Al Capone and His American Boys: Memoirs of a Mobster's Wife Review

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Al Capone and His American Boys: Memoirs of a Mobster's Wife ReviewLike gangster Gus Winkeler, this book is a real killer. William Helmer, who has been one of the true experts on Prohibition-era crime for four decades, hits the mark again with a well-crafted, beautifully written and researched work. Helmer rescued Georgette Winkeler's intimate memoir from FBI files and subsequently brought to light a wealth of first-hand knowledge that names the four shooters of the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, who were not the usual suspects in Chicago, but imported, fresh faces, mostly from Saint Louis - now known as "The American Boys." Moreover, he has illuminated August "Gus" Winkeler, who stayed in the city after the killings in the Clark Street garage on Feb. 14th, 1929 to become a force in the Outfit until his own death in 1933.
Winkeler's widow, a shattered but nevertheless cogent and credible witness, wrote her rather dynamic manuscript after her husband's murder at the hands of the Nitti-run mob. Helmer, who in 2004 with Art Bilek wrote "The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre - The Untold Story of the Gangland Bloodbath That Brought Down Al Capone," (another must read) has completed the historical deconstruction of the denouement of the Chicago Outfit of the 1920's with this latest treatise. Along with Georgette's recollections, Helmer has basically tied up the post-massacre gangland years with a culminating addendum of all the relevant players who have become household names, including Capone, Frank Nitti, and the rest of the infamous crowd who made Chicago rumble. Of all of the journalists who have taken on this epic, Helmer has added to his forty-years of contributions with his best and most revealing efforts in this book, defining the profile of the true historian.
For those of us who never get enough of the elusive truth and who ourselves research those hypnotic times, this book is, simply put, pure pleasure. Georgette's memory of seeing her husband and the other American Boys parading around in their Chicago Police costumes before mowing down George "Bugs" Moran's men in 1929, is the most scintillating solution imaginable to one of the world-changing crimes of the 20th century. Along with his 1969 history of the machine-gun (The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar) and his almanac of public enemies (co-written with the late, great gangsterologist Rick Mattix), William Helmer has once again proven himself as a premier authority on the Prohibition decade. This is an elegant book (buy it in hardcover - it's beautiful) issued by the University of Indiana Press, with no stone left unturned. I admit to being a great Helmer admirer; however, as a researcher myself, I must also say that he sets the standard for all of us. I give this one an unabashed five stars, but it deserves six. It is more fun than a barrel of booze.Al Capone and His American Boys: Memoirs of a Mobster's Wife Overview

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Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot before Al Capone Review

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Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot before Al Capone ReviewEven though I have read numerous other books on Chicago's infamous past during the prohibition years I found Rose Keefe's effort entitled Guns and Roses to be another fascinating read which is primarily devoted to Al Capone's North Side rivals. O'Banion's loss of his mother at an early age and subsequent move to a seedy section of Chicago contributed to Dean's alliance with the city's criminal element. The warring parties were driven by greed in invading each other's assigned territory during the beer wars. After the assassination of O'Banion in his florist shop in 1924 a number of his friends (Weiss, Drucci, and Moran) all had short terms heading the North Side mob. Weiss and Drucci being shot and Moran having his gang virtually wiped out at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14, 1929. If you have read other books on this subject you can prepare yourself to enjoy yet another offering on the subject with this book. In addition, this book has photographs I have not seen in other books. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot before Al Capone Overview

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Thomas Pynchon: The Art of Allusion (A Chicago Classic) Review

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Thomas Pynchon: The Art of Allusion (A Chicago Classic) ReviewThis fresh examination of the wide range of Pynchon's works --painting, film, music, and literature-- shows that his true art lies in humanistic allusions that stress the possibility of spiritually separating oneself from the modern wasteland. Written by a literature professor, the point of the book, I believe, is to show that although Pynchon's work depicts contemporary Western culture as destructive & entropic, he also holds an optimism for our ability to escape the traps of the modernist worldview/paradigm.Thomas Pynchon: The Art of Allusion (A Chicago Classic) Overview

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Corporation Sole: Cardinal Mundelein and Chicago Catholicism Review

