Shelton Brothers Gang
Encyclopedia
The Shelton Brothers Gang was an early Prohibition
era bootlegging gang based in southern Illinois. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger Charles Birger
. In 1950 the Saturday Evening Post described the Sheltons as "America's Bloodiest Gang".
Formed by Carl (b. 1888), Earl (b. 1890) and Bernie "Red" Shelton (b. 1898) of Geff, Illinois Wayne County, Illinois shortly after Prohibition came into effect in 1920, the gang operated in Williamson County, Illinois
, making moonshine and other illegal liquor. They eventually dominated both gambling and liquor distribution in Little Egypt
until a former ally, gangster Charles Birger, attempted to take over the Sheltons' bootlegging operations in 1926. This began a violent gang war, which saw both sides using homemade armored trucks and included one incident of an aerial bombing raid by the Sheltons on Birger's Shady Rest headquarters. The war was fought for control of bootlegging in all of southern Illinois.
Despite having over fifty gunmen, the Shelton Brothers were unable to defeat Birger. Based on the testimony of Birger and Art Newman, the Shelton Brothers were convicted of an unsolved 1925 mail carrier robbery of $15,000 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The gang slowly faded, as Birger dominated bootlegging in southern Illinois, until he himself was hanged in 1928 for ordering the murder of West City, Illinois
, Mayor Joe Adams, a Shelton partisan.
After their release from prison, Carl and Bernie Shelton were murdered (in 1947 and 1948 respectively) on orders from former gang member Frank "Buster" Wortman
, who took over the Shelton operations and dominated St. Louis' illegal gambling and other criminal activities until his death in 1968. Earl was also ambushed and shot, but survived. After another attempt on his life the following year, Earl Shelton and his family left Illinois for Florida
. Earl died there in 1986 at age 96, the last member of the Shelton Brothers Gang.
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...
era bootlegging gang based in southern Illinois. They were the main rivals of the famous bootlegger Charles Birger
Charles Birger
Charles Birger was an American bootlegger during the Prohibition period in southern Illinois. His real name was Shachna Itzik Birger, and he emigrated to the United States as a child with his parents from the Russian Empire....
. In 1950 the Saturday Evening Post described the Sheltons as "America's Bloodiest Gang".
Formed by Carl (b. 1888), Earl (b. 1890) and Bernie "Red" Shelton (b. 1898) of Geff, Illinois Wayne County, Illinois shortly after Prohibition came into effect in 1920, the gang operated in Williamson County, Illinois
Williamson County, Illinois
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*92.7% White*3.8% Black*0.4% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*0.4% Other races*2.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, making moonshine and other illegal liquor. They eventually dominated both gambling and liquor distribution in Little Egypt
Little Egypt (region)
-Early history:The earliest inhabitants of Illinois were thought to have arrived about 12,000 B.C. They were hunter-gatherers, but developed a primitive system of agriculture. After 1000 AD, their agricultural surpluses enabled them to develop complex, hierarchical societies...
until a former ally, gangster Charles Birger, attempted to take over the Sheltons' bootlegging operations in 1926. This began a violent gang war, which saw both sides using homemade armored trucks and included one incident of an aerial bombing raid by the Sheltons on Birger's Shady Rest headquarters. The war was fought for control of bootlegging in all of southern Illinois.
Despite having over fifty gunmen, the Shelton Brothers were unable to defeat Birger. Based on the testimony of Birger and Art Newman, the Shelton Brothers were convicted of an unsolved 1925 mail carrier robbery of $15,000 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The gang slowly faded, as Birger dominated bootlegging in southern Illinois, until he himself was hanged in 1928 for ordering the murder of West City, Illinois
West City, Illinois
West City is a village in Franklin County, Illinois, adjacent to the county seat of Benton, Illinois. The population was 661 at the 2010 census.- History :In the late 19th century, West City was a small settlement adjoining Benton on the west...
, Mayor Joe Adams, a Shelton partisan.
After their release from prison, Carl and Bernie Shelton were murdered (in 1947 and 1948 respectively) on orders from former gang member Frank "Buster" Wortman
Frank Wortman
Frank L. "Buster" Wortman was a St. Louis-area bootlegger, gambler and a former member of the Shelton Brothers Gang during Prohibition. Wortman would eventually succeed the Sheltons and take over St. Louis's gambling operations in southwest Illinois until his death.-Early life:The son of an East St...
, who took over the Shelton operations and dominated St. Louis' illegal gambling and other criminal activities until his death in 1968. Earl was also ambushed and shot, but survived. After another attempt on his life the following year, Earl Shelton and his family left Illinois for Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Earl died there in 1986 at age 96, the last member of the Shelton Brothers Gang.
Further reading
- Angle, Paul M. 1952, Rep. 1993. Bloody Williamson - A Chapter in American Lawlessness. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06233-7.
- Galligan, George and Jack Wilkinson. 1927, Reprinted 1985. In Bloody Williamson. Marion, Ill.: Williamson County Historical Society.
- Pensoneau, Taylor. 2002. Brothers Notorious: The Sheltons - Southern Illinois' Legendary Gangsters. New Berlin, Illinois: Downstate Publications.
- Pensoneau, Taylor. 2010. Dapper & Deadly: The True Story of Black Charlie Harris. New Berlin, Illinois: Downstate Publications.
- Johnson, Ralph, and Jon Musgrave. 2010. Secrets of the Herrin Gangs. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com. 96 pages.
- Theising, Andrew J. 2003. Made in USA: East St. Louis, the Rise and Fall of an Industrial River Town. St. Louis: Virginia Publishing. ISBN 1-891442-21-X
- United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce. Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce: Hearings before a Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce. 1950. http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC09953709&id=3HYEAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Shelton+Brothers%22&dq=%22Shelton+Brothers%22&pgis=1
External links
- Life Magazine June 19, 1950 .pp.39-42 killings of Shelton Brothers
- Historic Peoria: The Shelton Brothers
- War in Illinois: Charlie Birger & The Shelton Gang
- Bootlegging in Illinois by Nancy Nixon
- The Sheltons, downstate gangsters by Bill Monson
- The Sheltons on a genealogy page
- Fairfield, Illinois location of Carl Shelton ambush