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Historical nugget

Posted By: Jake Jacobs
Date: Tuesday, 12 November 2013, at 12:04 a.m.

I am reading a book on the history of organized crime in Chicago. One chapter is devoted to the 42 Gang, whose best known alumnus was Sam Giancana, though many others were recruited, like him, into the Chicago Outfit. (Possibly by "Machine Gun Jack" McGurn, planner of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.) The 42 Gang was somewhat unusual, one of the last old style "gangs," with no exact counterpart today. The gang had as many as 190 members, ages ranging from roughly 13-30, and unlike operations such as the modern Crips and Bloods who focus on one primary criminal activity (drug dealing, these days), the 42 Gang, whose name is thought to have come from the Forty Thieves of myth, were robbers.

One of their biggest scores came in 1931 when they broke into a home up in Lake Forest, and robbed the host, hostess, and their seven guests. What were the nine of them doing? Playing backgammon! The haul (including both cash and jewelry) was $150,000. I wonder how much a point that group was playing for?

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