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Corporation Sole: Cardinal Mundelein and Chicago Catholicism Reviewthere are many reasons why this books is recommendably true and good to many readers. first it is descriptive so that every reader has an idea of what this corporation sole is all about. It is historical. It presents a historical feature of the corporation sole from one place to another and primarily in the Chicago diocese. It is interestingly inviting to those who have never been told to or have never been familiar regarding the church's inherent right to alienate, acquire and possess goods for the church herself. As a separate entity or a visible organization hierarchically structured with laws and norms, it is able to handle its temporal goods which is necessary in the propagation of the faith and the maintenance of the church property and mission. Nevertheless, it is significant to students of both civil law and canon law since it would allow them to take a glimpse of this particular provision - that is - corporation sole - to which the church is in a way benefitting in its relation with the state. Although there is such a principle of the separation of the Church and State, this book identifies the situations in which both can actively participate and join together in these concerns.Corporation Sole: Cardinal Mundelein and Chicago Catholicism Overview

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South Of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, Shoreline Review

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South Of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, Shoreline ReviewThis was absolutely excellent. Before 1998, I was unfamiliar with the south suburbs but they've been a part of my life ever since. As a non-native Chicagoan, this documentary filled in innumerable gaps in my knowledge. Furthermore, Mr. Baer is an enthusiastic and skilled narrator. All of it this was very informative for me. For example, the initial segment on Gary was eye-opening. I hate to say it but I did not know that US Steel was still going strong here nor did I know the history of Elbert Gary. The plan for the Gary school in particular was riveting and no doubt we'd be better off if we had them today (without the junior college element of course). The Indiana aspect of this film will no doubt educate many Chicagoans who give short shrift to the beautiful state to our east.
As the movie segues into South Chicago it enlightens further. The 573 acre post-steel mill neighborhood that is being planned makes one long for some serious economic recovery! Such a development would benefit the city massively. The richness of the south's history is sometimes forgotten due to its current economic woes. Honestly, I've driven on the Bishop Ford a million times but never knew the guy was. Fascinating. I worked in Blue Island for 6 years and it was good to actually hear its history. Overall, this documentary was superb and I ardently recommend it.South Of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, Shoreline Overview

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Father Mac: The Life and Times of Ignatius D. McDermott, Co-Founder of Chicago's Famed Haymarket Center Review

