Domestic security
and patriotism were front and center in wartime Chicago and in the nation. All
efforts by the citizenry were devoted to success in defeating the enemy. As a
result, the gangster figure all but vanished from the silver screen between
1941 and 1946. It was replaced by spy and war stories
featuring Nazi or Japanese villains. The failure of the film reflected a larger
cultural shift that left the old-time gangster as a relic for the history
books.
5. Not all of
his time was spent in the prison law library. Prison officials suspected Touhy
was the boss of Stateville's enormous Irish gang which ruled over the
facility's black market. Gambling belonged to the Italian gangs. In fact, on
Touhy's first month in prison he was disciplined for sanctioning and
supervising the beating of another prisoner.
6. Jack Cito's
first arrest came in distinguished company. Cito and legendary labor goon Maxie
Eisen, on May 29, 1927, were arrested for carrying concealed weapons. Actually
the two pistols were later found in a secret compartment of Cito's car. But,
since they didn't have the guns on their persons the judge dropped the charges.
Cito's brother was an enforcer in the Capone organization.
7. After the
escape, the Illinois Governor conducted his own investigation and personally
fired the guard, sixty-two-year old-Herman Krause.
8. Darlak was
also armed with a homemade gasoline bomb that was to be used only in the event
that they were cornered in a shootout.
