...he was
bellowing....and that was a sound the people in that neighborhood wasn't use to....This
was told to me by my dad...who, by the way once told us that he knew Al Capone..I
don't know the connection but he told me that he knew the man...My dad was born and
raised in La. so how they come to meet I don't know...but I do remember my dad
telling us that he had once gone to Chicago to do some electrical work for someone
there. Betty Ware
where the massacre took place. He sold the bricks to a Canadian business man who
opened a roaring 20's bar and used the bricks as part of the mens restroom. When the
bar closed, the businessman sold the bricks with an authentication written document
for $1000 each. Many of the bricks were returned citing the owners as saying they
came across bad luck (financial ruin, illness, etc.). Where the bricks are today are not
know. Douglas G. Smith
*****
It belonged to Moran’s mechanic, Johnny May (one of those killed). The dog was tied
to the bumper of a truck that May was repairing. His barking might have translated into
“Please don’t shoot me! Remember, I’m supposed to be ‘man’s best friend’”.
Don Draper
*****
We moved to Chicago this past July, and I haven't gotten to take a tour of the Capone
hangouts, but I drive down Clark Street pretty frequently. Next time I'll slow the car,
but according to this website, I may not want to linger:
http://www.prairieghosts.com/valentine.html Joe Ruffner
*****
Before I even looked at the picture, I had a feeling it would be the St. Valentine's day
massacre. Then, when I looked and told David I was right, he gave me the event, city
it occurred, two hoodlums and the breed of the dog. So, he knew it all (except the
dog's name) before any research. I teased him, "Just goes to show how old you are!"
Now I'm going to do research - 'cuz that's the most fun part!! Elaine C. Hebert
*****
The clues provided helped me solve this week’s photo quiz. The fact this event took
place in the Roaring ‘20’s and that Valentine’s Day was the day before the quiz was
posted were enough to help me clue into the St. Valentine’s Day massacre which
occurred on February 14, 1929. I remember studying this in school many years ago
and seeing this scene reenacted in movies as well. I googled St. Valentine’s Day
massacre and obtained the information necessary to answer the quiz questions.
Norm Smith
*****
Very interesting . I have heard of this before but never knew much about the story.
Sharon Martin
*****
There would have been a 2nd St. Valentines Day Massacre in Ft. Lauderdale if Mr.
Rick had forgotten to bring Jina a box of candy and flowers last Friday!
Mr. Ric and Jina Yi
*****
May wasn't even a member of the gang. I guess the gang members weren't all bad or
they would have killed the dog, too. Dawn Colket
*****
I believe I have an answer to your question....as I was told...the sound of machine guns
was pretty common in that neighborhood...,.and the dog wasn't really barking...he was
bellowing....and that was a sound the people in that neighborhood wasn't use to....This
was told to me by my dad...who, by the way once told us that he knew Al Capone..I
don't know the connection but he told me that he knew the man...My dad was born and
raised in La. so how they come to meet I don't know...but I do remember my dad
telling us that he had once gone to Chicago to do some electrical work for someone
there. Betty Ware
| Congratulations to Our Winners Rick Mackinney and His Quiz Angel Jin Yi Don Draper Dave Doucette Sandy McConathy Joe Ruffner Dan Schlesinger Elaine C. Hebert Dennis Brann Robin Depietro Kevin Beeson Carl Blessing Kitty Huddleston Sheri Fenley Harold Clupper Nancy Lear Wayne Douglas Maureen O'Connor Carolyn Cornelius Betty Ware Betty Chambers Gary Sterne Margaret Waterman Jim Colvin Norm Smith Mike Swierczewski Joshua Kreitzer Dave Town Sharon Martin Jackie Torrance Marilyn Hamill Marilyn Hamill Beth Long Jim Kiser Kerry Byrne Carole Cropley Bill Hurley Mary Hurley Sandy Thompson John Chulick Douglas G. Smith Tamura Jones Diane Burkett Judy Pfaff Angela McLaughlin Karen Kay Bunting Dawn Colket Carol Lemieux Brian Kemp Debbie Sterbinsky Jocelyn Thayer Bill Utterback Milene Rawlinson Mike Dalton Anna Farris Joelle Steele Karen Petrus Mary Osmar Gina Hudson Robert E. McKenna, QPL |
| NO HEARTS AND FLOWERS ON THIS DAY Valentine Day is meant to be, A happy and loving day. Not so in the North Side Chicago, On February 14, 1929, nay Two rival gangs were playing out, A bloody and hateful war. Seven men machine gunned down, A spite filled, revengeful score. Al Capone and "Bugs" Moran Leaders of two rival gangs, so mean Vying for control of the illegal booze, Stayed away from the bloody scene Barking alarm after the caper was over, A German Shepherd dog named "Highball,'" Informed the police and all concerned The results of the gangland brawl. Robert Edward McKenna Quiz Poet Laureate ***** The gals next door thought "Let's lay low" Yet told the cops All they did know. When all was said and all was done They heard the dog But not the gun. Colleen Fitzpatrick Understudy to Quiz Poet Laureate Robert Edward McKenna |
| Comment from Dennis 'Lady Killer' Brann |
henchmen were to become the targets of ambitious prosecutors.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...
