John Dillinger

John Dillinger
Mug shot of Dillinger
Born	John Herbert Dillinger (1903-06-22)June 22, 1903 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Died	July 22, 1934(1934-07-22) (aged 31) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Carl Hellman Jimmy Lawrence
Occupation	machinist; US Navy {Deserter}; clerk
Criminal charge	Bank robbery, murder, assault, assault of an officer, grand theft auto
Criminal penalty	Imprisonment from 1924 to 1933
Criminal status	deceased
Spouse(s)	Beryl Hovious (divorced)
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John Herbert Dillinger (/dɪlɪndʒər/; June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster in the Depression-era United States. He operated with a group of men known by some as the Dillinger Gang or Terror Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations, among other activities. Dillinger escaped from jail twice. He was also charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana, police officer who shot Dillinger in his bullet-proof vest during a shootout, prompting him to return fire; it was, ironically (given his infamy), Dillinger's only homicide charge.

In the heyday of the Depression-era outlaw (1933–1934), Dillinger was the most notorious of all, standing out even among more violent criminals such as Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Bonnie and Clyde, as evidenced by the fact that decades later, the first major book about 1930s gangsters was titled The Dillinger Days. He courted publicity, styling himself as a Robin Hood figure, and the media of his time ran exaggerated accounts of his bravado and colorful personality, causing the government to demand federal action. In response, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover developed a more sophisticated Bureau as a weapon against organized crime, using Dillinger and his gang as his campaign platform.

After evading police in four states for almost a year, Dillinger was wounded and returned to his father's home to recover. He returned to Chicago in July 1934 and met his end at the hands of police and federal agents who were informed of his whereabouts by Ana Cumpănaş (the owner of the brothel where Dillinger had sought refuge at the time). On July 22, 1934, the police and the Division of Investigation closed in on the Biograph Theater. Federal agents, led by Melvin Purvis and Samuel P. Cowley, moved to arrest Dillinger as he exited the theater. He drew a Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket and attempted to flee, but was shot four times and killed.