Alvin Karpis and the Barker Gang in Minnesota PDF Download

Author: Deborah Frethem
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439671303
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 157

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Book Description
“The St. Paul of the gangster era springs vividly to life again . . . A captivating glimpse into a shadowy era in the city’s history.” —Community Reporter From their home base in Minnesota, the Karpis-Barker Gang cut a swath of crime and terror across the Midwest in the early 1930s. They kidnapped two important businessmen and held them for exorbitant ransoms. They stole payrolls and robbed banks as the bullets flew. Corrupt police and wily crime bosses helped Alvin Karpis and the Barker brothers Freddie and Doc every step of the way. Who were these men and women? What made them into killers and kidnappers? How did their reckless lifestyles lead to their downfall? From Ma Barker to Volney Davis to Edna Murray the Kissing Bandit, authors Deborah Frethem and Cynthia Schreiner Smith delve into the crimes, personalities and motivations of one of the most successful and infamous gangs in American history.

Author: W. D. Smith
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781945172786
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
The Barker-Karpis gang was one of the Depression Era's most ruthless, operated throughout the Midwestern U.S. from Missouri into the Dakotas. They were largely unnoticed as the public's attention was fixed upon the more familiar "celebrity" gangsters of the day such as the Barrow gang, John Dillinger, Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and others. The Barker boys, with their mother tagging along for the ride, and their partner Alvin Karpis, robbed banks and engaged in two major kidnappings before finally being stopped in a bloody four-hour gun battle with Hoover's Federal agents at a cottage in Oklawaha, Florida, on the shore of Lake Weir, on January 16, 1935. This is their story.

Author: Chris Enss
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493025864
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Was Arizona Donnie Clark, AKA Kate “Ma” Barker the mastermind behind the Barker gang terrorizing the Midwest during the early years of the great Depression? Or was she a terrible mother who urged her sons to criminal behavior for her own financial gain? Or does the truth lie somewhere in between. This lively retelling of the legend of Ma Barker and her boys is full of action, intrigue, and the answers to mysteries that have lingered for more than 70 years.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading America has always preferred heroes who weren't clean cut, an informal ode to the rugged individualism and pioneering spirit that defined the nation in previous centuries. The early 19th century saw the glorification of frontier folk heroes like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. After the Civil War, the outlaws of the West were more popular than the marshals, with Jesse James and Billy the Kid finding their way into dime novels. And at the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s, there were the "Public Enemies," common criminals and cold blooded murderers elevated to the level of folk heroes by a public frustrated with their own inability to make a living honestly. Among America's most infamous "Public Enemies," perhaps the most unique and controversial was Kate Barker. With her prominent, hawk-tipped nose and plump, doughy face, framed by a classic dark curly coif and frilly day dresses to match, Ma Barker was as non-threatening as they come. Nary a second glance was given to this grandmotherly figure by those who crossed her path, perhaps at most a polite tip of the hat. Of course, as the age-old adage goes, appearances are often deceiving. According to the FBI and portrayals in popular culture, not only was Ma Barker a crass, greedy, and highly manipulative individual who coaxed her sons into the abyss-like vortex of criminality, she was the matriarchal mastermind of one of the most notorious gangs of the Dirty Thirties era. The public devoured the countless articles that their action-packed crimes generated with gusto, but few could compare to the meteoric whirlwind of morbid excitement that erupted when the sensational story of the Ma Barker Gang made its rounds. The Ma Barker Gang, as they were so branded, wasn't a typical band of small-time crooks. Quite the contrary, the unorthodox family-run enterprise was, as described by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, "the most vicious, cold-blooded crew of murderers, kidnappers, and robbers in recent memory." The gang was as accomplished - and dangerous - as it was elusive, and between 1930 and 1933 alone, they made off with an estimated $3 million. In their heyday, the gang boasted some 25 members, and through it all, the Barker boys remained its core members. Blood, as per the Barker code, would always be thicker than water. The Ma Barker Gang, which was reportedly governed by the middle-aged, misleadingly unassuming, yet apparently ride-or-die mother of the Barker boys, easily warranted a class of its own. The obvious novelty of the alleged gang leader's identity aside, the disturbing fates of the Barker brothers and many of their associates served as a cautionary tale about the dangers and delusions that ensue when one becomes consumed by unbridled avarice and arrogance. But why were the Barker brothers, once innocent young lads, steered so far off the path of righteousness? What was the true depth of Ma's involvement in the gang's laundry list of despicable crimes? How did the once untouchable gang's winning streak culminate in such catastrophic disaster? The pursuit of the Barkers was a piece of what made the FBI a national institution, and alongside similar efforts to bring John Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde to justice, the "G-Men" became the symbol of law and order in the early 1930s. The FBI's dissemination of information about Ma Barker all but cemented her notorious reputation, but in the decades since, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has become a controversial figure himself and modern historians have reached different conclusions about Ma Barker's involvement in the gang's criminal activities. Alvin Karper, one of the gang's leaders, insisted, "The most ridiculous story in the annals of crime is that Ma Barker was the mastermind behind the Karpis-Barker gang...She wasn't a leader of criminals or even a criminal herself."

Author: Alvin Karpis
Publisher: New York : Coward, McCann & Geoghegan
ISBN: 9784871873338
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
"Alvin Karpis was released from prison in December, 1968, on extradition parole to Canada, having served thirty-three years of a life sentence he received for the kidnapping of William Hamm, Jr., of the Hamm Breweries in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Over a period of a year, Karpis (with co-author Bill Trent), taped his vivid memories of a remarkable life in thirties crime, of his friendships with the pantheon of professional criminals, and of his prolonged pursuit by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI."--Page [4 of cover].

