Okay, it isn't a strong connection. After John Dillinger was shot outside the Biograph Theatre, my great Uncle Otto--who had been born in Poland but came to the U.S. with his parents-- hopped on his motorcycle to follow the body to the morgue, where crowds of thrill seekers filed past to get a look at the famed gangster. As far as I know, he was not one of those who dipped his handkerchief in Dillinger's blood as a souvenir.
Today's Trib has an article on Dillinger's Haunts, which include several locations in Uptown. The funeral home where he was embalmed is at 4506 N. Sheridan, a gorgeous old building which still stands. It's worth checking out the article, which includes an interactive map.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My Family's Connection to John Dillinger
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3 comments:
thanks for sharing this. i too have a dillinger connection. my godmother, who died years ago, was the niece of homer van meter, dillinger's right hand man and best friend. she was a little girl in dillinger's heyday and used to tell the story that dillinger showed up with "uncle homer" for a family gathering one day and seemed to think that my godmother was so cute. he spent some time playing with her and, when he left, gave her some money and told her to have some fun with it. family recollections vary on how much money it was, but chances are it was stolen, right? regardless, money in the depression-era was tight, so a child being given any money at all was a big deal.
my godmother would love all the attention that dillinger is getting again. i shared the link you sent with her husband, and i am sure he will enjoy it very much as well.
keep up the great work...love your blog and love uptown!
Uptownjen--that's definitely a stronger connection than mine! :-)
I just finished reading a book on Dillinger, which "pointed" out that this photo was retouched for subsequent publication to "minimize" the myth that JD had a large you-know-what. The offending protrusion was actually caused by his rigor-mortised arm.
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