Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934) ("George"), was a bank robber in the 1930s better known as Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and stature, a diminutive (5'3" / 1,63 m tall).
Early years
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Lester Gillis began his criminal career stealing cars and spending time with future members of the gang of Roger "Terrible" Touhy. Arrested for theft at age 13, he was sent to penal school.["Nelson Arrested as Thief When 13." New York Times. 29 November 1934. Accessed 12 June 2008.] Nelson also worked for a time as an enforcer for Chicago gangster Al Capone, and fought with Capone's ally and outfit member Anthony Accardo, receiving broken bones for his troubles - he was let go due to being "too violent" for Capone to control.
Nelson came to greater prominence in 1934, when he joined the Dillinger gang. In contrast to the dashing John Dillinger, Nelson is the antithesis of popular, Robin Hood-like gangsters of the Depression era. Having a psychopathic bent, Nelson did not hesitate to kill lawmen and innocent bystanders. He was credited with killing more than a dozen law officers.[Burrough, Bryan. "How the Feds Got Their Men." New York Times. 14 May 2004. Accessed 12 June 2008.] Paradoxically, though, Nelson was a devoted husband and father who often had his wife, Helen Gillis, and children with him while running from the law.
After John Dillinger's death in July 1934, Nelson became Public Enemy Number One.["Nelson Now Takes Place Of 'Public Enemy No. 1'." New York Times. 23 October 1934. Accesssed 12 June 2008.] Nelson was said to have boasted of robbing one bank a day for a month, in order to outdo Dillinger. That never occurred.
The Battle of Barrington
The running machine gun battle between FBI agents and Nelson took place on November 27 1934 outside of Chicago, in the town of Barrington resulting in the deaths of Special Agents Herman Hollis[Special Agent Herman E. Hollis. Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed 12 June 2008.] and Samuel P. Cowley.[Inspector Samuel P. Cowley. Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed: 12 June 2008.]["CRACK AGENT TAKES CHARGE.; Washington Orders H.H. Clegg to Direct Nelson Chase." New York Times. 28 November 1934. Accessed 12 June 2008.]
The battle began when Nelson, Helen Gillis, and John Paul Chase were driving down a road and saw a police car driving the opposite direction. Nelson hated police and federal agents and used a list of license plates he had compiled to actively hunt them at every opportunity. He apparently recognized the car and decided to chase them. Once they both stopped, the shootout started. Nelson's wife and Chase used their car for cover. Nelson, however, simply walked towards the agents, reportedly shouting, "I'm gonna kill you sons of bitches!". After the fight was over, Nelson nearly collapsed on the ground from his wounds; he'd been shot 17 times.
The next morning, another team of FBI agents was dispatched to the scene to investigate the situation. They found the bodies of the two agents who had been killed in the skirmish the day before. The new team scouted the area for any possible signs of Nelson. Following an anonymous telephone tips, Nelson's body was discovered in a ditch, wrapped in a blanket.["Wife Lying in Ditch Saw Nelson Shot." New York Times. 6 December 1934. Accessed 12 June 2008.] The ditch was in front of St. Peter Catholic Cemetery in Skokie, which still exists today. His wife later stated that he'd died of his wounds at exactly 8 p.m. She'd placed the blanket around his body because, as she said, "Lester Always hated to be cold..."
Burial
Gillis and Nelson are buried at Saint Peter's Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.
Murders
 W. Carter Baum, during the Little Bohemia shoot-out.
In popular culture
Nelson has been the subject of multiple films, a 1957 film, Baby Face Nelson, starring Mickey Rooney and a 1995 film of the same name starring C. Thomas Howell. He was portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss in the 1973 film Dillinger. In the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Michael Badalucco portrayed George Nelson, a manic-depressive, depression-era bank robber, who was similar in appearance and demeanor to Baby Face Nelson, but despised being called by that name. He will be portrayed by British actor Stephen Graham in the upcoming film Public Enemies.
External links
FBI famous cases (public domain text)
Crime Library biography
References
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