John Dillinger: The Most Famed Outlaw

Written on 30 June 2013 by

John Dillinger is one of the most notorious gangsters from the Depression era. Noted as one of the "wildest" men you could ever meet, Dillinger led an eventful life for the 31 years he was alive.

Born in 1903 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dillinger was the youngest child of his father's first marriage. It seemed that almost from the time he could walk he was getting himself into trouble. His mother died when he was only 4, and most of his younger years were spent living with his older sister.

Dillinger tried to live within the law, but found it impossible. He quit school at an early age and found employment as a machinist. This did not last long, and he soon found himself arrested for car theft. After his arrest he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL four months later and be dishonorably discharged. Dillinger tried his hand at marriage, but was divorced within a couple of years.

By age 24 Dillinger was sentenced for 10-20 years for theft. The sentence, quite harsh for the small crime, convinced Dillinger to become the "best criminal he could become" while he was in jail. His father fought to reduce his sentence and Dillinger was released after 4 and a half years.

However it was too late for redemption. While in prison Dillinger learned all the bank robbing techniques he needed to become one of the most famous bank robbers of all times. For the next 4 years, until he was killed by the Bureau of Investigations, atlanta directv, Dillinger robbed 8 banks and committed countless other crimes throughout the Chicago and Indianapolis area.

John Dillinger: History Of The Most Famed Outlaw

Written on 14 May 2013 by

The iconic gangster that America knows as John Dillinger caem from humble beginnings before coming to be known as "Public Enemy Number One". During his short life of only 31 years and 31 days, Dillinger and his gang led a crime spree across Chicago that is unrivaled even today. Born in Indianapolis on June 22, 1903, John Dillinger was the youngest of two children. Dillinger came from a good family but was constantly getting into trouble as a child. As a child, Dillinger and his gang would steal and play petty pranks on people.

He quit school at age 16 to make money on his own. While Dillinger was said to be a good worker and good with his hands, it didn't take long for him to revert to his criminal ways. In 1924, Dillinger was arrested for robbing a grocery store. A man of twisted ambition, jail bars would never be enough to hold Dillinger. John Dillinger broke out of jail, hooked up with his gang, "The Dirty Dozen", and headed for Chicago. There, Dillinger and his cohorts organized one of the deadliest bank robbing gangs ever known. Dillinger and his gang continued to commit crimes until the FBI shot Dillinger dead on July 22, 1934.Keep looking, there's more: Dillinger car going on display at Indy airport

John Dillinger: The Most Famed Outlaw In American History

Written on 22 March 2013 by

John Dillinger was an infamous bank robber during the Depression. He was born in 1902 in Indianapolis. After a wild youth, he was sentenced to prison for attempting to rob a grocery store. After serving almost nine years, he was paroled and began to rob banks.

Dillinger robbed his first bank in Ohio. He was apprehended by Dayton police and lodged in the Lima jail. He escaped with the help of four recently-escaped convicts. They began robbing banks and police stations, stealing weapons, ammunition, and bullet-proof vests.

During a bank robbery in East Chicago, Indiana, the gang killed a police officer. After being arrested in Arizona, Dillinger was lodged in the Crown Point, IN county jail awaiting trial for the officer's death. He escaped and headed to Chicago, teaming up with Baby Face Nelson.

After several close calls and shootouts with the FBI, Dillinger's whereabouts were reported on July 21, 1934 by a brothel madam who recognized him. She disclosed his plans to see a movie the next evening in Chicago. FBI agents surrounded Dillinger as he exited the theater. Dillinger received three gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

John Dillinger: A Legendary Famed Outlaw

Written on 14 June 2012 by

By the time bank robber and convicted murderer John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. met his ultimate fate in a hail of police bullets in 1934, he was the mastermind of a criminal gang that robbed four police stations and a dozen banking institutions. Dillinger was so good at thumbing his nose at the law that he inspired J. Edgar Hoover to form the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to fight organized crime.

The native of Indiana was already rebellious as a teenager and often bullied other students at school.The whole story can be found at He never graduated, but left school early to work in a machine shop by day and carouse in bars at night. His first arrest was for auto theft in 1922. Even a stint in the United States Navy couldn't straighten Dillinger out and he eventually deserted and was given a dishonorable discharge from the service.

