Peter Gusenberg
Encyclopedia
Peter Gusenberg a.k.a. "Goosey" (September 22, 1889 Chicago, Illinois- February 14, 1929 Lincoln Park, Chicago
), and his brother Frank
were German-American contract killers and members of Chicago's North Side Gang
, the main rival to the Chicago Outfit
. Peter Gusenberg participated in an infamous attack on Al Capone during a vicious gang war.
, a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg
district, in Rhineland-Palatinate
, Germany
and his wife. His parents moved into a home at 434 Roscoe Street in Lakeview, Chicago
where Peter lived with his brothers Frank (October 11, 1892 Chicago, Illinois) along with their youngest brother Henry who later moved to 5507 Berniece Avenue, Portage Park, Chicago
. In 1901, when Peter Jr. was twelve years old, he returned home from school and found his mother on the floor, dead. Following the discovery of his mother's body, he pried the wedding ring his father Peter Sr. had bought for her back in Germany and went to a local merchant to pawn it for money which he kept. After graduating from petty crime into more serious offenses, the Gusenberg brothers teamed up with Dion O'Banion, Earl "Hymie" Weiss
, George "Bugs" Moran
and other members of the North Side Gang
. Peter Jr. and his brother would both learn to speak German and English, through what little schooling they acquired. He later married a German
-Irish
woman Myrtle Coppleman Gorman
and did not let her know about his criminal activities, keeping her under the ruse that he worked as a travelling salesman. He was first incarcerated in 1902 and sent to the Joliet Correctional Center for burglary in 1906. He was released on a probationary period but violated the terms and conditions of his probation and was sent back to Joliet in 1910 where he was finally released in 1912. He 1923 he was convicted for his participation in helping rob a mail freight car while stopped at Dearborn Station. He also helped carry out the contracts on Jack McGurn
, Antonio Lombardo and Pasquale Lolorado with his younger brother Frank Gusenberg
and fellow cell mate at Joliet and gang member Albert Kachellek, a German-American mob associate whose parents were from Niedersachsen, Germany
who would also later be murdered in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. His gang would dominate bootleg
ging and other criminal activities in the northern part of Chicago throughout the 1920s.
on a mail robbery conviction. While he was in prison, the North Side Gang became embroiled in a vicious gang war with the rival Chicago Outfit
, headed first by Johnny Torrio and then Al Capone. During this warfare, Outfit gunmen had murdered North Side leader O'Banion in his florist shop. When Peter Gusenberg was released from prison in 1926, he rejoined the North Side Gang, now led by Hymie Weiss, in its war against the Outfit.
headquarters. The North Siders riddled the hotel with thousands of bullets. According to many accounts, the second to last car stopped in front of the hotel restaurant where Capone was cowering and Peter Gusenberg emerged, clad in a khaki Army shirt and brown overalls, and carrying a Thompson submachine gun
. Kneeling in front of the doorway, Gusenberg emptied the entire 100-round capacity drum into the restaurant, and then casually strolled back to his car, which then sped off to safety. The attack left Capone terrified and he offered a truce between the two gangs. Peace talks faltered on the consessions that the North Siders demanded.
As the gang war continued, the North Side Gang started to weaken. Three weeks after the Hawthorne Hotel attack, Hymie Weiss was murdered by a Capone hit squad. Moran now took over the gang. The North Siders especially wanted to kill Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn
, as he was rumored to have killed Weiss. On at least two occasions, the Gusenberg brothers tried to kill McGurn. Despite wounding him several times, McGurn survived these attempts on his life.
By late 1928, Moran struck an alliance with Capone rival Joe Aiello
. Aiello and the Gusenberg brothers first killed Antonio Lombardo and then Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo
, two successive presidents of the Unione Siciliane
and both Capone allies. It was these murders that motivated Capone to eliminate Moran and the North Side Gang in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
Two men in police uniforms entered the garage and lined Peter Gusenberg and the other North Siders up against the north wall. At this point, two men in civilian clothing came in with submachine guns. The four gunmen then opened fire with submachine guns and shotguns, killing all seven men, in what would become known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
. Peter Gusenberg died instantly.
Peter's brother Frank was the only initial survivor of the massacre. He refused repeated attempts to inform the police who shot him before he died.
Although the killers wiped out most of the North Side Gang, they missed their prime target, Moran. Moran spotted the gunmen before entering the garage and turned around and walked back to the Parkway.
