Stories
Prohibition Era
Al Capone and The Irish Mob
Alphonse Capone or just Al Capone instantly recognizable as one of the most notorious and well-known figures of the Twentieth Century. He had many other aliases, Snorky, Scarface, Scarface Al, and Al Brown, used furniture salesman. Capone was both an ally and enemy to...
The Untold Story of the Diamond Brothers Gang
This photograph, which was taken in 1926, is quite an unusual police line-up for in 1926 these four were known as the Diamond Brothers gang, headed by the infamous Jack "Legs" Diamond and his younger brother Eddie. Also in the photo is Thomas "Fatty" Walsh, another...
The Death of Edward Fats McCarthy Popke
Fats McCarthy was one Vincent "Mad Dog" Colls trusted associate's and most trusted trigger man, and had once been one of Dutch Schultz's men but left Schultz operation when Coll parted ways with Schultz. McCarthy, who's real name was Edward Popke, was with Vincent...
The Fox Lake Massacre
The Fox Lake Massacre was an event when Prohibition Era violence spilled over into Lake County, northeastern Illinois on June 1, 1930. Gangsters from Terry "Machine Gun" Druggan & Frankie Lake's gang were gunned down at Manning's Hotel in Fox Lake. That area of...
Waxey Gordon
Irving Wexler better known as Waxey Gordon was born to Polish - Jewish Immigrants in 1888, he grew up to become an infamous Prohibition Era gangster who specialized in bootlegging, illegal gambling and in later years, narcotics. He grew up in New York's Lower East...
Bloody Williamson
Williamson County in Southern Illinois during the 1920's was a lawless place, there was the Herrin Mine Massacre where 23 people were killed during a strike, bootlegging and Prohibition were in full effect and this would set the stage for an all out war between hated...
Frankie Lake, Terry Druggan and the Valley Gang
Frankie Lake and Terry Druggan were leaders of The Valley Gang from Chicago, the were one of the most successful bootleggers of their time, amassing a fortune from bootlegging and rum-running. Its said they were making so much money that even the lowest gang member...
Charles Vannie Higgins – His Life and Crimes
Charles Vannie Higgins was born in 1897 and is generally regarded as the last Irish Boss of Brooklyn, he was born in the Bay Ridge area in Brooklyn. He built up a successful bootlegging operation but he was never really considered a big time mobster, he has almost...
The Sheltons special delivery for Charlie Bergir
The Sheltons were once described as Americas bloodiest gang and for good reason, they were locked in a war with their main rival who was once an ally, Charlie Birger. The Agnes & Ben Shelton raised 10 children on a farm near Fairfield, in Wayne County, Illinois....