Cuckoos Get Two Birds

Lester Barth and Dewey Goebel were former Cuckoo gang members who sided with Tommy Hayes when the latter split with the St. Louis gang. It is believed that the duo were responsible for the deaths of some of their former gang mates.

Like most men of their ilk, Barth and Goebel met a violent death. On November 22, 1930 both men had just exited a grocery store they visited nearly every day at the same time (a fact no doubt known to the Cuckoo gunmen in the Hudson sedan that was following them) and, after loading the groceries into Goebel's Ford couple, the duo pulled away.

As they drove along, the Hudson, containing four or five men, pulled up along side of them and three of the men, each armed with a Thompson machine-gun, opened fire.

Bullets ripped into the coupe and crashed through the rear window. The groceries exploded as bullet after bulled poured into the car. Hoping to lose their pursuers, Goeble turned onto a side street, but the gun men made the turn as well, continuing to fire their weapons. After a couple of blocks Goebel jumped the curb and came to a stop as the Hudson continued.

Witnesses approached the coupe and pulled the duo, both of whom had bullet wounds to the head, from the car. Both died later at the hospital. A search of their homes turned up a Thompson machine-gun, two pistols and ammunition in the coal bin of Barth's house.

L. Lester Barth     R. Dewey Goebel

The death car

Pain In The Leg

Jimmy Cox had already lost an arm to gangster bullets. On November 8, he almost lost a leg as well. The gangster had just left a funeral home where he paid his final respects to fellow hoodlum James Darmondy who himself had survived a machine-gun attack that took the lives of two of his comrades back in 1928.

Darmondy was rubbed out on November 5, after a run in with a cop. Cox visited the funeral parlor and left at...well, I'll just let him tell the story: "I left the undertakers about midnight...and started to drive east. I had just started when a large car with three fellows in it came up the street, and one of them started firing with a machine-gun."

Three of the bullets ripped into Cox's leg but he managed to get to a hospital with the help of a friend. Though he survived this attempt, he had a date with destiny a few years later.

James Wingy Cox

In The Still Of The Night

On the morning of October 2, 1930, Sam Therina, a bootlegger in the employ of the Cuckoo gang, climbed out of a sedan in front of a St. Louis hospital and collapsed. He had been hit in both hips by blasts from a Thompson machine-gun.

Inside the hospital he told authorities that the bodies of Cuckoo gang members Peter McTigue and William Boody could be found at a still that the gang had set up approximately twenty-eight miles south and across the Mississippi river in Illinois. The rival Shelton gang had previously stated that that was their territory and anyone operating there would face the consequences.

Therina along with a few other guys;  Cuckoo member James Darmondy and Joe Moceri were cooking the mash that would be turned into whiskey. The night before McTigue and Boody showed up. Inside a slapped together shack, McTigue, Boody and Therina slept on cots. Moceri slept out side and Darmondy worked the still. 

At just about sun up rival gangsters crept up to the shack. Sticking the muzzle of a Thompson through a crack, the gunman opened fire. Therina was hit in the hip and, not knowing what was happening, got up from his cot and was hit again. Falling to the floor, he realized what was happening and stayed down. 

When the gunmen stepped away, Therina crawled over to McTigue's cot and felt him. Drawing back a bloody hand, he decided he was dead then crawled over to Boody's cot. 

"You hurt, Bill?"

Boody leaned up with a bloody face.

"Yeah. You better get out of here. I'm finished." The gangster said before falling back on his cot and letting out a gasp.

Therina, crawled to the door but stopped when he heard the machine-gun firing again. These shots were aimed at Moceri who was hit, but managed to escape into the woods. Darmondy also managed to get away.

Once the killers drove away, Therina crawled to Boody's sedan and managed to drive himself back to St. Louis.

Peter McTigue                     William Boody

A Wing Gets Clipped

James "Wingy" Cox was a Cuckoo gangster in St. Louis. In 1924 he was wounded in a gunfight which resulted in his having an arm amputated at the shoulder, hence the nickname Wingy. Though armless, he continued in the gangster life, being arrested in 1928 and sentenced to two years for burglary.

In November of 1930 he was shot again but managed to hobble into a hospital with a bullet wound to the leg. The following month he was picked up after a gangland hit in which witnesses stated that a one-armed man was wielding the machine-gun used in the killing. He was released for lack of evidence.

Then end for Cox came in the wee hours of September 10, 1933 when he got into an argument with two guys at a saloon. The men had been arguing for some time and it was obvious to all that things were going to get out of hand, so the men were supposedly left on their own. Even the proprietor stepped out after they refused to leave. Reports are that once everyone was out of the way, a number of shots were heard.

