Episode 562: Eliot Ness and The Untouchables
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Born in Chicago, Eliot Ness was a smart, officious child. He dressed well and always did his homework—so much so, that his nickname in high school was Elegant Mess. His brother in law was a fed, and he inspired the young Eliot to become a federal investigator as well. Shortly after college, he joined the Treasury Department. He ultimately landed a job in the Prohibition Bureau battling mobsters and bootleggers. Once the president decided to stop Al Capone in Chicago, The US District attorney hired Eliot Ness on the spot. Many federal agents were corrupt or downright evil (such as Kinky Thompson), so they needed someone with integrity.
Ness read the files of every agent and assembled his super team of The Untouchables. They resisted bribes and took the war to Capone, eventually forcing him to import liquor instead of make his own. While their lives were threatened regularly, they stayed the course and brought Capone down.
After that, Ness moved to Ohio and cleaned up the 10th largest city in America, Cleveland. It had the worst traffic deaths, most drunk driving, most corrupt police force, most corrupt city officials, and a big mob problem. He turned all that around, though once the city was clean and safe, the populace seemed to turn on him for his efforts. What did he do that made the residents so mad? What was up the Torso Murders, and how did Ness deal with this serial killer? What happened to him later in life? What happened the one time he and Capone actually met face to face? Listen, laugh, learn.
Visit Our Sources:
https://www.biography.com/law-figure/eliot-ness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Ness
https://www.atf.gov/our-history/eliot-ness
https://www.clevelandpolicemuseum.org/collections/eliot-ness/
Corruption During Prohibition of Alcohol in the US was Rampant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Torso_Murderer
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