Charles Argento had been out of Leavenworth for about six months when he moved into the Hotel Picadilly on Chicago's South Side early in the summer of 1932. The reason for his incarceration was that he was part of large northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin whiskey ring. When he got out of prison he formed the Italian Master Bakers association, collecting dues from the numerous bakers in the city.
At about noon on August 31, he called his brother in-law, who happened to be the bookkeeper for the union and told him to come to his room with another associate to discuss some bakers who weren't paying their dues.
As the two men arrived they noticed the door to the neighboring room was open, but thought nothing of it. They knocked on Argento's door and after announcing themselves Argento opened the door. As the men entered, Argento noticed a man coming up from behind them. "You better scram; it looks like you'll be killed," he yelled. Immediately after that the bullets started to fly. His two cohorts hit the deck as four bullets plowed into Argento's body.
The killer escaped through the hotel as Argento's cronies went down the fire escape. After walking around town for about an hour Argento's brother in-law went to the police to give his story.
Charles Argento
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