Sunday, November 18, 2007

John Dillinger (1903-1934)





John Dillinger lived from 1903 to 1934, he was born on June 22 in Brightwood, Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in nearby Mooresville. Dillinger returned to Indiana where he married a local girl named Beryl Hovious and attempted to settle down. However, he had difficulty holding a job and his marriage disintegrated. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy but deserted within a few months and was later dishonorably discharged. Dillinger Became a bank robber, a folk hero and jail break expert. Dillinger was the country's first public enemy #1 and was so bad that he was the reason they started the FBI. He was in St. Paul in the late 20's and early 30's. He was killed by the FBI in Chicago at the age of 31. Through out Johns life he didn't kill a soul until by accident he shoot some one. Down here you can see the weapons John Dillinger used when robed banks and stole from people.

Lester Gillis "Babyface" Nelson (1908-1934)


BABY FACE NELSON
(1957) Andy Hardy gets a gun, as Mickey Rooney proves manic exuberance converts easily to psycho murder mania. Back from the pen, Rooney’s Nelson joins Leo Gordon’s Dillinger, gets plastic surgery from corrupt doc Sir Cedric Hardwicke, then gets too violent even for Dillinger.
Nelson was a hothead and ruthless killer, but he also was a devoted father and husband. He envied Dillinger's fame and Public Enemy #1 status. He was shot to death by FBI agents in Illinois at the age of 26.

"Dapper" Danny Hogan (1880-1928)

Known as the Irish Godfather of St.Paul , Dan ran the Green Lantern Saloon and was the leader of the underworld until he was murdered.Dapper Dan stepped behind the wheel of his Paige coupe and turned the ignition. A bomb located beneath the floorboards detonated and blew off his right leg. He slipped into a coma at the hospital and died nine hours after the blast. He was given a funeral worthy of Prohibition-era Chicago before being buried in Calvary Cemetery.Hogan's death was especially notable because it was one of the first instances of death by a car bomb. The most likely culprits in his assassination were rival mob figures. Too the left is Danny Hogan's house.

Homer Van Meter (1906-1934)


Homer was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Homer Van Meter was the notorious gunman and right hand man for John Dillinger. He was a former waiter, sent to prison in 1925 for taking several hundred dollars from passengers on a train were he met John Dillinger. Homer was paroled May 19, 1933 right after Dillinger, after which the two formed a gang and went on a one year crime spree of robbing banks and having shootouts with law enforcement officers. Homer killing 2 East Chicago detectives and a South Bend police officer. Homer was killed on August 23, 1934 almost a month after Dillinger was killed, a block within the St. Paul Capitol building. Without friends since Dillinger's death, local mobsters determined he wasn't a threat, and tipped their contacts on the St. Paul police department as to his whereabouts. The police caught up with him at a Ford dealership as he was looking for a new car, and chased him into a blind alley near University Ave. and Marion St. With no where to go but not interested in giving himself up, Van Meter drew his .45 and was met by a hail of machine gun fire from officer's guns.

Works Cited

(Homer Van Meter). Vanmeter.com. 11/18/07

(The St.paul Gangster Tour). Wabashastreeetcaves.com. 11/18/07