Lester Gillis Research Papers

Lester Gillis was born on December 6, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois (“Lester”). As a short-tempered teenager, Gillis wandered the streets of Chicago with a gang, who dubbed him “Baby Face Nelson” because of his adolescent appearance (“Baby”)(“Lester”). Nelson began his criminal career by bootlegging and engaging in armed robberies (“Lester”). However, in 1922, he was arrested for auto theft and was sent to a boys’ home (“Lester”). A few years later in 1928, he met Helen Wawzynak whom he married shortly thereafter (“Lester”). Despite being happily married, Nelson did not give up his criminal career. Therefore, in 1931, he robbed a bank in Chicago; as a result, he was sentenced to a year in the Illinois State Penitentiary (“Lester”). Unfortunately,

This ignited a nationwide search by the FBI for Nelson and the others. However, when they finally received a tip about Nelson’s whereabouts, he shot Special Agent J. C. Newman, Special Agent W. Carter Baum, and another occupant— killing Baum (“Lester”). Shortly after, he shot two more police officers in Chicago (“Lester”). Regardless, after John Dillinger’s death in July 1934, J. Edgar Hoover declared that Nelson was now considered “Public Enemy Number One” (“Baby”). This news encouraged Nelson to flee, yet in November, Inspector Samuel P. Cowley of the FBI was told that Nelson was spotted driving a stolen vehicle (“Lester”). Thus, he and Special Agent Edward Hollis, pursued him, firing shots that severely damaged the vehicle he was driving (“Lester”). However, Nelson returned fire, which instantly killed Hollis and killed Cowley the next morning (“Lester”). Nelson had been hit by seventeen bullets, yet Chase and Helen helped him get away (“Baby”). Nonetheless, on November 28, 1934, Nelson died and was found by local authorities near a Niles Center, Illinois, cemetery (“Baby”). Altogether, Baby Face Nelson left behind his wife, two children, and a reputation as being one of the most infamous bank robbers and criminals of the twentieth-century’s organized crime