| ********** |
| More about the Massacre http://www.prairieghosts.com/valentine.html |
The Victims (clockwise from
upper left): Josephine
Schwimmer, mother of
Reinhardt Schwimmer, Frank
Gusenberg, John May, Albert
Weinshenker, James Clark,
Adam Heyer, Peter Gusenberg.
upper left): Josephine
Schwimmer, mother of
Reinhardt Schwimmer, Frank
Gusenberg, John May, Albert
Weinshenker, James Clark,
Adam Heyer, Peter Gusenberg.
| The Jail booking ledger for March 29, 1931 shows inmate #6056 Fred R. Burke being booked into the Berrien County Jail. As you follow line #6056 across, you will see Burke’s age, place of birth, residence, occupation (which was left blank) and education. |
| The second page in the book lists the offense as Murder. Court Magistrate Collier sentenced Burke with conditions of commitment "to C.C.” (Circuit Court). The ledger continues with identifying the Sheriff’s Department as who received Burke in St. Joseph. |
| The third and final page shows line #6056 again. The date is April 28, 1931 and Burke has been transferred to Marquette State Prison for life. He would later die there of a heart attack in 1940. |
| Fred R. Burke, Prime Suspect in Massacre http://www.bcsheriff.org/index.php?dept=44&pid=564&month=2&year=2009 |
| ********** |
| The Chicago Daily News |
| Los Angeles Herald Examiner |
| The Milwaukee Journal |
| Daily Mirror Headlines |
| Al "Scarface" Capone |
| George "Bugs" Moran |
| Mrs. Jeannette Landesman http://www.myalcapone... |
| Highball http://www.myalcapone... |
| ********** |
| Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947 |
muscle for Chicago crime boss "Big Jim" Colosimo. When Colosimo was murdered,
Capone's friend Johnny Torrio took over as Chicago's top mobster, and when Torrio
barely survived an assassination attempt, he fled Chicago and left Capone in charge.
The fortunes to be made from alcohol sales during Prohibition led Capone on a vicious
campaign to eliminate his competition. He became the boss of the criminal organization
known as the Chicago Outfit (although his business card reportedly described him as a
used furniture dealer). By the end of the 1920s, Capone had gained the attention of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation following his being placed on the Chicago Crime
Commission's "public enemies" list. Capone's reign of murders culminated in the St.
Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929.
Although Capone was never convicted of racketeering charges; he often avoided it
through jury tampering and witness intimidation. However, he was finally brought to
justice in 1931 on charges of federal income tax evasion. After seven and a half years in
prison, Capone was freed in 1938 as his syphilis grew worse. He died in 1947.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/al-capone-PEHST002243.topic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone
Capone's friend Johnny Torrio took over as Chicago's top mobster, and when Torrio
barely survived an assassination attempt, he fled Chicago and left Capone in charge.
The fortunes to be made from alcohol sales during Prohibition led Capone on a vicious
campaign to eliminate his competition. He became the boss of the criminal organization
known as the Chicago Outfit (although his business card reportedly described him as a
used furniture dealer). By the end of the 1920s, Capone had gained the attention of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation following his being placed on the Chicago Crime
Commission's "public enemies" list. Capone's reign of murders culminated in the St.
Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929.
Although Capone was never convicted of racketeering charges; he often avoided it
through jury tampering and witness intimidation. However, he was finally brought to
justice in 1931 on charges of federal income tax evasion. After seven and a half years in
prison, Capone was freed in 1938 as his syphilis grew worse. He died in 1947.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/al-capone-PEHST002243.topic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone
| ********** |
| For Further Reading |
| My Al Capone Museum (Lots of Great Picture!) http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id28.htm Al Capone on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone The Haunted History of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre http://www.prairieghosts.com/valentine.html Fred Burke Ledge Collection Berien County Sheriff's Department Website http://www.bcsheriff.org/index.php?dept=44&pid=564&month=2&year=2009 |
| St. Valentine's Day Massacre William J. Helmer, Arthur J. Bilek Cumberland House Publishing August 2006 Order Now |
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