Shortly thereafter, a car pulled up to the hospital and bloody Cox emerged and stumbled inside. He refused to identify who shot him, reportedly saying, "I'll die like I live." and so he did six hours later at 9:25 that morning.

James Wingy Cox

The Sandlot

It may have been an ambush as some papers implied or, most likely, it was meeting or truce between St. Louis' Russo gang and members of the Cuckoo gang, that turned sour. What is known is that on July 25, 1928, three members of the Russo gang: Jimmy Russo, Mike Longo and Jack Griffin. Met with a few Cuckoo gangsters, probably Tommy Hayes and a few of his minions.

The meet took place in a vacant lot, where a house used by Hayes once stood.  There were neighboring houses and witnesses in adjoining yards who witnessed the shooting. One of them, who knew Russo and Longo and said he'd seen them there numerous times, stated that while looking over the fence, he saw the gangsters tossing a ball around. All was peaceful until, "Suddenly they began to argue hotly over something.,,Longo and Russo and two others began fist fighting." The witness went on to say that Russo pulled a .45 and started shooting. After that everyone drew guns and started blasting away at each other. It was at this time that the witness stated that another man sprang from a Chrysler with a Thompson machine gun and yelled, "Give it to 'em boys! They ain't any good anyhow. Give it to them good!" Then he lit up the yard with a number of blasts.

Russo and Longo dropped dead. Griffin, with half a dozen shots in his right shoulder and chest fell but managed to crawl to a neighboring house after the Cuckoos fled the seen. A short time later, gunmen invaded the store of a Russo ally and wounded three men. It appears, that after the sandlot battle, the gunmen attempted to wipe out the whole Russo operation.

The fact that the battle was started by Russo and took place in the middle of the afternoon with witnesses nearby lends credence to fact that it was a spur of the moment fight and not a planned ambush. The guy with the Tommy gun was probably there for just such an occurrence. 

Jimmy Russo            Mike Longo                   Jack Griffin

They Die In Threes

In the early hours of this date back in 1931, brothers Harry and William Goebel were sitting in the rear room of the St. Louis saloon where Harry worked as a bartender speaking with two women. At the bar sat a few customers and the owner.

The women, Bessie Lynam and Dorothy Evans, were not unfamiliar with the underworld. Both had been arrested for shoplifting and Bessie was the widow of John "Duke" Lynam an underworld character with ties to the Cuckoo gang.  Dorothy, also a widow, was the former wife of gunman "Polander" Mike Marchlewski, whom she killed in 1922 after he beat her.

The Goebel brothers also had ties to gangland. Their brother Dewey was a former Cuckoo gang member who turned on his own gang and ended up dying in a hail of bullets the previous November. William was also acquitted of murder after it was determine that he acted in self defense.

Bessie Lynam had stopped in to see Harry and brought along Evans. While Harry and Bessie sat at one table talking, William Goebel sat at another speaking with Dorothy. At roughly 2 am, there was a knock on the front door. William went to the door and saw three men outside. He asked what they wanted.

"Open up!" a man demanded.

Assuming that they were detectives, he opened the door. With guns drawn, the three men pushed their way in and yelled, "Stick 'em up!" William dove behind the bar while the others raised their hands.

Ignoring the men at the bar, the trio went to the rear room and opened fire on William and the the two women. They then exited out of the rear door.

Bessie Lynam was shot in the breast and died right away. Dorothy Evans was hit in the stomach and died about an hour later. William Goebel, who was probably the main target, was hit twice in the head but managed to live two days before succumbing to his wounds.

                                Bessie Lynam                Dorothy Evans                William Goebels                                 

Cuckoos Get Two Birds

Lester Barth and Dewey Goebel were former Cuckoo gangsters who sided with Tommy Hayes when the latter split with the St. Louis gang. It is believed that the duo were responsible for the killing of some of their former gang mates.

Like most men of their ilk, Barth and Goebel met a violent death. On November 22, 1930 both men had just exited the grocery store they visited nearly everyday at the same time (a fact no doubt known to the Cuckoo gunmen in the Hudson sedan that was following them) after loading the groceries into Goebel's Ford coupe. Speculation was that the two men had a still in operation and the daily supplies were for the men they had running it.

As they drove off from the grocery store the Hudson, containing four or five men, pulled up along side and three of the men, each armed with a Thompson machine-gun, opened fire.

