John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal

by Dary Matera

Best-selling author Dary Matera sets the Dillinger record straight, seventy years after the outlaw's death. John Dillinger is an adrenaline-fueled narrative that reignites America's fascination with the suave but deadly desperado who was the FBI's first "Public Enemy." Dubbed "The Jackrabbit" because of the way he leaped over bank cages and railings, Dillinger and his bank-robbing gang cut a criminal swath yet to be equaled. They became so famous in the 1930s that throngs of excited spectators would block the route to their getaway cars. When caught, Dillinger staged the most harrowing prison escapes imaginable -- only to finally be betrayed by the infamous "Lady in Red." John Dillinger brings to light new information, including bank robberies never before reported; detailed plans for major crimes that Dillinger nearly implemented; the revelation that the "Lady in Red" was actually a police plant; and the startling fact that John Dillinger was summarily executed by rogue FBI agents being manipulated by East Chicago detectives desperate to cover up widespread police corruption. With access to thousands of detailed accounts, and pages of telling photographs, Matera's definitive book describes every robbery, shoot-out, and prison escape as though he choreographed them himself.

Genres: True Crime, Biography, Nonfiction, Crime, History, American History, Biography Memoir

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2004

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

”’This is a stickup. Everybody stand still!’ Dillianger shouted. Only a half dozen people complied. The rest either didn’t hear him, or couldn’t comprehend what was about to happen. Miffed, Dillinger dropped the pillowcase from his stockless Thompson machine gun, pointed the rapid-firing weapon upward, and squeezed out a burst of shots, just missing an ornate chandelier. The discarded slugs burned through the decorative plastered ceiling and knifed into the hardwood flooring of a second-story conference room. A cloud of white dust wafted down from above, creating a ghostly visual that made the famous felon smile.”


John Dillinger’s famous crooked smile.

To my knowledge, this is the most complete, most definitive John Dillinger biography that has ever been published. John Dillinger’s activities are so well documented that Dary Matera could have almost given us a day by day report on what Dillinger was doing from 1933-1934. His reign of terror is so brief, but made such a lasting, indelible impression on American law enforcement and the American public that he was the most wanted, the most lauded , and the most recognizable celebrity of the 1930s. ”The police hysteria, seen in dozens of historically preserved memos exaggerating The Terror Gang’s activities, numbers, and strengths, was not universally shared by the public. In a time of bank closings, mortgage foreclosures, and thrift scandals, many people were rooting Dillinger on.”

The public is feeling so helpless in the face of the recession that they don’t see Dillinger as a dangerous criminal. They view him as someone who is finally fighting for them against the establishment. They attribute Robin Hood characteristics to him, wrongly, but one observation I read held some merit...at least he is putting that bank money back out in circulation. Yes indeed, he is certainly doing that.

Dillinger’s nickname is the Jackrabbit because he likes to vault over the counters at the beginning of a robbery. This can be attributed to a man showing off his athletic poweress, but it also has the benefit of dazzling the bank employees, and most of them have to think as they are witnessing this feat...I can’t do that. To me, that makes the awestruck bank employees more pliable and less likely to feel they can do something to interfere with the robbery.

There were people calling for an amnesty deal to be offered to Dillinger. It is estimated that over two million dollars was spent by law enforcement trying to catch him, over four times the money that he stole from banks. Given those numbers, wouldn’t the government have been smart to offer him a deal and hope that he would retire to be a gentleman farmer? The thing is, J. Edgar Hoover has no intention of even considering offering him a deal. First, this bastard has to be punished. What kind of deterrent will it offer other would be criminals from trying to duplicate Dillinger’s efforts? Second, the FBI isn’t even the FBI yet. It is called Division of Investigation. In 1935, it officially becomes the FBI. Hoover leverages Dillinger’s crime wave into establishing a need to expand and better finance the burgeoning FBI. In other words, for the future of the FBI, Hoover knows that his agents have to be the ones to bring down Dillinger

And local law enforcement just needs to get the duck out of the way.

The famed Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, the one who tracked down and blasted Bonnie and Clyde into oblivion, offers to help bring down Dillinger, but there is no way in hell Hoover is going to let Hamer anywhere near his golden ticket.

Crooked bankers are actually begging Dillinger to come hit their banks to hide their own embezzlement of bank funds. There is evidence that some of these bankers actually reached out to associates of Dillinger to try and arrange a hold up. This leads me to speculate further, how many rat bastard bankers arranged a bank robbery with other criminals to hide their criminal activity? If you can’t get Dillinger, why not manufacture your own hold up? Dillinger is blamed for many robberies that would have been impossible for him to perform. Matera does an excellent job of separating the fact from fiction.

Dillinger is directly responsible for improving law enforcement methods. The two way radio, body armor, better firearms, and an improvement in investigative method can all be attributed to Dillinger.

