Thirty-five-year-old Joseph "Big Rabbit" Connell was proprietor of the Island Tavern, a "Whoopee" joint, on Chicago's Goose Island. In the early days he was a slugger in the taxi wars. His record consisted of small time infractions. The previous spring he ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for the state legislature.
As owner of the Island Tavern, Connell was paying $55 for a barrel of beer. The price set by the "Syndicate". Not satisfied with the profits, Connell started brewing his own stuff for only seven dollars a barrel. Soon he branched out and started to sell to other North Side saloons charging only $30 a barrel.
The competition responded just before eleven on the night of August 10, 1932. Connell stepped out of his saloon for a breath of fresh air when a small sedan pulled up. Someone from the car called to Connell and said that they wanted to speak with him. As the tavern owner approached the car, automatic shotgun(s) came out the window and went off. Hit by sixteen slugs, Connell staggered to the side of his bar and dropped dead.
Joe may have been friendly with North Side gangsters, as his younger brother, George "Little Rabbit" Connell was said to be friends with deceased North Side gang leader Dean O'Banion. At the time of Joe's murder, Little Rabbit was serving a term in prison for stealing a truck load of whiskey from a pharmaceutical and chemical company.
Joseph "Big Rabbit" Connell
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