Bullets ripped into the coupe and went crashed through the rear window. The groceries exploded as bullet after bullet plowed into the cases. Goebel turned, hoping to lose the Hudson but the killers made the turn as well, continuing to pour fire into the coupe. After a couple of blocks the Ford jumped the curb and came to a stop. The Hudson continued and got away.

Witnesses approached the coupe and pulled the duo, both of whom had been shot in the head, from the car. Both men died later at the hospital. A search of their homes turned up a Thompson machine-gun, two pistols and ammunition in the coal bin of Barth's house.

 L. Lester Barth    R. Dewey Goebel

The death car

Homer goes Home

Horse Shoe Lake, Madison County, Illinois -

The skeletal remains of former Cuckoo gangster Homer DeHaven were found on this date in 1932. DeHaven had left the Cuckoos along with faction headed by Tommy Hayes. When Hayes and two confederates were murdered that spring DeHaven was brought in for questioning.

DeHaven was arrested for murder on June 14, but released three days later due to lack of evidence. A short time after being released he was at his girl friends place in East St. Louis when a call came. It was another girl who asked him to meet her at a drug store. He put on his hat an coat and told his girl that he would be back later. He was never seen again until somebody discovered what was left of him in the woods. There were three holes in his skull, assumed to be caused by .45 caliber bullets. He was identified by a signet ring and dental work.

Police theorized that DeHaven was bumped off by the same people who killed Hayes just in case DeHaven wanted to avenge the murders.

Homer DeHaven

Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You

On this date in 1927, Frank Selvaggi, a member of St. Louis' Cuckoo gang, was shot in the cigar store of Bennie Greenberg. Benny was also a bookie whom, Selvaggi had been shaking down. He visited the cigar stand twice that day. On one visit he helped himself to a cigar and on the second a free pack of cigarettes. On the third visit Selvaggi, age 23, was drunk and had two confederates with him.

Greenberg was counting up his gambling receipts of the day when Selvaggi came in the third and final time. Waving his gun he told Greenberg to "Stick 'em up." and started to fire. His shots went wild as Greenberg grabbed his own pistol and fired back hitting the gangster three times. Twice in the chest and once in the leg. Selvaggi stumbled from the store and collapsed about a hundred feet away.

Fearing reprisal, Greenberg ran to a nearby saloon owned by his brother and waited until the cops came before returning to his cigar store. " I had to shoot," he told the cops, "Selvaggi was drunk and he was shooting at me. I was lending him money and we both knew he would never pay it back, but that was all right. When your in this business you expect to get preyed upon." Greenberg was freed after it was determined he acted in self defense.

 Frank Selvaggi

Bennie Greenberg

One Bourbon, One Scotch and Three Bullets

In the early morning of this date back in 1932, St. Louis gangster Milford Jones stood drinking at the bar of Detroit's exclusive Stork Club. Jones speaking with the clubs entertainment, a singing duet known as Tracey and Duncan, when somebody, or somebodies, came up from behind and fired three bullets into his back and head. Tracey, Duncan and forty or so patrons and staff members vacated the club. Jones, sprawled on the floor, his feet entangled in the brass rail, lay by his lonesome for about seven hours before the club's owner decided he should call the police.

Jones was a former member of St. Louis' Cuckoo gang but split with them when his pal Tommy Hayes splintered from the group. From St. Louis he went to Kansas City where he had dealings with a casino, Effects found on his person told police that he had been traveling between Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago and Kansas City.

Milford Jones

Piggy back one-way ride

Five hours after his partner, John Piggy Weller, was buried, St. Louis gangster Louis Mandel was rubbed out by either Weller's friends or the same gang that took out his partner. It was believed that the former was the most likely reason.

A witness stated that he was doing some work when he heard a series of shots, though it was dark he stated that he saw two cars. One had one guy, the other a handful. He watched as the car containing the group turn around and then stop, he saw a gun step from the sedan and fire a number of shots into the ground.

After the cars vacated, the witness approached the road, wondering why a man would fire into the ground. Reaching the spot, the witness found the body of Mandel. He had been shot six times in the head and another ten in the body. Though he had heard the initial shots, the witness failed to see Mandel's body tossed from the car.

Mandel had been arrested about one hundred times including a handful of times for murder.

 Louis Mandel

A pig to the slaughter

John "Piggy" Weller was a member of St. Louis' Cuckoo gang. The 31 year old gangster had been arrested 76 times and did five years for a murder. Along with his partner Louis Mandel, Weller operated the Villa Iris roadhouse located a few miles east of St. Louis.