Unable to find employment during the Depression, Dillinger convinced a friend to help him rob a grocery store, but was recognized and later arrested. Convicted on several charges in addition to robbery, Dillinger received a lengthy prison sentence and was sent to the Indiana Prison in Michigan City where he vowed to be the "meanest bastard" until his release. Paroled in 1933, he masterminded a series of bank robberies and the murder of a police detective. He was ultimately betrayed by a prostitute outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, where he was shot three times by police and died at the scene.

John Dillinger: America’s Most Famed Outlaw

Written on 21 August 2011 by

John Dillinger certainly was an outlaw, as he was always pulling robberies. However, the law could have exacerbated the problem. When they threw him in jail for 20 years he vowed to become the most notorious, bad criminal ever. Dillinger artfully dodged the law and his prison breaks made him public enemy number one. He even is noted for committing AWOL from the Navy in 1923. Dillinger was in and out of prison like a Jack in the Box. These sentences were imposed for the bank robberies he kept committing.

Dillinger learned to hone his bank robbing skills while he was in prison. It was these same buddies that helped him break out of prison in October 1933. Dillinger went back to his career as a bank robber and then back to jail. It was like a revolving door. Rob a bank, go to jail, escape from jail, rob another bank all part of the revolving cycle. During one escape he even used a fake wood gun to break out.

However, the revolving door for Dillinger slammed shut on July 22, 1935. The FBI was tipped to where he would be. When Dillinger came out of the theater he noticed the FBI. He then ran for the alley and was gunned down. The only mystery is if Dillinger managed to gasp out "You got me". It is highly possible though that he was dead before the FBI even reached him. It was goodnight to a legend whether or not it was a good or a bad legend.

Most Famed Outlaw In American History

Written on 20 August 2011 by

Was the infamous "Lady in Red", Anna Sage, responsible for John Dillinger's death? Or, was she part of an elaborate scheme by Dillinger's gang to fake his death? Most researchers believe that Public Enemy No. 1 was killed near the Biograph Theatre in 1934. Skeptics think a double accompanied Ann, and Polly Hamilton, Dillinger's girlfriend, to the movies that fateful night. There is little evidence to support this theory and Anna had much to gain by the gangster's death.

Feeling the pains of the Great Depression, many people admired the dashing, well attired man who walked into banks in broad daylight and took what he wanted. Most saw him as a criminal responsible for the deaths of 10 men and numerous bank robberies. He embarrassed police forces by robbing their armories of weapons and bullet proof vests. He assisted with jail breaks. Members of his gang often included some of Dillinger's parolees and other gangsters of the period including Baby Face Nelson, Lester Gillis.

Recognizing Dillinger, in spite of some plastic surgery, Anna made a deal with the FBI to finger Dillinger in order to avoid deportation to her native Romania. As a madam of a brothel, she was considered an unsavory character. Exchange one madam for one gangster.

The Most Famed Outlaw In American History

Written on 16 August 2011 by

John Dillinger was the most famous of American gangsters. He was the second child of a middle class family in Indiana. By the time he hit his teens John Dillinger was already getting in trouble for fighting, and petty theft
Unable to find a job, Dillinger robbed a grocery store with his friend Ed Singleton. Listening to the advice of his father, Dillinger pled guilty. For this he was given a ten to twenty year sentence. Time in prison hardened John Dillinger and gave him access to the tutoring of veteran criminals. After a few years he was let out on parole and went back to crime immediately. Soon after this he was back in jail for robbing a bank in Ohio. While being admitted a plan of escape was found on him, but Dillinger would not talk about it. Four days later a group of men escaped from Indiana State Prison using that plan, and came to break out Dillinger. They did so by dressing up as policemen.

Throughout his career Dillinger would rob twenty-four banks, four police stations and escape jail twice. One of the most unbelievable tales involves The Dillinger Gang pretending to scout a bank for a movie and making off with the money while people watched! There are also stories of him pretending to be a salesman for bank alarms, allowing him access to information for future robberies.
His second escape from prison was aided by his lawyer, who provided Dillinger with a wooden gun. He used this to trick the guards to let him out. Locking the guards in his cell, he made his escape after taunting the guards and making them feel foolish.

