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    The History of the Chicago Gangsters
    The History of the Chicago Gangsters
    The History of the Chicago Gangsters
    Ebook71 pages3 hours

    The History of the Chicago Gangsters

    By William Howard

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    About this ebook

    The early days of Chicago's organized crime began in 1850 with Michael Cassius McDonald as the original crime boss and The Black Hand. "Big Jim" Colosimo, Johnny "The Fox" Torri and Al "Scarface" Capone followed as the boss of bosses. Prohibition brought gangland war to Chicago. Capone fought for territory with Dean "Gimpy" O'Bannon, Earl "Hymie" Weiss, Vincent "The Schemer" Ducci and George "Bugs" Moran. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was the beginning of the end for Capone. This book follows gangsters in Chicago onward to the year 2010.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWilliam Howard
    Release dateJan 12, 2017
    ISBN9781370501328
    The History of the Chicago Gangsters
    Author

    William Howard

    William Howard was born and raised in Colorado. He has been on faculty at Western Michigan University and Northern Michigan University. He holds a Doctorate in Special Education and worked in public education for 26 years. He travels often to Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona.

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      Book preview

      The History of the Chicago Gangsters - William Howard

      The History of the Chicago Gangsters

      William Howard

      Copyright 2017 by William Howard

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from William Howard, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

      All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

      Smashwords Edition

      Licensing Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal use and enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, please visit Smashwords.com and purchase a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

      E-Book by e-book-design.com.

      Table of Contents

      Part One: The Early Years

      Part Two: The Capone Years

      Part Three: The 1940s

      Part Four: The1950s

      Part Five: The 1960s

      Part Six: The 1970s and 1980s

      Part Seven: The 1990s

      Part Eight: The 2000s

      Historic Leadership

      Part One

      The Early Years

      In the 1850’s Chicago was a national railroad hub. Michael Cassius McDonald, an Irish-American, is considered Chicago’s organize crime boss. A run-a-way from Upstate New York, he came to Chicago alone right before the Civil War by way of a train. As a ragged looking young boy, he was a candy butcher on railroad cars. McDonald sold half full boxes of candy and phony raffle tickets to passengers to survive.

      During this period, there was discrimination against the Irish for jobs. So as a teenager he learned how to gamble successfully. McDonald bought fancy suits, polished shoes and expensive cigars.

      He gambled at The Sands in Chicago’s red-light district noted for card sharps.

      In 1857, a new mayor named John Wentworth, had his police force burn down The Sands and close the brothels. Gambling houses moved throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods. In one of the neighborhoods during this time, McDonald ran a faro game. Faro was a European card game made famous by Mississippi gamblers and cowboys. McDonald’s customers included wealthy citizens and politicians.

      During the Civil War, McDonald led a group of bounty jumpers who took the $300 signing bonus before deserting. Then they would return to Chicago and reenlist under a different name.

      McDonald got half of the $300 and offered to get them out of trouble if necessary. With the money, McDonald made off this scam he bought a saloon, gambling house and a top end hotel. He prospered.

      When the war ended, McDonald had several real estate properties, four gambling dens and a liquor distributorship.

      McDonald acquired a girlfriend named Isabella Belle Jewel. When visiting friends, he introduced as Mrs. McDonald but they were never married. They lived in a wealthy neighborhood.

      Often, they would go to fine restaurants for the evening. Partly because McDonald was a drunk or maybe a physical abuser, Belle left him after seven years. She joined a St. Louis convent until her death in 1889.

      In 1871, during the Great Chicago Fire, McDonald lost everything he owned. Following its aftermath, he opened another gambling house. Some of McDonald’s well-dressed employees steered gamblers from the railroad station to the gambling parlor.

      Upon an effort to shut him down by a new mayor named Joseph Medill, McDonald threatened to expose bribes given to the police superintendent. Mayor Medill left unexpectedly to Europe.

      McDonald threw his political weight to Harvey Colvin who won an election for mayor. Chicago became a wide-open city.

      In 1873 McDonald opened the high-end gambling business named The Store. On the first floor was a saloon and a cigar shop. The second floor was a beautifully designed gambling parlor.

      Located on the third floor, The Palace European Hotel located on the third floor offered rooms to gamblers. His girlfriend Mary and her two kids lived at the hotel. McDonald made overnight visits to Mary’s bedroom.

      McDonald had the Chicago police force on his payroll. When he pulled out a gun at a political rally the police did nothing. He gave money to charities. When he disliked someone. he could be violent. Once, when arrested for assault and battery, he was quickly acquitted of all charges against him.

      That same night he threw a banquet for the police and judge.

      Mary took off with a banjo player named Billy Arlington. He followed them to San Francisco and threatened them with a loaded pistol. He forgave her and she returned to Chicago.

      She met a priest named Father Joseph Moysant and had an affair with him. They went to New

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