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Father Mac: The Life and Times of Ignatius D. McDermott, Co-Founder of Chicago's Famed Haymarket Center ReviewMonsignor Ignatius McDermott, or 'Father Mac' as he is affectionately known, was born in Chicago in 1909, and grew up immersed in Democratic Party politics and the Roman Catholic religion on Chicago's predominantly Irish south side. He was the youngest of eight children, the son of a devout Catholic businessman. Monsignor McDermott's older brother, James, was also a devout Catholic and an influential attorney who rose to prominence in the powerhouse Chicago Democratic Party of the 1940's and 1950's. At a pivotal time in Chicago politics, James McDermott nearly became the Cook County Democratic Party chairman and a mayoral candidate; titles that ultimately were won by a tough and ambitious Cook County Clerk named Richard J. Daley.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist and political commentator Thomas F. Roeser has presented an inspiring and informative portrait of one of Chicago's greatest humanitarians, Father Mac, the 'Apostle to the Addicted.' His story ranges from the rough and tumble Chicago of the early 1900's to the thriving capital of the Midwest as it stands today. The biography was a labor of love (all proceeds go to the Haymarket Center for treatment of alcohol addition that Monsignor McDermott co-founded,) but had some unusual challenges.
At a recent luncheon honoring Father Mac, Roeser explained: "For over four years, I met with Father Mac for dinner once a week over dinner, and he would recount places, names and events from his life. Every time I thought I had the book done, he would come up with another story that was so incredible I had to add it," Indeed, the book is brimming with stories ranging from Father Mac's encounters with the high and mighty, like the Chicago mayor 'Big Bill' Thompson, to the most despondent residents of Skid Row.
Ordained as a Roman Catholic Priest in 1936 (his first Mass at Visitation Church was attended by Mayor Ed Kelly and most, if not all, of the City Council!), throughout his life Father Mac has inspired all who meet him with his wit, charm, and sincerity. But it was his efforts on behalf of the homeless that distinguished Father Mac from any other priest Chicago has ever seen. Roaming Chicago's Skid Row on West Madison Street like Mother Teresa roamed the streets of Calcutta, Father Mac approached the winos, junkies, and homeless men and women with respect, treating them as human beings, seeing them as God's children. His strategy was to gain their trust and cooperation to get them sobered up and off the streets (several of Father Mac's remarkable success stories are recounted in the book) and it worked.
After a lifetime of work in Chicago's Catholic parishes, at Catholic Charities and in Chicago youth homes, the Archdiocese of Chicago encourage Father Mac to retire. Instead, Father Mac borrowed over one million dollars, and 'retired' to a dilapidated, rat infested building on the near west side of Chicago, turning it into Haymarket Center, today one of the largest and most successful treatment centers for alcohol addiction in America.
Throughout his life, Father Mac put his political connections to good use on behalf of the downtrodden. He successfully convinced the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois to revise their statutes on public drunkenness, essentially decriminalizing alcoholism and putting in place the opportunity for social services agencies to begin treating alcoholics rather than jailing them. When the Illinois legislature threatened to cut funding for daycare centers for the children of recovering alcoholics, Father Mac brought the kids to the state capitol and onto the floor of the assembly. With the children literally in their arms, legislators voted to keep the programs intact.
The breadth and depth of Father Mac's experiences results in a story that appeals to several audiences. Roeser's analysis of the political landscape in Chicago from 1920 to 1960 concisely describes how the Democratic Party grew to dominance. Father Mac's involvement in charity brought him into direct contact with the movers and shakers of his time -- Presidents, Mayors, legislators, Bishops, and his fellow priests -- and many humorous stories are recounted. But more important than Chicago history, Father Mac's story is about Haymarket Center today: the programs and the people who are saving lives and giving hope to the hopeless every day.
An avid sports fan, especially Chicago teams like his beloved White Sox, Father Mac's personal sports recollections cover the entire century, and are some of the best stories in the book. Over lunch, I asked Father Mac how many sporting events he attended in his 94 years. "Oh gosh," he said settling back in his chair. His eyes lit up and a wry smile crossed his face. Perhaps he was remembering the Babe Ruth home run ball he "caught" as a kid, or his days as mascot for the Chicago Cardinals as the NFL was being born, or any one of thousands of sunny days in Comiskey Park, Soldier Field, or at Catholic League high school playoff games. After a minute of silent pondering, Father Mac turned to me, chuckled, and with a smile a mile wide said, "A lot of 'em. I've been to a lot."
"Father Mac got me again," Tom Roeser said with a smile when I saw him recently. (Father Mac is notorious for his humorous quips and one liners, so I was ready for a good one!) Roeser explained that since the book has been published, Father Mac keeps coming up with new stories, including the time that the famous magician Harry Houdini visited Mundelein Seminary in Chicago. Houdini's advice to the young priest stayed with him his entire life: "Keep your eye on the ball," said Houdini, "Keep your eye on the ball."
The 'ball' Father Mac kept his eye on can best be described by the motto he adopted as a young Priest, a quote from St. Vincent de Paul, another pioneer dedicated to the care of the urban poor and sick. "When you no longer burn with love," said St. Vincent, "others around you will die of the cold." Father Mac's heart has burned like a beacon for over a century in Chicago, and thanks to this inspiring and entertaining biography, his faith, hope and charity will not be forgotten...
Karl Maurer is a CPA, political consultant, and a volunteer for several Catholic and social charities... He writes from New Lenox, a suburb southwest of Chicago.Father Mac: The Life and Times of Ignatius D. McDermott, Co-Founder of Chicago's Famed Haymarket Center Overview

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Big Bill of Chicago Review

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Big Bill of Chicago ReviewThis is the most popular and widely read of the biographies of Chicago last Republican mayor. William Hale Thompson, Jr., was truly sui generis.
Despite being born to a wealth family, Thompson charted an unusual career path by dropping out of high school and working as a grocery clerk, a railway brakeman, and a cook on a cattle drive before fulfilling his ambition of being a cowboy and rancher. Apart from attending a business college classes, his education was effectively over at the age of fourteen. This patrician was more than happy to desert his upper class origins to shoot pool and buy votes with complimentary rounds of top shelf whiskey.
Nevertheless, Thompson became famous throughout Chicago as a star amateur athlete and a superb yachtsman. He achieved fame as a star football player for the Chicago Athletic Association and won the Chicago to Mackinac race across Lake Michigan three times. During his downtime, he managed to serve a term as a Chicago alderman and a term as a County Commissioner. In 1915, he surprised everyone, but his political handlers by being elected mayor. He was elected to a total of three terms. When he lost the mayoralty election in 1931, he had equalled the record of Carter Harrison II for longevity in the mayor's office (this mark was subsequently surpassed by three subsequent Democratic mayors).
This book attempts to provide an adequate biographical account of one of the most condemned, controversial, mercurial and inexplicably popular public figures in Illinois history. Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Big Bill Thompson. The biographers succeed in their task for the most part, but the book is not free of omissions. It works as a simple composite and that may be good enough for the casual reader.
One wishes that Preston Sturges had filmed "Big Bill of Chicago." We will have to settle for "The Great McGinty." Too bad that movie is not set in the Roaring Twenties!Big Bill of Chicago Overview

