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BABY FACE NELSON: The DEADLY Gangster With An INNOCENT Face
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Mar 9, 2025
Discover the shocking true story of America's most violent gangster of the 1930s! 😱 Baby Face Nelson may have looked innocent, but behind his angelic appearance was a cold-blooded killer who became Public Enemy #1. This documentary reveals how this 5'4" ruthless criminal partnered with John Dillinger, embarrassed the FBI, and created chaos across America before his bloody final standoff. 💰 From his troubled childhood to becoming one of America's most wanted criminals, we explore Nelson's bank robberies, prison escapes, and deadly shootouts that claimed the lives of multiple law enforcement officers. Learn about the infamous Little Bohemia Lodge disaster that humiliated J. Edgar Hoover's FBI and the final dramatic gun battle where Nelson, despite being hit by 17 bullets, took down two federal agents before his death. 🚨 BABY FACE NELSON: The DEADLY Gangster With An INNOCENT Face | John Dillinger's Most FEARED Partne 👉 SUBSCRIBE for more true crime stories from America's most notorious gangster era! #TrueCrime #Gangsters #BabyFaceNelson #JohnDillinger #FBI #AmericanHistory #1930s #CriminalMinds --~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Curious about how artificial intelligence can boost your productivity and creativity? Explore MaxAI, your ultimate AI companion designed to simplify tasks and enhance efficiency. Whether you need help with writing, data analysis, or creative brainstorming, MaxAI has got you covered. 🎁 Special Offer: Click https://shorturl.at/X9H7U to discover exclusive deals and start your journey with MaxAI today! --~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Like and subscribe will be greatly appreciated! 🙏 -~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~--~-~~-~~~-~~-~- 📣 FAIR-USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER 📣 =================================== Please note that this video abides by the principles of fair use under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. It is intended for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a permitted use of copyrighted material that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. 🔹 This video does not have a negative impact on the original works; in fact, it is intended to promote and support them. 🔹 The video is created for educational purposes and does not alter the original content significantly.
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0:00
[Music]
0:06
[Music]
0:16
[Music] I am Lester Joseph Gillis also known as
0:22
Babyface Nelson though I may look like just a kid that's not what I'm aiming
0:28
for but It ultimately Works in my favor more than I could have imagined some
0:34
people might have underestimated me because of my youthful appearance but behind that Angelic face was a heart of
0:40
ice and a lethal skill with a firearm when Babyface Nelson planned a
0:47
job there was no room for indecision or compassion his quick trigger finger and
0:54
willingness to shoot at Point Blank Range set him apart as a dangerous man
0:59
in situation Babyface Nelson was obviously not a role model or you would
1:05
end up very badly he wasn't a polished gangster like lucky luchano who would
1:11
take control of unions or establish a nationwide distribution network instead
1:17
he was a throwback to the days of the feared Outlaws of the Wild West he would
1:22
enter a bank with guns in hand grab the loot and shoot his way out of town the
1:29
Man known as Babyface Nelson was born Lester Joseph Gillis on December 6th
1:35
1908 in South Chicago the son of Joseph Lester was the youngest of seven
1:42
children born to George and Marie Nelson from the start he was his
1:48
mother's cherished blonde chubby cheeked baby she saw no wrong in him even as he
1:55
later became known as Public Enemy Number One refusing to believe he could harm
2:01
anyone she always thought he was taking the blame for his friend's misdeeds Lester began roaming the
2:08
streets early following his older brothers and exploring the nearby
2:13
Stockyards skipping school became a habit leading to his enrollment at St
2:19
Patrick's boarding school there he clashed with the nuns strict discipline
2:26
joining a gang led by two older Italian boys Anthony capio and future Chicago
2:32
boss Tony Accardo Lester despite his small stature he would only grow to 54
2:40
as an adult quickly gained a reputation for fearlessness and
2:46
ruthlessness Lester was 56 and weighed
2:52
133 he never backed down from a fight and earned the gang's respect maybe he
2:59
wasn't the biggest his guy and maybe he didn't get much respect at first glance but they say respect isn't given it's
3:07
earned and Lester was ready to earn it the hard way at this time Lester was
3:14
still just a kid once while playing in a friend's garage they found a gun that belonged to
3:22
the friend's father they took the gun outside and Lester pretending to be a
3:28
cowboy accidentally shot his friend in the face the bullet lodged in the boy's
3:33
jaw and he survived Lester's family was forced to pay the boy's medical bills and Lester
3:40
was sent to the County Juvenile Detention Center for 18 months he
3:45
adapted quickly and was granted weekend home visits he returned to the streets
3:51
in April 1924 and rejoined his old gang which was making money by stealing cars
3:58
dismantling them and selling the parts by the end of the summer 15-year-old
4:04
Lester was arrested again by the police while driving a stolen car Lester argued
4:11
that he didn't know the car was stolen but the judge didn't want to hear it and he was sent back to the reform school
4:18
while he was away his father took his own life after years of suffering from depression in
4:24
1925 when Lester returned the Roaring 20s were in full swing everyone seemed
4:31
to be getting rich but Lester struggled to find his place in the world of crime
4:37
he got a job at a car dealership but he wasn't living an entirely honest life he
4:43
allowed a gang of Thieves to use the place as a headquarters and soon ended up back in reform school after stealing
4:50
another car he was offered a deal for parole if he ratted out his friends but
4:55
he refused and spent another 12 months behind bars this time when he was
5:01
released he was 18 years old and warned that the next time he got into trouble
5:07
he would go to an adult prison all right I get it I definitely don't want to go to adult prison but I can't seem to stop
5:15
doing some things that aren't exactly right especially now that I know my beloved and have planted a small
5:23
seed of Hope now more than ever I need to be financially stable and don't have
5:30