There are miraculous escapes. There are running gun battles with outgunned law enforcement. There are complete muck ups by the fledgling FBI officers, like the disaster at Little Bohemia. There are beautiful gun molls, like Billie Frenchette, who was probably Dillinger’s soulmate. I think it is another mistake that, after she is captured, they sent her to prison. We are so intent on punishment in this country that we often lose sight of the bigger picture. I believe that, if she had been turned loose and had been tailed by agents, Dillinger wouldn’t have been able to resist coming for her. Eventually, it all has to come to an end, but Dillinger leads them all on quite a ride. It certainly must have felt like something was missing from the American landscape after Dillinger was finally...well you’ll just have to read the book.

”There has never been anyone like John Dillinger before or since. He was indeed America’s first, and most enduring, celebrity criminal.”

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[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading famous gangster biographies is a soft spot of mine...... and this book is so good that gives you so much insight into the life of the famous John Dillinger that you have the sense of bookish version of 4DX experience.
To be honest the details and information for years,dates,names of every single person involved(from the names of every single police officer in every robbery told in the book, to the innocent passersby involved somehow in all that chaos.) it gets pretty overwhelming at times and i found myself taking a few steps back so i can keep up with all that is goin on.Also there's that sense of living the whole thing from A to B with no wholes or time gaps which makes it even more captivating.
Love the subtle and charming bias the autor is showing through his writing towards the bad guys but also stays fair.Such a rollercoaster for both parts - so many facepalm and cringeworthy moments for the goon squad(as he often uses for the Dillinger chasing formed squad) and so many close calls and cliffhangers for the Dillinger gang that keeps you on edge.
To be honest .... you'll often find yourself thinking - the supposedly good guys aren't that good after all.....and the bad guys aren't as bad as they gave them credit for....
All in all a must read book for the gangster biography fans and Dillinger in particular.

[Dane Batty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing because John Dillinger is now so documented that they literally know his every move almost everyday and every hour he was eluding the newly formed FBI. I didn't know JD was the reason the FBI was created.
This book is well structured, and I give it credit because even though there are so many books on JD this one read like it was new news.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always hate reading about how the gunned him down in cold blood. He was a modern day Robin Hood and the Feds couldn't handle it.

[Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot remember the context, probably a homework assignment I didn’t want to do, or my age at the time, I just remember my dad saying, “I never liked to read much (when I was your age), but I would read everything I found about John Dillinger.”

I found myself remembering this comment in late 2019. I did some research and discovered this book, John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America’s First Celebrity Criminal. I never told him that I remembered him telling about Dillinger. I never told him that I found a book. I had hoped to buy it, read, and surprise him with it when I visited some winter in Florida. Talk to him about what I learned about the man, give to him as a gift.

John Dillinger, for those who do not know, had a member in his crew, Harry Pierpoint, who grew up on a farm in Leipsic, Ohio. Dillinger was known to have visited Leipsic at least twice, and I assume for boys who grew up around my dad’s age, probably even younger, Dillinger was likely a bit a folk hero.

The content for book itself was exhaustively researched by two men who didn’t write the book. They passed their research off to an author for publication. The writing is sometimes a bit comical, as the author tends to write like a 1930s gangster, or at least how he thinks 1930s gangsters spoke. The editing could have been better. Even so, the book has a good pace to it for an autobiography. You learn so much about the hilariousness of the 1930s bank robber, police, and early days of J Edgar Hoover’s FBI.

Sprinkled in for anyone who grew in Ohio or Indiana, are common mentions of towns such as Bluffton, Leipsic, Lima, and Fostoria, Ohio; and Fort Wayne, Noblesville, Mooresville, and Crown Point, Indiana. There is even mention of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a place I visited just last summer, and, of course, Little Bohemia.

I don’t know if I would recommend the book, but I’m glad I read it.

[Drew Forster · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exhaustive, but poorly written and horribly edited history.

The best part of this book is the exhaustive research done, not by the author, but by two men who unfortunately died before their research could be published. Joe Pinkston and Tom Smusyn spent nearly 50 years researching the celebrity criminal. Matera gives them credit from start to finish, which he should.

The worst part of this book is a close tie between the editing and the super cheesy use of 1930’s lingo, which adds nothing to the narrative. The poor editing is astounding and runs throughout the book. Beyond the errors, some curious choices were made, likely with the intent to honor the research. Wherever available, they used the complete street address for the various banks, homes, hideouts and car dealerships that come into play. Ultimately, the additional info adds no relevance and annoys the reader. I found myself dropping the 4-digit numerical portions of the address in my head.

I sought a factual account of this fascinating figure, so the gumshoe noir language was off-putting for me. It also doesn’t make sense given the clear effort to provide an account compiled from all available evidence. I hate noir and this diminished my enjoyment of the book.

Another reader tip: there are 32 pages of notes at the end of the book, about which no reference is made early despite the curious inclusion of a “Cast of Characters” listing in the intro section. I would have preferred to read the notes, some of which add value, at the end of each chapter. Instead, I ended up reading them all at the conclusion of the book, which served to further frustrate me, rather than entertain me.

[FellowBibliophile KvK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb book about when Police could be Police and simply empty their revolvers without having to recite the Miranda chat. Men like the Chicago PD's Captain John Stege and Sergeant Frank Reynolds--and, more importantly--their method of operating like Koevoet in South West Africa and the BSAP's Police Anti-Terrorist Units in Rhodesia--are sorely lacking today.