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To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way Review

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To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way ReviewAlthough there is a bit of name dropping and a few self congratulatory stories, overall this book is entertaining and worth reading. Mr. Cohon, while summarizing business dealings which define perseverance, provides interesting perspectives on business management, networking and family values. He also provides a lot of information about the inner political workings of the former Soviet Union.To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way Overview

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Scarface Al and the Crime Crusaders: Chicago's Private War Against Capone Review

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Scarface Al and the Crime Crusaders: Chicago's Private War Against Capone ReviewNo, it wasn't Eliot Ness and his "Untouchables" who brought down Al Capone. It was Internal Revenue agents led by Elmer Irey and Frank Wilson and aided and abbetted by the Chicago Crime Commission and its vigilante arm, the "Secret Six." Professor Hoffman presents us here with a well-documented, and highly readable account of the victory of Uncle Sam and Chicago over America's first major crime lord. Forget The Untouchables. This is the truth.Scarface Al and the Crime Crusaders: Chicago's Private War Against Capone Overview

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The Drummer Drives Everybody Else Rides: The Musical Life and Times of Harry Brabec, Legendary Chicago Symphony Percussionist and Humorist Review

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The Drummer Drives Everybody Else Rides: The Musical Life and Times of Harry Brabec, Legendary Chicago Symphony Percussionist and Humorist ReviewThe legend of Harry Brabec lives on in the just-released, enjoyable and
nostalgic memoir, "The Drummer Drives, Everybody Else Rides." And who better
to navigate the trip than Barbara Brabec, noted author of several
home-business "bibles," and Harry's wife for nearly 44 years.
Barbara pieces together the roadmap of Harry's remarkable life and career,
tracing the twisting route from post-WWII big band drummer to Principal
Percussionist of the Chicago Symphony, to show drumming at the Shubert and
managing major craft expositions, with detours into Disney World and the
Ozarks. Thru Harry's stories, "The Drummer Drives" brings to life a lost era
in the world of music, when every hotel and theater had live music.
Barbara's collection of memories take you "right there," rushing from the
recording studio to make it to the orchestra pit before the downbeat.
A wonderful tribute to a Chicago legend, "The Drummer Drives" is a great
read, and an amazing journey.
Joel Cohen Chicago area percussionist
The Drummer Drives Everybody Else Rides: The Musical Life and Times of Harry Brabec, Legendary Chicago Symphony Percussionist and Humorist Overview

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Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever Review

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Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever ReviewOn the strength of Jim Dent's other books, I preordered "Monster Of The Midway". The story of Bronko Nagurski, the early years of the Chicago Bears and the NFL is fascinating. However the book is much more. Dent's exhaustive research is evident. He has artfully woven the Nagurski story with a lot of the history and characters of the day. The birth of the NFL, George Halas, prohibition, Al Capone, gambling, the depression, Red Grange, college football and much more are included. Each page creates vivid word pictures that take you back in time and let you experience places like International Falls, Minnesota and Wrigley Field of old as you become acquainted with legends, their incredible stories and a captivating portion of upper Midwest history. Highly recommended.Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever Overview

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After Capone: The Life and World of Chicago Mob Boss Frank The Enforcer" Nitti" Review

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After Capone: The Life and World of Chicago Mob Boss Frank The Enforcer" Nitti" ReviewIn a way the title of After Capone is misleading. This work not only covers history after Capone's exit from the Chicago Outfit, but deals with the early history of the Chicago Mob as well. Mars Eghigian has done an awesome job with this first bio of Frank Nitti. Everything to the last detail has been carefully researched and noted. He has utilized primary source records that others have neglected, such as actual court transcripts, birth, death and marriage records, immigration records, city directories and of course, all of the major Chicago newspapers to write the definite work on the life and death of Al Capone's successor. Not only that, but the prose maintains the reader's attention. This is a book that no historian of organized crime and Chicago history can do without. Researchers can thank Eghigian for having done a wonderful service.After Capone: The Life and World of Chicago Mob Boss Frank The Enforcer" Nitti" Overview