time for lengthy processes in late spring of 1928 Lester met the Bonny to his Clyde
5:39
Helen she was Tiny with brown hair and blue eyes and the two fell in love
5:46
instantly but Helen was only 15 years old and her father forbade them from
5:53
marrying a few months later the couple eloped to Indiana after Helen became
5:58
pregnant she gave birth to Ronald Vincent Gillis on April 27th
6:05
1929 Lester found a job but continued his criminal activities in his spare
6:11
time gradually he learned more became more cunning and started to climb the
6:18
criminal ladder he became a kind of armed thief and with his gang began
6:25
breaking into mansions in some of the nicer suburbs they would break in tie up
6:31
the residents demand to know where the safe was and steal the jewelry and
6:37
anything else they could carry this was just one example of the multiple assaults They carried out on January 6th
6:46
1930 they broke into the home of editor-in-chief Charles arter after
6:52
subduing him they tied him up with adhesive tape cut the phone lines and
6:57
made off with $25,000 in jewelry the Chicago newspapers dubbed
7:02
them the tape Bandits but in the world of crime you are nothing without a nickname and this
7:09
guy wanted to be called Big George but we all know Nelson was short so no one
7:17
believed it as he entered his later years he got his real nickname this
7:22
happened during the robbery of the Chicago mayor's wife whom they mugged on
7:27
the sidewalk and stole all her jewelry it was a big story in the newspapers the
7:33
next day what the mayor's wife said about him was the origin of his nickname
7:39
she mentioned that he had a baby face that he was handsome but looked like little more than a boy with dark hair
7:46
wearing a gray coat and a brown felt hat it wasn't what he expected in fact he
7:53
didn't like it at all but as I mentioned before in the end it all worked to my favor George Nelson now also known as
8:02
Babyface Nelson actually hated that nickname and it was in everyone's best
8:07
interest not to mention it in his presence just calling him George was
8:12
fine anyway one thing led to another and he found himself working for face yes
8:19
the renowned and legendary Al Capone Nelson was able to sign on as a tough
8:24
guy with a gun in a branch of Capone's organization based in
8:30
Cicero essentially he was muscle either anti-un or pro-union in the
8:37
1920s it was a good time for him but Nelson wasn't much of a team player
8:43
Capone's men had to be followers and he for his part didn't want to be anyone's
8:51
property so slowly he drifted away to forge his own path I've worked for
8:59
Capone I've paid my dues but I prefer to be my own boss while the big shots make huge
9:06
headlines in Chicago in the early 30s I apply my trade quietly and make a
9:11
fortune many of the nationally known bank robberies I participated in weren't
9:17
credited to me until much later which I believe spoke volumes about my professionalism as a criminal during the
9:24
winter of 1931 most of our gang members including myself were apprehended a
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prominent City newspaper dubbed our leader George Babyface Nelson who
9:36
received a one-year sentence at the Illinois State Penitentiary he aimed to behave and set
9:43
an example as a prisoner hoping for early release however in January
9:49
1932 he received devastating news the county leveled new charges for multiple
9:56
past robberies the jury swiftly found him guilty in just 30 minutes sentencing
10:02
him to several additional years following the trial he was escorted by two guards for transport back to prison
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he was cuffed to one of them as they boarded a train Bound for Chicago from
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there they hailed a cab at the station to reach the prison located a few miles
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outside the city they underestimated what was needed to keep an outlaw under
10:28
control suddenly Lester pulled out a revolver
10:33
and aimed it at the ribs of one of the guards seizing his weapon and directing
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the driver towards Chicago in the suburbs he forced them out of the taxi
10:44
and successfully escaped how Lester acquired the gun
10:49
remains a mystery some speculate it was slipped into his pocket on the train
10:54
platform While others say his wife Helen passed it to him
10:59
during the trial Lester later claimed his sister left it in the train restroom
11:07
hours later police raided Lester's mother's home looking for him she
11:12
innocently replied I thought he was with you soon after Lester contacted his
11:19
mother reassuring her not to worry explaining he couldn't bear to return to
11:24
prison and would prefer death eventually he f West and found refuge in Reno
11:32
Nevada reportedly working for Smuggler Joe parente during this time he likely
11:38
first crossed paths with bank robber Eddie B teaming up with B he returned to the
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Midwest the following summer and committed his first major bank heist on August 18th
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1933 they carefully studied the bank planning the robbery and noting the
11:59
necessity for heavy Weaponry preferably a Tommy Gun they needed at least six men
12:07
three inside and three outside along with a getaway car stocked with supplies
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to mislead the police a medical kit water gasoline a shovel and an axe this
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successful job convinced Nelson to lead his own gang through his connections
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recruited Homer Van Meter Tommy Carroll and Eddie green along with two other
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local thieves on October 23rd 1933 Nelson and his gang robbed the
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First National Bank of Brainard Minnesota making off with
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$32,000 Witnesses reported Nelson firing wildly at bystanders during their escape
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after picking up his wife Helen and their four-year-old son Nelson fled with
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his gang to San Antonio Texas on December 9th a woman in San Antonio
13:06
alerted the police to the gang's presence nearby 2 Days Later Tommy Carrol was cornered by detectives and
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opened fire killing detective perin and wounding detective Al Hardman Nelson's
