Black Gangsters of Chicago [Paperback]

Chicago’s notoriety as one of the nation’s most corrupt cities is well deserved, and few locales have been the setting of as many factual and fictional crime tales. As early as 1906, illegal gambling was being spearheaded by the “Negro Gambling King of Chicago,” Mushmouth Johnson. Johnson, who would become the iconic black gangster, ushered in a century long era of underground gambling halls, political bribery and election fraud that continues to this day. In this fascinating narrative history, author Ron Chepesiuk profiles the key players in the nation’s largest black organized crime population and traces the murderous evolution of the gangs and rackets that define Chicago’s violent underworld.Chicago has long been a haven of organized from, home to such celebrated figures as Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Sam Giancana. In Black Gangsters of Chicago, author Ron Chepesiuk focuses on a lesser known group,the annals of black organized crime in Chicago, characters who have had as deep and unique an influence on organized crime in the Windy City. The author profiles the key players in the nation’s largest black organized crime population and traces the murderous evolution of the gangs and rackets that define Chicago’s violent underworld.Ron Chepesiuk is an award-winning investigative journalist, film producer and author. He is a Fulbright scholar, an adjunct professor in the journalism department of UCLA’s Extension Division and a consultant to the History Channel’s “Gangland” documentary series.