by Felicia DechterPioneer Press
John Binder has spent a lifetime being fascinated by the stories of organized crime, and he tells some of the tales he has learned in his latest book, "Al Capone's Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago during Prohibition."
An exhaustively researched work based on 25 years of study, Binder, a recognized authority on the history of organized crime in Chicago, discusses the most notorious bootlegging gangs in the city and suburbs along with other major rackets including prostitution, gambling, labor and business racketeering and narcotics.
He covers the era from 1920 to 1933, giving the big picture of how Chicago's underworld evolved during that period. He is so full of Mafioso knowledge that Binder has served as an expert consultant for underworld documentaries on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, A&E, and AMC. In his book, he also refutes numerous myths and misconceptions related to Al Capone and his gang, as well as other criminal groups, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and gangland killings.
When he's not spending time researching "the family" Binder, a retired UIC professor, enjoys playing and watching soccer, dining out with his wife Linda, and studying other aspects of history.
Binder's latest work hits the stands June 6, and he has been contacting area libraries and book stores about signings and author talks. When he does schedule an event I suggest you arrive early, as he's sure to draw a mob.
Q: When did your interest in organized crime begin?
A: It started when I read Eliot Ness's book, "The Untouchables," in eighth grade. But it really took off when I joined the Merry Gangsters Literary Society in 1991 here in Chicago.
Q: What made you decide to write this book?
A: This is my fourth book and the second about organized crime in Chicago. This one started out as a complete history of Chicago's underworld from before 1900 to the present. But as things progressed, it became clear that there were many new insights and enough material that a book about just the Prohibition Era was warranted.
Q: How much research did you have to put into it?
A: Tons. The research that appears in the book was done over the last 25 years. There are some things on the subject in my files that go back to 1991, when I joined the MGLS. Other research was done more recently by extensive digging through various archives.
Q: What was some of the most fascinating and/or unusual info you ran across?
A: There are many myths about Prohibition Era organized crime in Chicago, some of which go back to the 1920s, partly because numerous books have repeated what was written previously rather than investigating the facts. Others myths arose more recently. "Al Capone's Beer Wars," refutes the following "myths," along with a number of others: 1. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was not a Capone operation. 2. The Moran gang only had seven members and ceased to exist after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, 3. (I have three parts here although there have been many misconceptions in this area) Gangland killings in Chicago during Prohibition were a. frequently done with a submachine gun, b. were prominently one-way rides, and c. were most often drive-by shootings.
Q: I've seen you on various documentaries. How many of those have you done?
A: Since 1995, I think I've appeared on 35 or 40 documentaries dealing with organized crime in Chicago. Some were on European television but most were produced for American cable channels.
Q: Can you drop some local to Oak Park and River Forest names that you discuss?
A: Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Jack McGurn, Jack White, Tony Capezio, Frank Rio, Frankie Lake, Marty Guilfoyle, and Sam Battaglia all lived in the area at one time or another. They are discussed in the book in detail.
Q: What other work do you do in this area?
A: Well, I'm regularly consulted by other authors and researchers interested in Chicago organized crime as well as by the relatives of Chicago mobsters. In the latter case, the subject was never discussed in their home when they were growing up, and they email me to ask whether I can help them learn more about their family members.
Q: Who should read this book?
A: Frankly, I would recommend it to anyone interested in organized crime and more broadly true crime. Also, readers of American history and Chicago history will enjoy it.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.
Copyright © 2017, Chicago Tribune
by Felicia DechterPioneer Press
John Binder has spent a lifetime being fascinated by the stories of organized crime, and he tells some of the tales he has learned in his latest book, "Al Capone's Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago during Prohibition."
An exhaustively researched work based on 25 years of study, Binder, a recognized authority on the history of organized crime in Chicago, discusses the most notorious bootlegging gangs in the city and suburbs along with other major rackets including prostitution, gambling, labor and business racketeering and narcotics.
He covers the era from 1920 to 1933, giving the big picture of how Chicago's underworld evolved during that period. He is so full of Mafioso knowledge that Binder has served as an expert consultant for underworld documentaries on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, A&E, and AMC. In his book, he also refutes numerous myths and misconceptions related to Al Capone and his gang, as well as other criminal groups, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and gangland killings.
When he's not spending time researching "the family" Binder, a retired UIC professor, enjoys playing and watching soccer, dining out with his wife Linda, and studying other aspects of history.
Binder's latest work hits the stands June 6, and he has been contacting area libraries and book stores about signings and author talks. When he does schedule an event I suggest you arrive early, as he's sure to draw a mob.
Q: When did your interest in organized crime begin?
A: It started when I read Eliot Ness's book, "The Untouchables," in eighth grade. But it really took off when I joined the Merry Gangsters Literary Society in 1991 here in Chicago.
Q: What made you decide to write this book?
A: This is my fourth book and the second about organized crime in Chicago. This one started out as a complete history of Chicago's underworld from before 1900 to the present. But as things progressed, it became clear that there were many new insights and enough material that a book about just the Prohibition Era was warranted.
Q: How much research did you have to put into it?
A: Tons. The research that appears in the book was done over the last 25 years. There are some things on the subject in my files that go back to 1991, when I joined the MGLS. Other research was done more recently by extensive digging through various archives.
Q: What was some of the most fascinating and/or unusual info you ran across?
A: There are many myths about Prohibition Era organized crime in Chicago, some of which go back to the 1920s, partly because numerous books have repeated what was written previously rather than investigating the facts. Others myths arose more recently. "Al Capone's Beer Wars," refutes the following "myths," along with a number of others: 1. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was not a Capone operation. 2. The Moran gang only had seven members and ceased to exist after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, 3. (I have three parts here although there have been many misconceptions in this area) Gangland killings in Chicago during Prohibition were a. frequently done with a submachine gun, b. were prominently one-way rides, and c. were most often drive-by shootings.
Q: I've seen you on various documentaries. How many of those have you done?
A: Since 1995, I think I've appeared on 35 or 40 documentaries dealing with organized crime in Chicago. Some were on European television but most were produced for American cable channels.
Q: Can you drop some local to Oak Park and River Forest names that you discuss?
A: Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Jack McGurn, Jack White, Tony Capezio, Frank Rio, Frankie Lake, Marty Guilfoyle, and Sam Battaglia all lived in the area at one time or another. They are discussed in the book in detail.
Q: What other work do you do in this area?
A: Well, I'm regularly consulted by other authors and researchers interested in Chicago organized crime as well as by the relatives of Chicago mobsters. In the latter case, the subject was never discussed in their home when they were growing up, and they email me to ask whether I can help them learn more about their family members.
Q: Who should read this book?
A: Frankly, I would recommend it to anyone interested in organized crime and more broadly true crime. Also, readers of American history and Chicago history will enjoy it.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.