Frank J. Loesch
Encyclopedia
Frank Joseph Loesch was a prominent Chicago attorney, reformer and a founder of the Chicago Crime Commission
which attempted to combat the widespread corruption and organized crime related violence during Prohibition
.
Loesch was born in Buffalo, New York on April 9, 1852, the son of Frank and Marie Eva (Fisher) Loesch. His parents had emigrated from Baden, Germany in 1845. Loesch moved to Chicago in 1870, where he entered Union College of Law while continuing his bookkeeping position with Western Union. He witnessed the 1871 Great Chicago Fire
and wrote an extensive first-hand account, "Personal Experiences during the Chicago Fire". He received his LL.B. degree from Northwestern Law School in 1874.
In his 70-year legal career, Loesch represented numerous corporate and individual clients, including several major railroads and the American Medical Association.
In 1908 Loesch was appointed Special State's Attorney for Cook County. He prosecuted frauds committed during the first direct primary election in Cook County. The experience made him an ardent crusader against what he termed the alliance between crime and politics.
In 1920 Loesch was one of the organizers of the Chicago Crime Commission. He was made an executive member of the Commission in 1922, became its president in 1928, and served five terms as Commission president. He was named president emeritus of the Commission in 1938. Loesch spent much of his career fighting organized crime in the city, particularly against the romantic image of the gangster commonly portrayed by the media of the times. Loesch believed that changing the public's attitude towards organized crime figures such as Dean O'Banion
and Al Capone
was a crucial part in effective law enforcement, and was credited for coining the term "public enemy
" later used by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
.
However, Loesch reportedly held considerable influence among Chicago's underworld and was apparently able to warn Capone and other Italian mobsters against further gang warfare, especially following the violence surrounding the 1928 Republican "pineapple primary
". Loesch was appointed Chief Special Assistant Attorney General of Illinois to act in place of the regular State's Attorney in the investigations of frauds, bombings, kidnappings and murders committed in connection with the primary elections of April, 1928. Later in the same year, he was chief prosecutor in the murder case of Octavius C. Granady, an African American lawyer and candidate for Committeeman of the "Bloody" Twentieth Ward.
Loesch was also responsible for the arrests of many of the city's Irish-American gangsters and bootleggers.
Loesch died in Cooperstown, New York on July 31, 1944. His grandson was lawyer and politician Harrison Loesch
.
Chicago Crime Commission
The Chicago Crime Commission is an independent, non-partisan civic watchdog organization of business leaders dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of organized criminal activity, especially organized crime, street gangs and the tools of their trade: drugs, guns, public corruption,...
which attempted to combat the widespread corruption and organized crime related violence during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
.
Loesch was born in Buffalo, New York on April 9, 1852, the son of Frank and Marie Eva (Fisher) Loesch. His parents had emigrated from Baden, Germany in 1845. Loesch moved to Chicago in 1870, where he entered Union College of Law while continuing his bookkeeping position with Western Union. He witnessed the 1871 Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
and wrote an extensive first-hand account, "Personal Experiences during the Chicago Fire". He received his LL.B. degree from Northwestern Law School in 1874.
In his 70-year legal career, Loesch represented numerous corporate and individual clients, including several major railroads and the American Medical Association.
In 1908 Loesch was appointed Special State's Attorney for Cook County. He prosecuted frauds committed during the first direct primary election in Cook County. The experience made him an ardent crusader against what he termed the alliance between crime and politics.
In 1920 Loesch was one of the organizers of the Chicago Crime Commission. He was made an executive member of the Commission in 1922, became its president in 1928, and served five terms as Commission president. He was named president emeritus of the Commission in 1938. Loesch spent much of his career fighting organized crime in the city, particularly against the romantic image of the gangster commonly portrayed by the media of the times. Loesch believed that changing the public's attitude towards organized crime figures such as Dean O'Banion
Dean O'Banion
Charles Dean O'Banion was an Irish-American mobster who was the main rival of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone during the brutal Chicago bootlegging wars of the 1920s...
and Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
was a crucial part in effective law enforcement, and was credited for coining the term "public enemy
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
" later used by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
.
However, Loesch reportedly held considerable influence among Chicago's underworld and was apparently able to warn Capone and other Italian mobsters against further gang warfare, especially following the violence surrounding the 1928 Republican "pineapple primary
Pineapple Primary
The Pineapple Primary was the name given to a Republican primary election held in Chicago on April 10, 1928; more than 60 bombs were thrown during the campaign and at least two politicians were killed...
". Loesch was appointed Chief Special Assistant Attorney General of Illinois to act in place of the regular State's Attorney in the investigations of frauds, bombings, kidnappings and murders committed in connection with the primary elections of April, 1928. Later in the same year, he was chief prosecutor in the murder case of Octavius C. Granady, an African American lawyer and candidate for Committeeman of the "Bloody" Twentieth Ward.
Loesch was also responsible for the arrests of many of the city's Irish-American gangsters and bootleggers.
Loesch died in Cooperstown, New York on July 31, 1944. His grandson was lawyer and politician Harrison Loesch
Harrison Loesch
Harrison Loesch Prominent Colorado attorney who became Assistant Secretary of Interior under Richard Nixon. He served in that position from 1969 to 1973...
.
Further reading
- Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1940. ISBN 1-56025-454-8
- Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and Times of Al Capone. New York: Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 0-30681-285-1