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entire gang except Nelson himself fled San Antonio he and his wife traveled West to
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San Francisco Bay where he recruited John Paul Chase and negri Fatso for a
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new wave of bank robberies during the following spring John Paul Chase negri
13:40
Fatso and Babyface Nelson were cut from the same dirty cloth plotting Grand
13:47
schemes together Nelson had a geographic diversity in his criminal career that
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many Outlaws couldn't claim on March 3rd
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1934 the notorious criminal John Dillinger famously crafted his wooden
14:04
gun to escape from a jail in Indiana although the details remain debated
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suspicion arose that the breakout was orchestrated and funded by members of
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Nelson's newly formed gang possibly with some form of agreement Dillinger
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spectacular Escape embarrassed National authorities leaving them desperately
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needing people to work with since his gang had been arrested and now faced
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death sentences and life imprisonment to the dismay of federal agencies he partnered with Babyface
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Nelson Nelson was exceptional with a gun and absolutely Fearless in
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shootouts though to be honest even the bank robbers themselves were terrified of Nelson's ruthless methods they wanted
14:55
him on their heists because they knew he was ring iable In the Heat of battle
15:02
they joined forces and apparently baby Nelson was the designated leader of that gang but Dillinger hogged all the
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headlines they were even identified as Dillinger's second gang what a bunch of
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idiots I'm the guy it's my team my planning my style the gang shouldn't be
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Dillinger's gang it should be babya fa's gang with John
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Dillinger well whatever the robbery yielded around
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$49,000 Nelson critically wounded officer hail keing with a burst from his
15:39
submachine gun as the officer arrived at the scene Dillinger and another gang
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member stayed in the car while Lester and two others entered Security National Bank announcing it was a holdup from the
15:53
outset there was confusion Lester gave orders to the crowd while another Thief
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gave conflicting instructions further terrorizing the people amidst the chaos
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they failed to notice the central operator was still on the phone alerting
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that the bank was being robbed Lester losing his temper leapt onto the counter
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demanding to know who activated the alarm threatening death if they moved
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Dillinger and another gang member restored order when they entered Ed the
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first officer to arrive was taken hostage inside the bank at gunpoint
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machine gun made Lester rush to the window to see what was happening he climbed onto a desk and spotted a third
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officer stopping in front of the bank on his motorcycle with his machine gun at his
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hip shots rang out as Lester fired hitting the officer four times they
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gathered the money and formed the hostages in a circle around them as they exited they forced them onto the running
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boards of the car and drove away later the hostages reported that the robbers
17:08
were arguing about how to proceed on March 13th the gang struck again this
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time at the First National Bank of Mason City Iowa Dillinger and four other gang
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members parked at the rear of the bank with Dillinger and two others entering
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while Lester remained outside the manager tried to flee to his office but was pursued they entered the
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Bank lobby and announced the robbery the bank was equipped with a bulletproof
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security cage which the gang shot at but failed to breach the guard hesitated to
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shoot into the crowd so he instead threw tear gas into the lobby in the alley
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Lester saw a young man lurking by the wall and ordered him to stop but the man
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didn't comply and shots rang out Lester wounded a man named raymon James in the
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legs James fled from the bank upon hearing the shots the gang collected
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$2,000 and coralled the hostages in a protective Circle as they headed to
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their getaway car meanwhile Town's people had already started Gathering
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outside and many watched from nearby building Windows Among The Spectators was a judge
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who grabbed his revolver from his desk and aimed at Dillinger he fired hitting
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Dillinger in the shoulder causing him to spin the judge also managed to hit
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another gang member in the shoulder as they exited the bank despite being wounded they all got into the car and
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drove out of town shooting at any police who pursued them the gang needed a place
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to hide and chose a small Resort hidden in the woods of Wisconsin called Little
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Bohemia the hotel owner Emil wanat greeted the gang by name but insisted he
