George "Bugs" Moran
| Bugs Moran | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Adelard Cunin August 21, 1893 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | February 25, 1957 (aged 63) Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. |
| Other names | George Moran; Adelard Cunin (Birth Name); George Clarence Moran (Full Name); George Gage; George Morrissey |
| Occupation | Gangster, bootlegger |
| Criminal charge | Robbery and conspiracy to counterfeit checks and cash in sixty-two thousand dollars' worth of American Express checks. |
| Criminal penalty | 10–20 years at Ohio State Prison; 5 years at Leavenworth Prison |
| Criminal status | Active 1924–1945; Deceased |
| Allegiance | North Side Gang |
Adelard Cunin (August 21, 1893 – February 25, 1957), better known as George 'Bugs' Moran, was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. He was incarcerated three times before turning 21. On February 14, 1929, in an event that has become known as the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, seven members of his gang were gunned down in a warehouse, supposedly on the orders of Moran's rival Al Capone.
Moran was born Adelard Cunin to Jules and Marie Diana Gobeil Cunin, French immigrants, in St. Paul, Minnesota. While attending Cretin, a private Catholic high school in St. Paul, he joined a local juvenile gang. Moran left school at the age of 18 and was later caught robbing a store. He was then sent to the state juvenile correctional facility. Bugs was put in jail about 3 times before he turned 21. Moran escaped and fled to Chicago, Illinois where he was later caught trying to rob a warehouse, taking part in a horse-stealing ring, taking part in robbery involving the death of a police officer, and robbing a freight car for which he received a variety of prison and jail term sentences.
He married twice during his career as a gangster, the first divorce stemming from his wife's disapproval of his lifestyle. Moran joined a gang in Chicago led by Charles “the Ox” Reiser with other prominent members including Dean O'Banion, Hymie Weiss, and Vincent Drucci; all of whom became well known members.
Prohibition was established in 1920 with the enactment of the 18th Amendment, which banned the distribution of alcoholic beverages. Subsequently, criminal enterprises sprang up to smuggle liquor. They imported it, manufactured it, stole it and sold it as a scarce commodity for great profit. The popularity of alcohol and lack of legal competition ensured an endless supply of customers. This smuggling of alcohol was called bootlegging.
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