Another Rat Bites The Dust

In the early hours of February 13, 1924 in St. Louis, Egan's Rats gang member Eddie Linehan, age 22, was found in a ditch wrapped in a car blanket. To say that he had been merely bumped off would be an under statement. There was some anger behind the murder. Nineteen bullet holes were found in him, fired from all directions. He had one bullet between the eyes,  another had blown away his right eye. He took one to the adam's apple. Three to the back of his head, a straight line of six between his shoulder blades (perhaps a blast from a Tommy gun?) and various other wounds all over his body,

He was do in court later that day along with a confederate named Ray Renard for a mail robbery. Earlier the previous day, he and Renard were captured by police after a chase that started because the gangsters were speeding. Linehan and Renard told them that they were out rounding up witnesses for their trial and asked to be released so they wouldn't miss their case. The police let them go. After that the police found out that Linehan went to gang leader Dinty Colbeck's cabaret during the evening. After that they don't know what happened. Colbeck couldn't or wouldn't shed any light on the subject during questioning.

At about 2:20 am police found Linehan's body and figured he'd been dead about an hour. It was speculated that Linehan was bumped off because the Rats didn't want him to make it to court. Perhaps Linehan made some threats if Colbeck didn't somehow come to his rescue and so the gang took care of him. Another thought was that a few days before the murder, a St. Louis cop was gunned down in front of a speakeasy. He had been shot in the neck and then, when he was prostrate, the killer fired two more shots through his head. Supposedly, Linehane was known as a "cop hater" ever since he'd been shot by a one a few years earlier. However Egan's Rats had an unwritten law that gangsters weren't to shoot cops. The theory arose that Linehan was the guy who murdered the officer and so met gang justice.

Eddie Linehan

End of a Flower Power

Chicago. November 10, 1924 -

Dean O'Banion, head of the North Side gang stands in the rear of his floral shop clipping chrysanthemums. He has received many orders from gangland associates for the funeral of Mike Merlo, the head of the Unione Siciliana, the man whom had been keeping him alive for a number of months. Both John Torrio and the Genna Brothers wanted him dead, but Merlo was able to keep them in line.

Earlier that year, O'Banion found out that a brewery he was part owner of was going to be raided. He saw this as an opportunity to make money and possibly get rid of a rival. He went to John Torrio and told him that he wanted out of the rackets and offered to sell his share in the brewery to the Italian gang leader. Torrio accepted the offer and paid the money. After the deal was made and the money delivered. The raid took place, resulting in the brewery being closed and Torrio facing jail time as a second offender.

Not wanting to start a war, it was decided that O'Banion wouldn't be killed. A few months later Angelo Genna ran up a large debt at a gambling parlor jointly owned by O'Banion and Torrio/Capone. The latter two decided to forget the debt out of professional courtesy. Afterwards O'Banion got on the phone and demanded payment.

Mike Merlo, whom Italian revered preached peace, but on November 8, he died. It was then decided that O'Banion would go with him. Since all of gangland used O'Banion's shop for their funeral arrangements he wouldn't be suspicious of unknown Italian men coming into his shop.

Around noon, three men stepped into the shop. Gangland lore dictates that the man in the middle is New York mob boss Frankie Yale. The guys on either side Genna gunmen Albert Anselmi and John Scalise. Hearing the arrival O'Banion walked out from the rear room. With shears in one hand O'Banion extended his free hand to the middle man. "Hello boys. You from Mike Merlo?"
"Yes." the man replied grasping his hand and holding it. As the middle man held tightly to O'Banion's hand the two side men each drew a gun and fired into the Irish gangster five or six times. O'Banion fell back onto the floor and another bullet was sent into his brain.

The killers fled the shop as the porter ran from the rear and found his boss in a bloody heap with his hands twitching.

 Dean O'Banion

                         

Big Mac Attack

Ninety-two-years ago bookie Joe "Big Mac" Mahoney had a falling out with his partner and fellow bookie John Quigley. In happier days they both noshed at the same restaurant but since the break up Mahoney was asked to stay away. He did until this day in 1924.

Mahoney entered the place and started talking to Quigley, talk turned to arguing which lead to physical contact. "Big Mac" drew a .32.  Quigley grabbed him before he could pull the trigger and the men began  to wrestle. Quigley pinned Mac's arm behind his back and that's when the gun went off. That was Quigley's story anyways, Mahoney never got back up so we don't know his version.