Al Capone and His American Boys

William J. Helmer is author (with G. Russell Girardin) of Dillinger: The Untold Story (IUP, 1994) and The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar as well as other books on the gangland era.

"Al Capone and His American Boys is more than just fascinating history—it's built on the human interest element of living a gangster's life."—mafialifeblog.com"Al Capone and his American Boys is highly recommended for those interested in an insider's view of the major criminal events of the Gangster Era."—Informer"This is not another Capone book; he is but a tangential figure in this fascinating account. . . . For true crime and gangster story fans. May 15, 2011"—Library Journal"Helmer delights history buffs once more with his research and inimitable style, bringing us the memoirs of a primo gangster's moll. Hers is a first-hand account of being married to one of Al Capone's travelling psycho-circus of killers called the 'American boys' who moved from St. Louis to Chicago to live the gritty gangland life of the Roaring Twenties."—Mario Gomes, www.myalcaponemuseum.com"Deemed too hot by its publisher in 1934, this incredible and revealing story sheds new light on major crimes, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre—the defining moment that cemented Chicago's reputation as a city of criminal mayhem. . . . A candid look at the era of Capone, Frank Nitti, Georgette's husband Gus, and a group of Public Enemies who continue to fascinate a new generation of readers."—Richard C. Lindberg, author of The Gambler King of Clark Street: Michael C. McDonald and the Rise of Chicago's Democratic

• Foreword by John WinkelerForeword by Rose KeefeAbout This BookAcknowledgmentsA Note on Georgette and Gus Winkeler"A Voice from the Grave": The Memoir of Georgette Winkeler1. The Seventh Child2. "For Better or for Worse"3. Heist Guy—Egan's Rats and the Cuckoo Gang4. The Bad Pennies5. Affairs with the Police6. Fugitives on the Lam7. Workhouse Widow8. Gratitude—and Murder9. Flight from St. Louis10. Meet Al Capone11. The Toledo Killing12. Frankie Yale13. Murphy's Tough Skull14. The St. Valentine Day Massacre15. Hiding Out16. On the Run17. "Killer" Burke and the Policeman's Murder18. New Face and New Fingerprints19. "Killer" Burke on the Lam20. The Car Crash21. Capone to the Rescue22. The Greatest Bank Robbery23. Chicago's "Secret Six"24. Enter Father Dwyer25. The Shooting of Frank Nitti26. Nitti's Revenge27. "The Informer"28. The Boom Days29. A Promise Kept30. Gus and the Planted Gun31. Legal Beer at Last32. Gus Winkeler and the New North Side33. The Kansas City Massacre34. Gus and the "Miller Massacre"35. Beginning of the End36. The Syndicate Closes In37. The Police Called It Suicide38. "They've Taken Him to the Morgue"39. Gus Goes Home40. Who Killed My Husband?41. The Widow and Her World42. "The Gas Lisped Its Song of Death"43. Rebirth and Revenge44. End of the Empire45. "Do You See This Gun?"46. Confronting the Mob47. On the Spot48. ResolutionGeorgette Talks to the FBIBiographies and Historical NotesIndex