Beithíoch : The Life and World of Chicago Gangster Frank McErlane - Volume II

by Daniel Waugh

"Old time criminal and bootlegger. Acquitted of two murders and accused of many others. Reputed to be the most violent criminal in Chicago." With those brief words, the Chicago Crime Commission managed to accurately sum up South Side gang boss Frank McErlane. Familiar to most crime buffs as an exceptionally violent supporting character in Al Capone biographies, McErlane was the most feared gangster in Chicago. Beithíoch is the first full-length biography of the man who introduced the Thompson submachine gun to the city that made it world-famous and popularized the so-called "one-way ride."

Driven by personal demons and often fueled by alcohol, McErlane cut a ferocious swath through the South Side underworld that absolutely no one was safe from. In addition to telling Frank McErlane's story for the first time, Beithíoch provides a fresh look at the ostensibly familiar terrain of Prohibition-era Chicago. The careers of gang bosses such as Joe Soltis, Spike O'Donnell, and Danny Stanton are examined in great detail. In a story that spans the Midwest and stretches to the shores of California, Beithíoch is the groundbreaking tale of an incredibly brutal gangster who wrote his name in blood across the annals of American criminal history.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2021

Reviews

[Steven L Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent job

This is a whole new way to look at Chicago and the beer wars. It is well written, and well documented. I was introduced to many gangsters that I had never really paid attention to it before. I would recommend it very highly

[SkipO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent!!
Not mus=ch has been written about the southwest side during the 20s.
See my review for volume 1....the same applies here!
Thank you Mr Waugh for 2 excellent books!!!