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
), and his brother Frank
Frank Gusenberg
Frank Gusenberg was a German-American contract killer and a victim of the Saint Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago, Illinois.-Early life:...
were German-American contract killers and members of Chicago's North Side Gang
North Side Gang
The North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early to late 1920s and principal rival of the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone organization, later known as the Chicago Outfit.- Early...
, the main rival to the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
. Peter Gusenberg participated in an infamous attack on Al Capone during a vicious gang war.
Early life
Peter Gusenberg Jr. was born at the Alexian Brothers Medical Centre in Chicago, Illinois to Peter Sr. and his wife. He was the firstborn of three sons and the namesake of his father Peter Gusenberg (Gusenberger) Sr. who was a first generation Roman Catholic emigrant from GusenburgGusenburg
Gusenburg is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
, a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg
Trier-Saarburg
Trier-Saarburg is a district in the west of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bitburg-Prüm, Bernkastel-Wittlich, Birkenfeld, Sankt Wendel , and Merzig-Wadern . To the west it borders Luxembourg...
district, in Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and his wife. His parents moved into a home at 434 Roscoe Street in Lakeview, Chicago
Lakeview, Chicago
Lake View, or Lakeview, is one of the 77 community area of the Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east...
where Peter lived with his brothers Frank (October 11, 1892 Chicago, Illinois) along with their youngest brother Henry who later moved to 5507 Berniece Avenue, Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...
. In 1901, when Peter Jr. was twelve years old, he returned home from school and found his mother on the floor, dead. Following the discovery of his mother's body, he pried the wedding ring his father Peter Sr. had bought for her back in Germany and went to a local merchant to pawn it for money which he kept. After graduating from petty crime into more serious offenses, the Gusenberg brothers teamed up with Dion O'Banion, Earl "Hymie" Weiss
Hymie Weiss
Hymie Weiss was a Polish-American mob boss who became a leader of the Prohibition-era North Side Gang and a bitter rival of Al Capone.-Early years:...
, George "Bugs" Moran
Bugs Moran
George Clarence Moran , better known by the alias "Bugs" Moran, was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Moran, of Irish and Polish descent, moved to the north side of Chicago when he was 19, where he became affiliated with several gangs...
and other members of the North Side Gang
North Side Gang
The North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early to late 1920s and principal rival of the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone organization, later known as the Chicago Outfit.- Early...
. Peter Jr. and his brother would both learn to speak German and English, through what little schooling they acquired. He later married a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
-Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
woman Myrtle Coppleman Gorman
Gorman
- Places :Canada* Gorman , a station on proposed extension of light rail transit system in EdmontonUnited States* Gorman, California* Gorman, Maryland* Gorman, North Carolina* Gorman, Texas* Gorman Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota- Other :...
and did not let her know about his criminal activities, keeping her under the ruse that he worked as a travelling salesman. He was first incarcerated in 1902 and sent to the Joliet Correctional Center for burglary in 1906. He was released on a probationary period but violated the terms and conditions of his probation and was sent back to Joliet in 1910 where he was finally released in 1912. He 1923 he was convicted for his participation in helping rob a mail freight car while stopped at Dearborn Station. He also helped carry out the contracts on Jack McGurn
Jack McGurn
"Machine Gun" Jack McGurn was an Italian-American mobster and key member of Al Capone's Chicago Outfit.-Early life:...
, Antonio Lombardo and Pasquale Lolorado with his younger brother Frank Gusenberg
Frank Gusenberg
Frank Gusenberg was a German-American contract killer and a victim of the Saint Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago, Illinois.-Early life:...
and fellow cell mate at Joliet and gang member Albert Kachellek, a German-American mob associate whose parents were from Niedersachsen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who would also later be murdered in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. His gang would dominate bootleg
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
ging and other criminal activities in the northern part of Chicago throughout the 1920s.
Prison time
In the early 1920s, Peter Gusenberg was sent away to the United States Penitentiary, LeavenworthUnited States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
on a mail robbery conviction. While he was in prison, the North Side Gang became embroiled in a vicious gang war with the rival Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
, headed first by Johnny Torrio and then Al Capone. During this warfare, Outfit gunmen had murdered North Side leader O'Banion in his florist shop. When Peter Gusenberg was released from prison in 1926, he rejoined the North Side Gang, now led by Hymie Weiss, in its war against the Outfit.
