William Colbeck (gangster)
| William Colbeck | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
November 17, 1890 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | February 17, 1943 (aged 52) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Occupation | Politician, criminal |
William "Dint" Colbeck (November 17, 1890 – February 17, 1943) was a St. Louis politician and organized crime figure involved in bootlegging and illegal gambling. He succeeded William Egan as head of the Egan's Rats bootlegging gang in the early 1920s.
Born in North St. Louis to Irish-American parents, Colbeck joined Egan's Rats in his late teens. In between his gangster jobs, Colbeck trained to work as a plumber. His work in this field resulted in his nickname of "Dinty" or "Dint", as he was most usually called by associates. After the outbreak of World War I, Colbeck joined the U.S. Army in April 1918 and fought as an infantryman with the 89th Infantry Division in France. Upon his return home in 1919, Colbeck became Willie Egan's right-hand man in the gang.
On October 31, 1921, Willie Egan was shot dead in front of his Franklin Avenue saloon by gunmen in a passing automobile. Colbeck had been present at the time of the shooting and Egan reportedly whispered to him the names of the shooters before he died. Now the leader of the gang, Dint announced to his men that Egan's killers were Jimmy Hogan, John Doyle, and Luke Kennedy. These three belonged to the Rats' arch-rivals, the Hogan Gang, which was led by Edward "Jelly Roll" Hogan, the Missouri state beverage inspector. Colbeck and his men immediately retaliated and gang warfare engulfed St. Louis.
During the first years of Prohibition, the Rats controlled most of the illegal bootlegging in and around St. Louis. They also began to supplement their bootlegging profits with armed robberies that victimized banks, armored cars, and messengers. It was estimated that Egan's Rats stole nearly $4,000,000 over a five-year period. Colbeck was ruthless with anyone who got in the gang's way, including its own members.
Dint Colbeck was the most powerful gangster in St. Louis during the early 1920s. He and his men were headquartered at the Maxwelton Club in North St. Louis County, and Colbeck often dispensed bribes, illegal booze, or other favors from his roost. Dint also served as the sergeant-at-arms of the St. Louis Democratic City Committee, giving him a political base inside the city government. While Colbeck was shot and wounded by the Hogan Gang during the gang war, he successfully led his crew against their rivals until a peace treaty was brokered in June 1922 by Monsignor Timothy Dempsey. While Dint did not usually accompany his men on jobs, he had no qualms about getting his hands dirty. Having survived years on the streets and combat on the Western Front, Colbeck was fearless under fire and an expert shot; his weapon of choice was the BAR.
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