The Hunt for the Last Public Enemy in Northeastern Ohio: Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and his Road to Alcatraz

by Julie A. Thompson, Ian Craig (Foreword by)

Overview

The last Public Enemy No. 1 of the Depression era, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis reportedly compiled a record of fifty-four aliases, fifteen bank robberies, fourteen murders, three jailbreaks and two kidnappings.

His criminal career came to an end when J. Edgar Hoover and his famed G-Men apprehended the man they wanted more than any other in New Orleans. From there, Karpis found himself confined on Alcatraz Island, where he spent nearly twenty-six years - more than any inmate in the prison's history. Historian Julie Thompson tells the true story of Karpis's life and career, a riveting tale taking readers from rural Kansas and Ohio to the bustling streets of the Big Easy and into the bleak innards of "the Rock."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467138208
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	04/15/2019
Series:	True Crime
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

A lifelong native of Northeast Ohio, historian Julie Thompson completed her history degree at Hiram College, where she graduated with distinction. She has volunteered at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and worked extensively with the Library of Congress Publishing Office on four of its substantial published works. Julie remains an active member of the Freedom Township Historical Society and has served on the board of trustees for the James A. Garfield Historical Society, where she engaged with Hiram College to develop the society's first internship program and served as a member of her area's Inter-Museum Council.

Table of Contents

Foreword Ian Craig 11

Acknowledgements 15

Introduction. The Rise in Northeastern Ohio's Gangster Sightings 19

1 Enter the Thief 27

2 The Infamous "Bloody Barkers" 37

3 The FBI: The Elite Crime Fighters 45

4 Enter the Justice 48

5 The Business of Kidnapping 59

6 The Good Doctor? 68

7 Dizzy with Two Dames 71

8 Cleveland: First the Birth of Crime, Then the Birth of Rock-and-Roll 75

9 "Big Joe": The Alligator Leads Feds to the Barkers 86

10 The Ones Who Got Away 91

11 Gangsters Revisit Northeastern Ohio 95

12 The Next-to-Last Score 100

13 The Last Great Train Robbery 105

14 "Cloak and Dagger": The Waiting Game 118

15 Hoover's Fledgling Career 124

16 "The Story of Hoover the Hero Is False" 128

17 And Now You'll Know the Rest of the Story 136

18 Alcatraz: The Infamous "Pelican" Island 143

19 Bread, Booze and Bad Boys at Alcatraz 158

20 A Changed Man after Alcatraz 165

21 Devoted Delaney 170

22 Hollywood Came Calling 175

23 End of an Outlaw Era 177

Final Thoughts. The Legacy 181

Notes 185

About the Author 207