That being said, the author could have done a better job of firmly attaching dates to each contact, and of giving a citation of the Völkischer Beobachter 's condemnation of the extrajudicial nature of Dillinger's assumption of room temperature.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been interested by the exploits of gangsters of the 20s and 30s, and especially John Dillinger. This book is definitely the most comprehensive biography of ""Public Enemy Number One"" that's on the market. You'll learn everything about Dillinger and his gangs and tons more. There are tons of personal accounts from Dillinger himself, his father, FBI agents that tracked him, fellow gangsters, etc. This book really needs to be read if your interests include Depression era true crime!

[Lynsay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly detailed, yet remains interesting throughout. It seems well-researched and includes the caveats to certain aspects of what happened that no one can ever really know and explores the plausibility of such aspects.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely entertaining biography of the 1930's era bandit. I'm not sure who was more inept the crooks or the cops but the crooks managed to make the cops look bad at almost every turn.
Highly recommend this book!

[randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i found this book more entertaining than expected. i found it interesting telling about how the gang operated and how the police lack of ability to catch him. i wonder how things would have ended if the woman in red would not selfishly ratted him out.

[Paul Ditroia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Very well researched and reads like a thrill a minute detective novel.

[Marlena Oechsner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history of the criminal and also very eye-opening to the times in Depression era bank robberies. Great read.

[Scott Benting · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books where your kind of sad it's over.

[Sandy Borchardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Knew of him but not the details of his life. All the missteps that were made by him, his gang and the police were unbelievable. Hard not to laugh at times.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the movie “Public Enemies” when I saw it and this biography really gives a full picture of John Dillinger’s life from start to finish. He was so charming that it’s easy to forget he wasn’t afraid to use his machine gun. His escapes are incredible, the fumbling and ineptitude of local law enforcement even more so. It’s amazing that the fledgling FBI survived its many missteps concerning Dillinger and his gangs and lasted past the ‘30s. Dillinger single-handedly wrecked the future careers of many in politics and the law if they were unfortunate enough to become entangled in his headlines. It was also fascinating to read how the press, then as now, could whip the masses into a frenzied panic with their blaring headlines and slanted reporting. Dillinger was indeed “America’s first celebrity criminal.” If the movie left you wanting to learn more about him, this book is a great place to start.

Favorite quotes: “I don’t drink much and I smoke very little. When you rob banks, you can’t very well do a lot of drinking. I guess my only bad habit is robbing banks.” – John Dillinger

“How in the name of common sense can a prisoner go through six barred doors to freedom?” – Capt. John Stege

“[Dillinger] was a sociable sort who always fit in well, and never seemed to be bothered by the eccentric behavior of his loosely wired associates.”

“Well, they had Dillinger surrounded and was all ready to shoot him when he come out, but another bunch of folks come out ahead, so they just shot them instead. Dillinger is going to accidentally get with some innocent bystanders some time, then he will get shot!” – Will Rogers

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my introduction to Dillinger, and I've fallen in love. It reads much like I imagine the bandit's life was like - a rollicking, rollercoaster ride with incredible highs and the inevitable lows. Dillinger especially comes across as a really nice guy, always up for a laugh, but sadly a sucker for a pretty face. Many laugh out loud moments, and when I finished the book I had to read more.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid entry into the Dillinger canon. Highly readable and informative, the author also has a clear bias towards Dillinger, which might rub some readers the wrong way. He also takes to calling Dillinger "The Jackrabbit" throughout the book, which I found really annoying, but that's really the only complaint I have.

[Tommie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. They should of talked about him a little more and little less of his family. The book was good I think people who like old gangsters should read this book they might find it really interesting. They should talk about how many people he killed if he killed any. If you look gangsters you should read it you might just love it!

[Beth/Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by my Sister. Chronicles John's life & activities. I recognized most of the places where they either robbed the bank, were in Jail, or where they were hiding out at. Visited the Little Bohemia and saw the glass with bullet holes. It's only 20 miles from the Cottage.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good non-fiction book, but didn't read as much like a story as I hoped. If you are interested in lots of details about John Dillinger, I recommend it, but if you are mostly a fiction reader, I don't.

[Eric Stiffler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movies about John Dillinger do the job of entertainment, but the movies don't do justice to the true story of the man in the 1920's and 30's toward his death. Very fun and interesting book. SPOILER ALERT: Too bad he shot a couple of people.

[Joseph Bloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

He really was public enemy number one.

Very interesting look into the life and times and death of John Dillinger, the formation of the government Gmen and the rock hard times of a era many of us will never know.

[A.J. Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a movie, only it's real life. Highly entertaining. Captivating and exciting. You will learn a ton about life during the time and how much he influenced celebrity culture even today.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure trove of information entertainingly written - maybe a little too much so in some cases.

[Susie Doneff]

I love this book and found it very exciting. John Dillinger was very charismatic and did love women. He was also real witty and a jackrabbit.

[Quese]

How do you read these books on here?

[Graham Price-jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great read, factual and page turning

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of information, particularly about the minor players, but it doesn't exactly flow quickly and it's difficult to work out exact facts and dates from the prose.