Author: Bryan Burrough
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110103274X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 624

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Book Description
In Public Enemies, bestselling author Bryan Burrough strips away the thick layer of myths put out by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI to tell the full story—for the first time—of the most spectacular crime wave in American history, the two-year battle between the young Hoover and the assortment of criminals who became national icons: John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barkers. In an epic feat of storytelling and drawing on a remarkable amount of newly available material on all the major figures involved, Burrough reveals a web of interconnections within the vast American underworld and demonstrates how Hoover’s G-men overcame their early fumbles to secure the FBI’s rise to power.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading America has always preferred heroes who weren't clean cut, an informal ode to the rugged individualism and pioneering spirit that defined the nation in previous centuries. The early 19th century saw the glorification of frontier folk heroes like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. After the Civil War, the outlaws of the West were more popular than the marshals, with Jesse James and Billy the Kid finding their way into dime novels. And at the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s, there were the "Public Enemies," common criminals and cold blooded murderers elevated to the level of folk heroes by a public frustrated with their own inability to make a living honestly. Among America's most infamous "Public Enemies," perhaps the most unique and controversial was Kate Barker. With her prominent, hawk-tipped nose and plump, doughy face, framed by a classic dark curly coif and frilly day dresses to match, Ma Barker was as non-threatening as they come. Nary a second glance was given to this grandmotherly figure by those who crossed her path, perhaps at most a polite tip of the hat. Of course, as the age-old adage goes, appearances are often deceiving. According to the FBI and portrayals in popular culture, not only was Ma Barker a crass, greedy, and highly manipulative individual who coaxed her sons into the abyss-like vortex of criminality, she was the matriarchal mastermind of one of the most notorious gangs of the Dirty Thirties era. The public devoured the countless articles that their action-packed crimes generated with gusto, but few could compare to the meteoric whirlwind of morbid excitement that erupted when the sensational story of the Ma Barker Gang made its rounds. The Ma Barker Gang, as they were so branded, wasn't a typical band of small-time crooks. Quite the contrary, the unorthodox family-run enterprise was, as described by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, "the most vicious, cold-blooded crew of murderers, kidnappers, and robbers in recent memory." The gang was as accomplished - and dangerous - as it was elusive, and between 1930 and 1933 alone, they made off with an estimated $3 million. In their heyday, the gang boasted some 25 members, and through it all, the Barker boys remained its core members. Blood, as per the Barker code, would always be thicker than water. The Ma Barker Gang, which was reportedly governed by the middle-aged, misleadingly unassuming, yet apparently ride-or-die mother of the Barker boys, easily warranted a class of its own. The obvious novelty of the alleged gang leader's identity aside, the disturbing fates of the Barker brothers and many of their associates served as a cautionary tale about the dangers and delusions that ensue when one becomes consumed by unbridled avarice and arrogance. But why were the Barker brothers, once innocent young lads, steered so far off the path of righteousness? What was the true depth of Ma's involvement in the gang's laundry list of despicable crimes? How did the once untouchable gang's winning streak culminate in such catastrophic disaster? The pursuit of the Barkers was a piece of what made the FBI a national institution, and alongside similar efforts to bring John Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde to justice, the "G-Men" became the symbol of law and order in the early 1930s. The FBI's dissemination of information about Ma Barker all but cemented her notorious reputation, but in the decades since, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has become a controversial figure himself and modern historians have reached different conclusions about Ma Barker's involvement in the gang's criminal activities. Alvin Karper, one of the gang's leaders, insisted, "The most ridiculous story in the annals of crime is that Ma Barker was the mastermind behind the Karpis-Barker gang...She wasn't a leader of criminals or even a criminal herself."

Author: Timothy R. Mahoney
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
ISBN: 0873519051
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Among the most dangerous criminals of the public enemies era was a man who has long hidden in history’s shadows: Tom Brown. In the early 1930s, while he was police chief of St. Paul, Minnesota, Brown became a secret partner of the infamous Barker gang. He profited from their violent crimes, he protected the gang from raids by the nascent FBI—and while he did all this, the gangsters gunned down cops and citizens in his hometown. Big Tom Brown, 6'5" and 275 pounds, continued to enforce St. Paul’s corrupt O’Connor system, allowing criminals to stay in the city as long as they paid off the cops and committed no crimes within fifty miles. But in the early 1930s, the system broke down: no longer supported by cash skimmed from illegal booze, gangsters turned to robbing banks, and the Barker gang kidnapped two of the prominent citizens who had been complicit in the liquor trade. Brown was the insider who kept the criminals safe—but for highly political reasons, he was never convicted of his crimes. Timothy Mahoney tells this fascinating story, details how the fraud was uncovered, and at last exposes the corruption of a secret partnership.

Author: Howard Kazanjian
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493017470
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Long before the screen placed the face of Mary Pickford before the eyes of millions of Americans, this girl, born August 13, 1860 as Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses, had won the right to the title of “America’s Sweetheart.” Having grown up learning to shoot game to help support her family, Annie won first prize and met her future husband at a shooting match when she was fifteen years old. He convinced her to change her name to Annie Oakley and became her husband, manager, and number-one fan for the next fifty years. Annie quickly gained worldwide fame as an incredible crack shot, and could amaze audiences at her uncanny accuracy with nearly any rifle or pistol, whether aiming at stationary objects or shooting fast-flying targets from the cockpit of a moving airplane. Despite struggles with her health and even a long, drawn-out legal battle with media magnate William Randolph Hearst, Annie Oakley poured her energy into advocating for the U.S. military, encouraging women to engage in sport shooting, and supporting orphans.

Author: George Russell Girardin
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253216335
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 430

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Book Description
The inside story of one of America's most notorious criminals