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John Dillinger

Born John Herbert Dillinger, on June 28, 1902 (some sources say June 22, 1903), in Mooresville, Indiana. John Dillinger was a crook and a gangster who robbed banks for a living. The only thing he did better than robbing banks, perhaps, was breaking out of jail. In large part, the FBI was responsible for Dillinger's notoriety. In 1934, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police planned an ambush in Wisconsin to capture him. Instead of surrendering, he shot back. With bullets flying everywhere, FBI agents killed three innocent bystanders, but Dillinger got away. The foiled ambush was a humiliating experience for the FBI. It also enraged J. Edgar Hoover, then director of the FBI. The capture of Dillinger became the agency's top priority, with Hoover labeling him "Public Enemy Number One.". Dillinger was born to honest farmers John and Mary Dillinger. His mom died when he was only three years old so he was raised by his sister Audrey who was only seventeen.John Dillinger got into no more trouble than the average boy his age when he was a kid. In fact, he was likeable, friendly, quite strong although not very tall, and blessed with a natural ability to use his fists.

Shortly after Dillinger's death, law enforcement officials concentrated on capturing members of his gang. quickly after, all of the members of Dillinger's gang were either captured or killed in shootouts with police. However, Dillinger's exploits had earned him a lasting place in the annals of American crime history.

During Dillinger's nine years in prison, he became a hardened criminal. At the reformatory in Pendleton, Indiana, many of his cellmates were among the most notorious bank robbers in Indiana. Dillinger learned many of his skills as a bank robber from his cellmates and some of them would later become members of his gang. He was considered a model prisoner, although he did make one clumsy attempt to escape and was reprimanded several times for disorderly conduct. With five dollars in his pocket, he was released from the reformatory on May 22, 1933 and briefly returned to Mooresville. However, his wife had divorced him four years earlier and he saw no reason to stay in his hometown. On the night of July 16, 1933, at the age of 30, John Herbert Dillinger left Mooresville to become one of America's most famous criminals.

In January 1934, Dillinger and his gang were captured in Tucson, Arizona.Under heavy guard, Dillinger was transferred to Crown Point prison in Indiana. On March 3, 1934, Dillinger escaped. Using a wooden gun that had been smuggled into the prison, he overpowered the guards, locked them up, and walked through the prison gates. Dillinger's escape embarrassed law enforcement officials and made him a folk hero to some Americans. A few days after the escape, Dillinger resumed

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