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Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul Review

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Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul ReviewI've been completely side-swiped for days by Karen Abbott's riveting true story of the infamous Everleigh Club brothel that operated in Chicago from 1900 to 1911. Sin in the Second City reads like a novel. I had to keep reminding myself it's absolutely true. It's just so absorbing, it's easy to forget you're not reading fiction.
Sisters Ada and Minna "Everleigh" (a name they assumed) were raised in privilege in a wealthy southern family. They were very highly educated women, intellectuals in an age that wasn't prized in the female sex. The story of how they went from high society to becoming madams is incredible, reflecting on their innate intelligence and economic and marketing savvy. But equally remarkable is the difference between their establishment and others that existed around the same time. Rather than demeaning their girls, Ada and Minna lavished money and benefits such as expensive clothing on their whores. These were girls who were tutored in the arts, making them more like geishas than common prostitutes.
The Everleigh Club was an elite bordello, drawing the likes of literary great Theodore Dreiser, the actor John Barrymore, and even a Prussian prince. This was no common whorehouse. Though the girls did provide sexual services, the Everleigh was a much more refined establishment featuring string orchestras, lavish decor, and a class of girls that were a cut above those in lesser houses.
The history presented here illustrates the high level of research Abbott conducted. To say it's thorough is a vast understatement. Not only do we get all the known history on the Everleigh, but the rest of Chicago history is likewise splayed out before us, including all that was going on politically, socially and in the literary world. Really a fascinating portrait of an age and a city, Sin in the Second City is a thrilling read I'd recommend to anyone, whether interested in Chicago history in particular or not. It's a slice of an era, and a invaluable historical record of how the nation stood at the beginning of the 20th century. It's as engaging as any novel I've ever read. I can smell the awards now.
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The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago: A Biography of William B. Ogden Review

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The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago: A Biography of William B. Ogden ReviewIn a letter from Paris, dated 22 August 1877, Mary Todd Lincoln, the president's widow, wrote, "This morning, in a New York paper of Aug. 8, I read the announcement of Mr. Wm. B. Ogden's death. In former times, he was a very prominent citizen of Illinois." Mr. Lincoln, of course, was that prairie lawyer from Illinois who was both a congressman for the people and counsel for railroads, who poured out his life to save the Union. Mr. Ogden was a businessman from a small town in Western New York who through great vision, the force of a powerful personality and amazing determination in the face of staggering setbacks, helped extend and build that Union. As Jack Harpster, author of a new--and given the scope of his accomplishments,almost inconceivably, FIRST--biography of Ogden, epitomizes William Butler Ogden was a builder. At sixteen, as his father lay paralyzed in bed, he built the family lumber and woolen business into an ever increasing size; he later built his brother-in-law's land investments in Chicago into a greatly profitable real-estate concern; he helped build Chicago from a muck-mired frontier garrison and trading post into "nature's metropolis". He was a backer and guiding light of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad as well as the Chicago & North Western. He was first president of the Union Pacific. He had his hands in northern lumber, Pennsylvanian iron, and there was scarcely a public project, a civic organization a plan for development in Chicago that Ogden was not a president, a trustee, a supporter, a silent partner. Even in retirement he was working to help develop public transportation into the upper reaches of New York City.
While there are streets in Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin and New York, a medical center in Elmira, a library western New York, a stained glass window in an Omaha Cathedral, and an elementary school in Chicago all carrying Mr. Ogden's name, it has been Mr. Harpster's destiny to write what must be the definitive telling of his story. With a skilled hand and very cogent analysis, Harpster as biographer weaves the growth of 19th Century America in size, technology and outlook, with the struggles and achievements of William B. Ogden's life so straightforwardly that it belies the immense amount of research and study he has undertaken. Time and again Ogden built a great financial empire to have it washed away by the periodic collapses of national economy or the devastating destruction of natural disaster. Time and again Ogden yield not to depression or despair but turned even stronger efforts to rebuilt and expand. The power of Ogden's vision or his ability to sway both a New York legislature or group of Wisconsin farmers out to lynch him, reminds us of the vision of those who have preceded us and what is possible in our land now and in the future. This remarkable story is recommended reading for not only those of us concerned with history, urban development, railroading, and business, but for all concerned with the human spirit. Five stars.The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago: A Biography of William B. Ogden Overview