Gang war
On September 20, 1926, Peter Gusenberg participated in the infamous drive-by shooting on the Hawthorne Hotel, Capone's Cicero, IllinoisCicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
headquarters. The North Siders riddled the hotel with thousands of bullets. According to many accounts, the second to last car stopped in front of the hotel restaurant where Capone was cowering and Peter Gusenberg emerged, clad in a khaki Army shirt and brown overalls, and carrying a Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
. Kneeling in front of the doorway, Gusenberg emptied the entire 100-round capacity drum into the restaurant, and then casually strolled back to his car, which then sped off to safety. The attack left Capone terrified and he offered a truce between the two gangs. Peace talks faltered on the consessions that the North Siders demanded.
As the gang war continued, the North Side Gang started to weaken. Three weeks after the Hawthorne Hotel attack, Hymie Weiss was murdered by a Capone hit squad. Moran now took over the gang. The North Siders especially wanted to kill Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn
Jack McGurn
"Machine Gun" Jack McGurn was an Italian-American mobster and key member of Al Capone's Chicago Outfit.-Early life:...
, as he was rumored to have killed Weiss. On at least two occasions, the Gusenberg brothers tried to kill McGurn. Despite wounding him several times, McGurn survived these attempts on his life.
By late 1928, Moran struck an alliance with Capone rival Joe Aiello
Joe Aiello
Giuseppe "Joe" Aiello was a Chicago bootlegger during the 1920s and early 1930s who had a longstanding, bloody feud with Chicago Outfit boss Al Capone.-Arrival in America:...
. Aiello and the Gusenberg brothers first killed Antonio Lombardo and then Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo
Pasqualino Lolordo
Pasqualino "Patsy" Lolordo was an organized crime figure and head of the Chicago chapter of the Unione Siciliana a "front" organization for the Mafia, of which Lolordo was considered one of the most powerful capos during the late 1920s.Lolordo succeeded Antonio "The Scourge" Lombardo, an...
, two successive presidents of the Unione Siciliane
Unione Siciliane
The Unione Siciliana was a Sicilian-American fraternal organization which eventually was rumored to have controlled much of the Italian American vote within the United States during the early twentieth century...
and both Capone allies. It was these murders that motivated Capone to eliminate Moran and the North Side Gang in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
St. Valentine's Day Massacre
On February 14, 1929, the upper echelon of the North Side gang, including Peter Gusenberg, gathered in their main booze garage, the S.M.C. Cartage Company at 2122 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Also there were Frank Gusenberg, Albert Weinshank, Adam Heyer, James Clark, John May, and Dr. Reinhardt Schwimmer (a friend of a gang member). The usual story is that the North Siders were waiting for a shipment of hijacked whiskey from Detroit (a ploy devised by Capone). However, this story has been disputed.Two men in police uniforms entered the garage and lined Peter Gusenberg and the other North Siders up against the north wall. At this point, two men in civilian clothing came in with submachine guns. The four gunmen then opened fire with submachine guns and shotguns, killing all seven men, in what would become known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
St. Valentine's Day massacre
The Saint Valentine's Day massacre is the name given to the 1929 murder of 7 mob associates as part of a prohibition era conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago: the South Side Italian gang led by Al Capone and the North Side Irish gang led by Bugs Moran. Former members of the...
. Peter Gusenberg died instantly.
Peter's brother Frank was the only initial survivor of the massacre. He refused repeated attempts to inform the police who shot him before he died.
Although the killers wiped out most of the North Side Gang, they missed their prime target, Moran. Moran spotted the gunmen before entering the garage and turned around and walked back to the Parkway.
In popular culture
Peter Gusenberg would be portrayed in two movies about the Prohibition era;- In Roger CormanRoger CormanRoger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's The St. Valentine's Day MassacreThe St. Valentine's Day Massacre (film)The St. Valentine's Day Massacre is a 1967 gangster film based on the 1929 Chicago mass murder of seven members of the Northside gang, directed against George "Bugs" Moran by Al Capone...
(1967), Gusenberg was played by George SegalGeorge SegalGeorge Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,...
. - In Steve CarverSteve CarverSteve Carver is an American film director and producer from Brooklyn, New York.-Biography:Carver first held a camera when he was eight. He attended high school in Manhattan, New York and received his B.A. from Cornell University and his MFA from Washington University in St...
's CaponeCapone (film)Capone is an American crime film directed by Steve Carver and stars Ben Gazzara, Harry Guardino, Susan Blakely and Sylvester Stallone in an early film appearance. The movie is a biography of the infamous Al Capone, although much of it is supposedly fiction.The film was released on DVD in the U.S...
(1975), Gusenberg was played by Martin KoveMartin KoveMartin Kove is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.-Film appearances:His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese...
.
External links
- Peter Gusenberg at Find-A-Grave
- http://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id29.htm