The incorruptible (Prohibition)
The Untouchables (English: The Untouchables ) were a group of eleven Prohibition agent , by Eliot Ness was conducted and the illegal alcohol trade of Al Capone during the US alcohol prohibition fight should.
history
Following the election of US President Herbert C. Hoover in 1929, Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon was specifically tasked with bringing down the mobster Al Capone. The US government approached the "Problem Capone" from two sides: tax evasion and the Volstead Act - the prohibition law. Ness was chosen to lead operations under the Volstead Act , which targeted Capone's illegal breweries and supply routes.
With corruption spreading among law enforcement officers, Ness searched the files of all agents in his department. From this he put together a reliable team that originally consisted of 50, later of 15 and ultimately of only 11 agents. Raids against distilleries and breweries began immediately. Within six months, Ness claimed to have confiscated $ 1 million worth of assets. The main source of his information was a major telephone line surveillance operation .
A failed attempt by Capone to bribe Ness' agents came to the public and led to their nickname "The Incorruptible". There were numerous attempted murders on Ness, and Frank Basile, a good friend of his, was killed.
The final group of eleven Prohibition Agents included:
- Martin J. Lahart , who had previously worked with Ness and was appointed by him as his deputy.
- Samuel M. Seager , former warden at the death row of Sing Sing .
- Bernard V. Cloonan , former US Marine who got over his head with paperwork in the Prohibition Office.
- Lyle Chapman , a war veteran and a Colgate University graduate from the Detroit Prohibition Office who was supposed to focus primarily on filing.
- Thomas Friel , a former state policeman from Pennsylvania .
- Joseph Leeson , legendary driver and shading expert from the Prohibition Office in Cincinnati .
- Paul W. Robsky , former New Jersey naval pilot who was trained as a telephone technician .
- Michael King , Virginia disguise artist .
- William Gardner , former professional football player with Native American ancestors from the Prohibition Office in Los Angeles . In his mid-40s, he was the oldest member of the group.
- Jim Seeley , 27-year-old Chicago native who had previously worked as a private detective and had made so many contacts with the underworld.
- Albert H. Wolff , a native of Chicago, who pursued dodgers in the Kentucky hills and was assigned to the Chicago Prohibition Office shortly after the Valentine's Day massacre .
After the "Capone case" was settled, the incorruptible were dissolved and Ness, in recognition of his work, promoted to chief investigator of the Prohibition Office in Chicago.
Film adaptations
The Untouchables is a television series produced from 1962 to 1963 based on the memoirs of Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley.
In 1987, Brian De Palma filmed the story under the title The Untouchables with Kevin Costner , Sean Connery , Charles Martin Smith , Andy García and Robert De Niro in the leading roles.
cartoon
The animated series Use for Elliot Maus is also based on the experiences. Here, however, Elliot Maus, who alluded to Eliot Ness personally, only has four employees. They are subordinate to the federal mousehole investigative authority.
Web links
- Crimelibrary: Eliot Ness (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Commitment to Elliot Maus. Episode guide. In: fernsehserien.de. Retrieved July 27, 2020 .