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Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties" Review

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Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties" ReviewVincenzo Gibaldi was born in Licata, Sicily to loving parents who wanted a better life for him, and brought him to the United States. However, after first his father and then his loving step-father were killed in gangland hits, something in Vincenzo snapped. Taking on his boxing name of Jack McGurn as his nom de guerre, he became an assassin par excellence, and rose to be one of Al Capone's lieutenants. However, after rising to dizzying heights of fame and wealth, Jack McGurn fell far and fell fast, until he too became just another victim of Chicago violence. This is the story of the brutal rise and brutal fall of one of America's top gunmen - "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn.
Overall, I did not know what to expect when I picked this book up. Having grown up in Chicago, I had heard about "Scarface" Al Capone, "Bugs" Moran, "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, "Hymie" Weiss, and all of the other famous mobsters. But, I must say that this book surprised me with its excellence. The author does a great job of bringing that era to life, and really letting you get a good understanding of the people involved and what they did.
There's never a dull moment in this book, as the author eschewed the temptation to pad out the narrative, making a great medium-sized book into a tedious big book. Plus, I liked the many black-and-white pictures included, and the final chapter that answers the question, "Whatever became of...?" This is a great book on Jack McGurn, and Chicago in the Roaring Twenties. If you want to read the best book on this subject, then take it from this Chicagoan, and get Chicago Assassin by Richard J. Shmelter.Chicago Assassin: The Life and Legend of Machine Gun" Jack McGurn and the Chicago Beer Wars of the Roaring Twenties" Overview

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Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Pocket Star Books True Crime) Review

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Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Pocket Star Books True Crime) ReviewAfter reading "The Devil in the White City", I was curious to learn more about H.H. Holmes/Herman Mudgett. Being familiar with some of his other work, Harold Schechter seemed to be a logical choice for the best book on Holmes. While the book was very thorough, some aspects of it left me with mixed emotions.
Parallel to the 1893 World's Fair hosted in Chicago, Holmes began a prolific killing spree. Inhabiting a large building known as the Castle, Holmes seemed to be an outstanding citizen. His charm allowed him to con insurance companies and other businesses. With bigamous marriages and several mistress, he also easily charmed women in a much more conservative time. Behind closed doors is when Holmes became a monster. Often through slow means such as poisoning and suffocation, Holmes disposed of his victims even after he left his house of horrors known as The Castle.
The major complaint I have with the book is that it tends to run a little long-winded at times. Section 3 is the documentation of Holmes fleeing Chicago and criss-crossing the country on various schemes. This is recounted in its entirety in Section 4 as investigators track the steps of Holmes.
This flaw is compensated by the details of Holmes' trial which created some humerous scenarios. The epilogue which discusses the "Holmes Curse" is also quite interesting.
While the two are not directly comparable, I enjoyed "The Devil in the White City" more than "Depraved". However the details of Holmes' life make this a solid read for those interested. Just skip the 4th section.Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Pocket Star Books True Crime) Overview

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Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness (True Crime) Review

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Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness (True Crime) ReviewI have never written a review for a book before, but I never had a book IMPACT my life like this one. From the book Cullotta, I discovered who killed my father and his barmaid 27 years ago.

My name is Paul and I am the eldest son of Ronald Scharff. My father and Patricia Freeman were killed in Lakemoor, Illinois in 1981 by Larry Neumann. Neumann was one of Frank Cullotta's Hole in the Wall Gang members that my father had the great misfortune of knowing; my father's case in still officially unsolved.

Since reading the book, I have been working to get my father's case closed with a considerable amount of help from Frank Cullotta himself and his co-author, Dennis Griffin. My family and I are deeply grateful for their help. Frank Cullotta has been the only one in the past 27 years that has tried to bring my family and the Freeman's any kind of closure.

Please read this book to learn more about Larry Neumann and his ability to commit multiple murders. Your opinion on this man will help get this case closed. Visit my Facebook Group "McHenry County 1981" to follow my continuing efforts to get closure in the Ronald Scharff and Patricia Freeman case.
Copy and Paste the link below into your browser to Visit my Facebook group "McHenry County 1981"
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/group.php?gid=33678349794
Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness (True Crime) Overview

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