People like wortman who ran saloons, gambling joints, and brothels profited off the people coming to east st. Anyway, some gangster succumbed to involuntary ventilation and feustel had written a story about it that did not sit well with rackets boss frank buster wortman. Writer details newspapers commitment to war on crime. The frank buster wortman story by bill nunes, paperback. See all books authored by bill nunes, including the big book of st. Louis in february 1962 during his trial on incometax charges. In 1950, the saturday evening post described the sheltons as americas bloodiest gang formed by carl born 1888, earl born 1890, and bernie red shelton born 1898 of geff, wayne county, illinois shortly after prohibition. Author visiting benld library to discuss the good days. Price new from used from paperback, 20 please retry. Louis cardinals and the frank buster wortman story. A bridge to the past crumbles, but memory stays hardhitting.
Buster books loves to create books for curious and creative children. Author bill nunes shares some stories from his book the frank buster wortman. From serial killers to salt to scots the edwardsville. Charlie birger, the sheltons, buster wortman, famous people, railroads, coal mines, war novel, kkk. The shelton brothers gang was an early prohibition era bootlegging gang based in southern illinois. Louiscardinals, both in color, to jans hallmark shop locations. Our list is brimming with titles to spark the imagination and encourage exploration.
Join facebook to connect with bill nunes and others you may know. The frank buster wortman story presented by local author bill nunes. Frank buster wortman in the federal courthouse in east st. From the library he obtained a carefully selected group of books for his office shelves and oil. Glen carbon author bill nunes will be at the benld library tuesday evening, september 23, from 6. Chicago is known for capone, but illinois gangsters had. We speculated on what kind of nefarious activities must take place in a house that needed so much security. John had a long history of claiming that the chicago mob was involved in the murder of mlk through the downriver east st.
Broadview was king of metroeast hotels belleville news. Buy a cheap copy of the frank buster wortman story book by bill nunes. Louiss gambling operations in southwest illinois until his death. Frank buster wortman composite obituary and related story from the. He taught social studies for 30 years at bayless, collinsville and edwardsville high schools. Wortman was a saint louisarea bootlegger, gambler, criminal gang leader, and a. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The frank buster wortman story 9780978799489 by bill nunes and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Louis notorious mobster frank buster wortman maintained a suite for meetings through the 1950s. Louis nostalgia, and illinois trivia illustrated, and more on. Nunes is the author of two recent best sellers at barnes and noble, an illustrated history of the st. In 1950, the saturday evening post described the sheltons as americas bloodiest gang.
Bill nunes, of glen carbon, has written dozens of books including the buster wortman story and history of the st. Shelton brothers gang project gutenberg selfpublishing. Southern illinois is fully and equally represented by such topics as the herrin massacre, buster wortman, the shelton gang, the birger gang, paul powells. As a result of this view, stevenson was committed to act against gambling. John published truth at last in 2008, and after james death recorded a video claiming that his brother joined the fledgling cia while in the us army while stationed in germany in 1948. The shelton brothers gang was an early prohibitionera bootlegging gang based in southern illinois. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger charles birger. The book is an unauthorized biography of wortman and his business activities of. Clair county and gamblingrackets boss frank buster wortman.
Nunes will also bring gangster artifacts including john dillingers death mask, brass knuckles from alcatraz prison used on al capones cell and buster wortman s tie. Frank buster wortman opened 1950closed 1962 chip7852 att2 over the years i have seen various spellings of wortman s name and various first names such as sam, bill and frank in relationship to different chips and illegal clubs. This mug shot comes from a police identification book believed to be from the 1930s. The frank buster wortman story by bill nunes paperback, 335 pages, published 20 by bill nunes isbn. Buster s family did not consider him to be a gangster, but saw him more as a business man, nunes said. Author bill nunes shares some stories from his 20 book the frank buster wortman story. Wortman did not like having his picture taken, but couldnt avoid it. Buster wortman december 4, 1904 august 3, 1968 was an. Louis, i had heard tales of the famous gangster, buster wortman and his house outside of collinsville with its own protective moat.
Louis police mug shot in 1933, when he was 28 years old and member of the shelton gang on the east side. The books will satisfy the keenest of puzzle masters, budding artists and the deepest of thinkers. The south side of the city was dominated by the syrian mob they were actually lebanese, headed by jimmy michaels, sr. Illinois plays significant role in nations history the. Louis from the early 1940s through the early 1960s. He is listed in whos who both as an educator and school administrator. Bill nunes books list of books by author bill nunes. Lecture by bill nunes to be arranged required texts available at mckendree bookstore. On april 1, 1861, the people in the village known as illinoistown w.
Louis cardinals, both in color, to jans hallmark shop locations. Ancestors of the shelton brothers gang trace their roots back to ireland, under the surname hunter. The book contains pictures of many of its most showy buildings, its parks, industries, monuments, churches and neighborhoods. Frank buster wortman in december 1963 frank wortman his man michaels, giordano and kc mobster max jaben were arrested. When it came to organized crime in illinois, chicagobased prohibitionera gangsters loomed large during the 1920s and 1930s.
Wortman would eventually succeed the sheltons, and take over st. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger charles birger and his gang. Louis journal newspaper waged a war of words on organized crime in st. Louis such as bill nunes say that organized crime and criminals like buster wortman ironically kept east st. Bill nunes history of southern illinois highlighting the people and places. The edge is available free, either through home delivery or rack distribution. Bill nunes has 17 books on goodreads with 103 ratings.
The frank buster wortman story presented by author bill nunes branch library 2145 johnson road saturday, november 23 2. Organized crime many influential scholars that studied or lived in east st. Buster wortman december 4, 1904 august 3, 1968 was an american st. Louisarea bootlegger, gambler, criminal gang leader, and a former member of the shelton brothers gang during prohibition. Frank buster wortman 5 march 1962 were frank buster wortman s man elmer dutch dowling and melvin john beckman found killed. Includes a 1950s romancecrime novel featuring buster wortman set in east st.
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