By Jim Ridings
The tale of Chicago gangsters within the Nineteen Twenties is famous. much less spoke of is the story of the politicians who allowed these gangsters to thrive. throughout the heyday of equipped crime within the Prohibition period, Chicago mayor "Big invoice" Thompson and Gov. Len Small have been the 2 strongest political figures in Illinois. Thompson campaigned on making Chicago "a broad open city" for bootleggers. Small bought millions of pardons and paroles to criminals, embezzled $1 million, and was once then acquitted after mobsters bribed the jury. This publication is the tale of these Jazz Age politicians whose careers in govt thrived on and counseled corruption and racketeering, from Chicago to Springfield. It enhances writer Jim Ridings's groundbreaking biography, Len Small: Governors and Gangsters, which used to be praised by way of critics and located Ridings as a trailblazer between Chicago crime authors.
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Extra resources for Chicago to Springfield:: Crime and Politics in the 1920s
Example text
Lundin sold Big Bill the same way he sold his snake oil medicine. “He may not be too much on brains, but he gets through to the people,” Lundin said of Thompson. ) Several scandals rocked the Thompson administration. 2 million in fake expert fees in a city real estate project. 7 million, a decision their lawyers managed to get reversed on appeal. Another scandal involved the theft of $1 million in fake contracts for material for Chicago schools. Lundin and 15 others went on trial in 1923 and beat the rap thanks to lawyer Clarence Darrow (right).
Smith Bank. He always called himself “Col. Smith,” but he was one of many given an honorary title of “colonel” by Gov. John Riley Tanner as a reward for political work; Smith was never in the military. Col. Smith coveted the governor’s office for decades. He ran for office numerous times but won just one term in Congress. ” A campaign sign for Smith is seen below during a 1926 snowstorm. ) Along with Frank L. Smith, Pennsylvania senator William Vare also was booted from the Senate (for Mob connections).
Jenkins also was involved in the pardon mill. ) When the Chicago Tribune ran a series in 1924 exposing Governor Small’s scandalous pardons and paroles, Small’s Kankakee Daily Republican printed a few stories in reply. One article written by Lee O’Neil Browne (left) stated the Guziks owned a mom-and-pop restaurant, and Minnie Oehlerking was a waitress. Her father didn’t want his daughter working there, so Guzik let her leave. The next thing Guzik knew, he was arrested for pandering. Browne took the case to the pardons and parole board.