On this date in 1928, two masked man entered the Villa Iris and ordered the band, staff and customers to lie down. They grabbed a band member and waiter and demanded to know the whereabouts of Weller. They told him he wasn't there so, the killers had the doorman phone him and tell him that something important had come up and he needed to come in.

When Weller pulled up an hour later, the hit squad was waiting for him. As the gangster stepped up on the porch he was greeted with a blast from a machine in the face and abdomen.

John "Piggy" Weller

A Thompson for Tommy (and his friends)

 It was just around 1AM on this date back in 1932 when St. Louis gang leader Tommy Hayes was returning from a trip to Chicago with two of his top aides, Harry "Pretty Boy" Lechler, and William "Willie G." Wilbert. Hayes was in his armored Lincoln and Lechler and Wilbert followed in a brand new Plymouth roadster purchased the previous day in Chicago.

Hayes was a former member of St. Louis's infamous Cuckoo gang. He had been involved in robberies and numerous murders, As of late, he was credited with a couple of bombings in an attempt to shake down a racing wire service and bookmaking operation ran by other Cuckoo members. It was also stated the Shelton Brothers, had warned Hayes to turn down the violence because he was bringing down heat on everyone. In short Hayes was a big headache for the St. Louis underworld.

Whether it was the Sheltons or the Cuckoos, or possibly members of his own gang, the end came for the the top tier of the Hayes gang as they approached home. Just prior to 1 AM, the Plymouth, driven by Wilbert, pulled over on a road near Granite City, Illinois. Why they pulled over is unknown. Was it a police car? Associates? Whatever the reason, that Wilbert and Lechler were apprehensive about stopping was apparent because Wilbert grabbed a Thompson and held it between his legs while Lechler armed himself with a pistol and a "whippet" gun (A sawed off shotgun with a reduced stock.) Before they had chance to use them however their car was raked with gunfire from he right side. Wilbert was killed outright and slumped over the wheel. Lechler was mortally wounded. The car was seen at around 1 o'clock and when the same person saw it a few hours later he called the cops. Lechler was still alive but died en-route to the hospital.

At about the same time Lechler and Wilbert were getting it, a few miles a head in the town of Madison, Illinois, Hayes pulled his Lincoln over to the curb. A watchman working nearby saw the car stop, "As I watched it," he told a reporter, "I heard a lot of shots. They sounded like they were from a machine gun." After the shooting Hayes car drove across the sidewalk, through a fence and came to a stop in a vacant lot. The witness saw two men get out and walk away.

The watchman approached the Lincoln and found Hayes lying on the ground with his hands up and his legs tucked under him. He had been shot numerous times in the back, right side, face and hands.  The dashboard also had a number of bullet holes.

Judging by reports, it sounds like Hayes was at the wheel and shot from someone in the rear passenger side seat. Apparently Hayes didn't put his machine in park before he got shot and that's how they ended up in the vacant lot.

 

Tommy Hayes

 Pretty Boy Lechler           Wille G Wilbert

They can't all have a story

Let us remember John Cody, said to be a member of St. Louis' Cuckoo gang, who was found in a ditch on this date back in 1927. What he did or didn't do to end up in a ditch on the outskirts of town wasn't stated. We here at DGIS offer a few motives.
1) Gang warfare
2) Internecine gang warfare
3) Highjacking booze
4) Somehow wronging some other underworld figure
5) Stating that "Al Jolson really sings!" in the Jazz Singer without first saying, "Spoiler alert."

Wake Up Call

On this date back in 1930, Sam Therina, said to be a member of the Cuckoo gang, pulled up in front of a St. Louis hospital, laid on the horn of his coupe then passed out. The reason for his passing out was multiple machine gun bullets in his pelvis. He was carried into the hospital and prepped for surgery.

During the operation police came in to question him. Guess they could do that back then. He told them that he, two other Cuckoos named Peter McTigue and James Dormandy along with William Boody, an "agent" with a plumbing union who happened to have a rap sheet matching the Cuckoo guys, and some other fella were working a still near the town of Valmeyer, Ill.

According to Therina, he and McTigue were sleeping when machine gun fire began to rake the shack they were holed up in. Therina jumped up and was immediately wounded. He heard Boody gasp, "I'm dying." and saw that McTigue was already a goner. Dormandy and the other guy hightailed it into the woods.

The gunmen left and Therina managed to get to Boody's coupe and drive himself to the hospital. Detectives went out to the shack and, sure enough, there were McTigue and Boody just like Therina said.