After making himself a criminal hero, he was targeted by the FBI. On a July night in 1934, they caught up with him at the Biograph Theater. He was shot three times after trying to escape.

Fun Facts You DIDN’T Know About Dillinger

Written on 6 August 2011 by

You think you know everything there is to know about ol' Dillinger and you've spent hours on your Satellite Star Internet researching the ins and outs of his crimes. But we've got a few trivia questions only the top Dillinger fans know the answers to - how do you stack up?
Dillinger's first robbery attempt was a grocery store - he got away with 120 but later earned a 10 year jail sentence for the crime.
The DOI was a branch of the police force solely aimed at catching John Dillinger. It later morphed into what we know today as the FBI.
After robbing the grocery store, what was the first thing Dillinger did? He robbed a bank.
When he was killed leaving a theater John Dillinger had previously been inside watching a Gangster Movie.
The second time he was in prison Dillinger escaped by carving a wooden pistol which he used to scare a guard into opening the cell.
People were so admiring of Dillinger and his gang they applauded when they saw them. This had to do with the anti-bank sentiments swirling at the time of the great depression.

The Life And Times Of John Dillinger

Written on 18 June 2011 by

John Dillinger in a crime spree that lasted only a little bit over a year, captured the imagination of a country mired in the depths of the Great Depression, and rose to the dubious distinction of being labeled by the FBI as Public Enemy Number 1. His exploits live on, in movies and works of literature, as even today the public can't seem to get enough of this rapscallion of a folk hero.
Dillinger was born in 1903, and committed his first robbery in 1924, when he smacked the head of a local grocer and stole his proceeds from the day.You can find a quick rundown here Dillinger was caught for this crime and sent to prison where rather than being rehabilitated he was educated in the art of bank robbery by his more experienced fellow inmates. Like a college graduate embarking on his chosen profession, Dillinger when he was paroled in May 1933 promptly took up his career as a professional bank robber, pausing only long enough to help arrange a prison break for fellow incarcerates, many of whom joined him on his state to state bank robbing spree.
Dillinger was captured again in January 1934 and sent to prison again, but was able to soon break out of the "escape proof" Crown Point Prison in Indiana. Dillinger reassembled his old gang and resumed robbing banks across the midwest. Riding the wave of popular discontent with the banks in depression era America, Dillinger also received a large publicity boost from the FBI in April 1934. A newsreel was produced ostensibly to assist the FBI and publicize its efforts to catch Dillinger, but it had the opposite effect of bringing Dillinger's exploits to a wider audience hungry for a folk hero and cemented his image as a modern day Robin Hood. The FBI labeled him Public Enemy Number One, but for many Americans he was seen as Public Hero Number One and the way he thumbed his nose at the authorities pursuing him only fueled his already growing notoriety.
In June of 1934 Dillinger joined forces with another notorious gangster, George "Baby Face" Nelson. Nelson shot and killed an FBI agent in a law enforcement ambush designed to bring the Dillinger gang to justice. Dillinger escaped the ambush but the death of one of their own redoubled the efforts of the FBI to capture him, and finally on July 22, 1934, Public Enemy Number One met his end in a shootout outside a theatre in Chicago where he had just taken in a show with his girlfriend. Bringing him down was FBI agent Melvin Purvis who by bringing down the notorious and infamous Dillinger cemented his own legendary status in the public's mind.

The Life, Times and Legacy Of John Dillinger

Written on 25 May 2011 by

John Dillinger was one of the most famous outlaws who lived during the Depression era of the United States. He was a gangster and bank robber.

He spent his formative years being frequently in trouble with the law which lead to his life of crime. He married and tried to live the straight life while holding job. His marriage ended in divorce. He started robbing grocery stores with his friend, Ed Singleton.

He spent a good amount of time in prison for his part in the robbery on the grocery store, but once in prison, he found himself being drawn into the criminal lifestyle even more. His father led a petition to get him released from prison. He was released after only serving 4 and 1/2 years, and was let out at the height of the great Depression.

Because of the economic climate, Dillinger was unable to find work. Because of this, he fell back into the life of crime. He began robbing banks. He also planned and executed an escape plan for some inmates that he met in his prison days.

Because of all these deeds, John Dillinger became one of the most well known criminals of the day.The information doesn't stop now. Keep looking: Crown Hill Cemetery

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