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had no knowledge of their identities until Friday night this likely happened
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when wanet was playing cards with part of the gang and Dillinger won around
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collecting the pot wannet glimpsed Dillinger's gun hidden in his jacket and
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realized Nelson and the others also had shoulder holsters eventually Amil wanet alerted
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authorities to the gang's Presence at the hotel when teams in Chicago led by
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special agent Melvin pervis were notified they had to get to Little Bohemia they didn't have time to prepare
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they didn't have time to do anything not even to take a look and see what they were dealing with geographically they
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were Flying Blind but they had two of America's Most Wanted men in their
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sights What followed wasn't just one of the greatest shootouts in American criminal history but also one of the
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most embarrassing and tragic chapters in FBI History Edgar Hoover Melvin pervis
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and all their boys had been chasing me and Dillinger all over but they always came up short what a bunch of amateurs
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they got the tip that Dillinger and I were holed up at a lodge in Wisconsin and it seemed like a sure thing to NAB
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us both but everything that could go wrong for the FBI at Little Bohemia went
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terribly wrong on Sunday April 22nd
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1934 the place was packed with people drinking dancing and some of the gang
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members were playing cards in the main house outside federal agents had arrived
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and were taking positions but in in the darkness they failed to completely surround the building
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unfortunately the men were Civilian Conservation core workers enjoying their
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day off they got into their car turned up the radio and began driving towards
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the exit the agents assumed the car was full of gangsters as they approached one
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of the agents yelled stop but the music inside the car was so loud that the men
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didn't hear them the agent yelled again but the car didn't stop in fact it
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accelerated gunshots rang out as the agent opened fire with Thompson's submachine guns at the three workers one
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of them died instantly and the other two were seriously injured the authorities
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had mistakenly killed innocent people the FBI's impromptu operation couldn't
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have started off worse back at the lodge the festive atmosphere abruptly ended
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with the sound of gunfire outside it served as a warning for the gang members
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who quickly got up grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the door nervous
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agents fired at any movement they saw Dillinger and two other members of the
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gang fired from the second floor of the lodge and made their way out through the back door managing to escape meanwhile
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Lester who was in a cabin with Helen grabbed his modified pistol with a Tommy
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Gun grip and a 50 round magazine instead of attempting to flee he ran towards the
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main Lodge building he fired his homemade submachine gun at agent Melvin pervis
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who was taking cover at the side of the building another agent eventually shot
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Nelson causing him to flee into the woods 90 minutes later Lester emerged
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from the forest and headed to a nearby Lakefront house owned by a local couple
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finding the couple in the living room Lester burst in through the door and instructed them to stay calm assuring
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them that if they followed his orders no harm would come to them he ordered them
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to put on their coats and led them outside to their car directing the man
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to drive their old and worn out automobile after traveling a few miles
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Le realized he needed a better getaway vehicle he forced the man to stop in
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front of another Lakefront house and instructed him to knock on the door
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stepped inside to reach the new place but before Lester arrived at the house
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someone had already called the police to report a strange car on the road heading
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towards their home the officers stopped the car and tried to identify themselves
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from their their own vehicle but before they could finish their sentence Lester jumped out of the car and said I Know
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Who You bastards are and I know you have vests too so I'm going to give you both
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high and low then shots were fired agent Newman
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special agent Bal and Sheriff Christensen were easy Targets in the
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front seat of the vehicle all three were injured and Bal died from his injuries
