John Dillinger: Hero Or Villain

Picture yourself in the great depression. Banks are failing, people are getting laid off, and crime is growing across the country. Many names, such as “Pretty Boy” Floyd, “Baby Face” Nelson, and Bonnie and Clyde, are becoming more and more infamous. Robberies and/or killings are attributed to these villains with every passing day. However, even though the government portrays them as menaces to the public, you can’t help but root for the bad guy. In your mind, the government is to blame for all the hardships you have suffered. You want to see revenge taken against them for all the wrong they have done. Instead of villains, you see vigilantes, heroes, and celebrities, and John Dillinger was in no way an exception. John was born in Indianapolis in the year 1903 on June 22. Four years later, his mother died, leaving him to his father and stepmother. His early life was average for most children of the time. He grade were above average, and he enjoyed reading. At the age of 16, he quit school. His father moved to a farm near Mooresville, but John disliked the rural lifestyle. He spent the next 3 years hanging around the nearby cities. After stealing a car

There, law enforcement recognized the bandits and placed them under arrest. John was expedited to Chicago to be put on trial for the murder of William O’Malley. He was placed in Crown Point Prison. “Authorities boasted that the jail was "escape proof," but on March 3, 1934, he cowed the guards with what he claimed later was a wooden gun he had whittled.” (St. James Encyclopedia of Culture). Later investigations instead showed that a real pistol was smuggled in by a well bribed judge. After his escape, John formed the true Dillinger Gang, which included “Babyface” Nelson and “Pretty Boy” Floyd. The gang quickly went to work robbing banks. However, they were now being hunted by the feds due to Dillinger transporting a stolen vehicle over a state