The Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect

by Daniel Waugh

Overview

St. Louis was a city under siege during Prohibition. Seven different criminal gangs violently vied for control of the town’s illegal enterprises. Although their names (the Green Ones, the Pillow Gang, the Russo Gang, Egan’s Rats, the Hogan Gang, the Cuckoo Gang and the Shelton Gang) are familiar to many, their exploits have remained largely undocumented until now. Learn how an awkward gunshot wound gave the Pillow Gang its name and why Willie Russo’s bizarre midnight interview with a reporter from the St. Louis Star involved an automatic pistol and a floating hunk of cheese. From daring bank robberies to cold-blooded betrayals, Gangs of St. Louis chronicles a fierce yet juicy slice of the Gateway City’s history that rivaled anything seen in New York or Chicago.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596299054
Publisher:	History Press, The
Publication date:	04/28/2010
Series:	True Crime Series
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	612,687
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Daniel Waugh is a St. Louis cabdriver with a passion for history, particularly true crime. Despite not having a formal education, Waugh has been researching and writing about gangsters for fifteen years. He has written for true crime publications and is currently at work on a project about the Detroit underworld.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Acknowledgements 11

Gang List 13

Prologue Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) 17

1 Ab Initio (In the Beginning) 23

2 Canis Canem Edit (Dog Eat Dog) 39

3 Absolutum Dominium (Absolute Dominion) 64

4 Para Bellum (Prepare for War) 80

5 Aut Vincere Aut Mori (Victory or Death) 91

6 Nemo Est Supra Legis (No One Is Above the Law) 103

7 Lex Talionis (An Eye for an Eye) 118

8 Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus Always to Tyrants) 132

9 Potius Mori Quam Foedare (Death Before Dishonor) 148

10 Translatio Imperii (Transfer of Rule) 162

11 Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat (Fortune Favors the Brave) 178

12 Intra Muros (Within the Walls) 192

13 Vae Victis (Woe to the Conquered) 205

14 Ordo Ab Chao (Out of Chaos Comes Order) 216

15 Tempus Edax Rerum (Time, Devourer of All Things) 228

Epilogue 245

Notes 249

Selected Bibliography 285

About the Author 287