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during the shootout the hostages ran and Lester jumped back in the car and
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escaped eventually Dillinger was still looking to add more members to The Gang
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after a meeting in Buffalo Charles Arthur Floyd better known as Pretty Boy Floyd joined the gang now it was a star
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lineup three of America's Most Wanted criminals were together together and
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ready to wreak havoc it didn't take long for them to arrive in Indiana and Enter
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The Merchants National Bank with guns in hand they took positions inside the bank
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and Dillinger fired at the ceiling announcing it was a robbery officer Howard Wagner heard the shots and ran
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toward the front of the bank a gang member shot the officer who stumbled
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across the street and fell dead the gang collected $5,000 surrounded an escape car with
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hostages and fled firing at the police through the rear window this would be
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the first and last robbery of the star
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lineup on July 22nd 1934 in Chicago John
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Dillinger was shot and killed by federal agents after leaving a theater Pretty
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Boy Floyd was gunned down in a cornfield on October 22nd
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1934 with John Dillinger's death Babyface Nelson was named Public Enemy
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Number One ex she didn't want him captured alive fearing the police would
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torture him to the end his mother refused to believe her son had shot
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anyone she always thought it was the bad boys with him who would cause trouble
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the death of Babyface Nelson occurred in the fall of
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1934 the shootout that ended his life took place on the outskirts of Chicago
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in the town of barington and it also claimed the lives of federal agents
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Herman Hollis and Samuel cowy the shootout erupted in barington when
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Nelson along with Helen Gillis and John Paul Chase was driving a stolen Ford
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towards Chicago on State Route 14 always on the lookout for law enforcement
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Nelson spotted a sedan driven by some FB bi agents traveling in the opposite
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direction the agents and the fugitives recognized each other and after several u-turns by both vehicles Nelson went
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after the agent's car Nelson and Chase fired at the agents shattering their
27:14
car's windshield after sharply swerving to avoid an oncoming milk truck the
27:20
agents skidded into a field anxiously waiting for Nelson and Chase the agents
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didn't know that a shot fired by one of them had pierced the radiator of Nelson's Ford nor that the Ford was
27:34
being pursued by a Hudson car driven by two more agents Herman Hollis and Samuel
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cowy as a result the initial two agents were unaware of what happened next with
27:47
their vehicle losing power and their pursuers trying to force them off the road Nelson veered into the entrance of
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the North Parkside neighborhood of barington Hollis and cowy gaining more than 30 m
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on them stopped in front of Nelson's car and blocked his path at a corner they
28:07
got out and took cover behind their vehicle the ensuing shootout was witnessed by more than 30 people
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Nelson's wife fled for cover at his request advancing toward the agents
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Nelson fired so rapidly with a rifle that bystanders mistook it for a machine gun six machine gun bullet bullets from
28:29
Cy finally struck Nelson in the chest and stomach before Nelson left Cy
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mortally wounded with gunshots in the same places meanwhile Hollis with his
28:42
shotgun brought Nelson down with a shot to the legs as soon as Nelson could
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stand Hollis possibly already wounded moved to better cover behind a utility
28:55
pole but as he drew his pistol he was killed by a bullet to the head before he
29:00
could return fire nelson stood over hollis's body for a moment but realizing
29:06
he was dead limped toward the agent's car Nelson was too severely injured to
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drive so Chase took the wheel and both men along with Nelson's wife fled Nelson
29:20
had been hit by nine bullets one of C's bullets struck his torso and ate of
29:27
hollis's shotgun pellets hit his legs Nelson instructed Chase to take them to
29:32
a safe house in Illinois his wife sat with him until his final moments he told
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her to give his love to his family and then whispered it's getting dark I can't
29:44
see you anymore finally Nelson died in bed with his wife by his side his body
29:52
was found outside the cemetery naked and wrapped in a dirty yellow sheet and an
29:57
IND Indian patented blanket a pillowcase was wrapped around his abdomen and a
30:03
dirty handkerchief covered a bullet hole of the 17 machine gun wounds and 10 shotgun pellets that hit him the first
30:11
one was fatal Helen fled and became the
30:16
first woman to be on the FBI's most wanted list she was arrested the day
30:23
before Thanksgiving and eventually sentenced to a year and a half in a women's prison Helen had placed the
30:31
blanket over Nelson's body since he always hated the cold if you enjoyed the
30:37
story of The Lunatic Babyface Nelson don't forget to like subscribe and hit
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