Select from premium John Patrick Looney of the highest quality. 24 Jan 1913. Looney served over eight years for the 1922 murder of John Gabel and died in 1942. Please enter your email and password to sign in. In 1921 Looney returned to Rock Island and regained control of his paper. Looney's empire came to an end when he was eventually indicted for murder after a gang war in 1922. he went on the run but was captured two years later. His son and bodyguard, Connor, was killed when rivals opened fire on a car in which he was sitting with his father. In 1925, he was convicted of murder and numerous other crimes. Looneys power in Rock Island was down to two key factors, he controlled the politicians and the news, he published the Rock Island News between 1905 and 1923, which was basically just a scandal sheet newspaper best described as no filthier, more libelous newspaper has ever been printed in the United States. In March 1912, one of Looney's lieutenants, Anthony Billburg, was arrested for extortion. The gang war ended on October 6, 1922 when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. There is a problem with your email/password. Max Allan Collins, interviewed by Daniel Etherington, "Part 5: Looney loses his son and the newspaper war", "My Debt to Lone Wolf and Cub's Genius Creator", "A Storyteller Who Got the Details Right", "'Road to Perdition: On the Road' details", "Just the Facts Ma'am: Max Collins Talks 'Road to Perdition', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Road_to_Perdition_(comics)&oldid=1141784382, Infobox comic book title param (addpubcat), Comics templates parameter noimage in use, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 19:53. With Prohibition now the law, he had control of approximately 150 gambling dens and brothels. [5] After purchasing the building, John brought his brothers William (Bill) and Jeremiah (Jerry) to Rock Island from Ottawa to help him run the paper. On Oct. 6, 1922, John Looneys one-time lieutenant, Dan Drost, joined forces with Anthony Billburg, another former lieutenant turned enemy. Bill Russell. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. based on information from your browser. I thought you might like to see a memorial for John Patrick Looney I found on Findagrave.com. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Oops, something didn't work. He began his career as a successful lawyer, but soon became involved in illegal activity. 18 Dec 1981 (aged 68) Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA. WebThis is the story of John Patrick Looney, the leader of vice, gambling, prostitution and murder in Rock Island in the early 1900s, as told through our buildings and sites. Married to Nora O'Connor Looney.Children: Kathleen, Ursula Hamblin (F-A-G #80221033), John Connor Looney. [2], Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg. However, when Looney began to publish his first newspaper again for the first time on February 6, 1909, he personally attacked Wilmerton and his family on the front page.[5]. Immediate Family: Son of Patrick Looney and Margaret Looney. There was a problem getting your location. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. In November, two mysterious fires would destroy the Mirror Lounge. Wilmerton was arrested, but was never charged with a crime. The gang war ended on October 6, 1922, when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. He retreated again to the Southwest, and died in 1947 of tuberculosis in a sanitarium in El Paso, Texas. Looney is the inspiration for the character of John Rooney, who was played by actor Paul Newman in the Sam Mendes film Road to Perdition. WebJohn Looney was nearly 70 years old when he was released after nine years in prison. He retreated again to the Southwest, and died in 1947 of tuberculosis in a sanitarium in El Paso, Texas. [1], Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He was convicted in 1925 of "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic in Rock Island". From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, Reward poster for the capture of Looney issued after the 1922 murder of William Gabel, http://www.rigov.org/pdf/CED/brochures/Looneytourbrochure.pdf, July 8, 2002 News from The Dispatch/Argus via Quad-Cities Online, John Looney; from mobster to movie - - MSNBC.com, The Political Graveyard: Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Illinois, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=John_Patrick_Looney&oldid=2130220, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. All three parts were published as individual installments, but have also been reprinted as a single combined volume. Wilt Chamberlain. Afterward, Looney left Rock Island to go to a ranch in New Mexico, staying there until 1921. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Schriver had Looney brought to the police station where he beat him as officers watched. [10] They stormed the police station. He wore the same baggy, dirty suit every day and ate raw liver on toast. Looney extorted protection from local business in collaboration with corrupt police officers and politicians.[1]. Verify and try again. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Sorry! Oops, something didn't work. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. By Oct. 26, 1922, all of Looneys saloons and brothels were closed. The night after Looney sold the paper, Wilmerton shut down the newspaper, which angered Looney. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. While John Looney had several homes, his mansion overlooking the Rock River called Bel Air was famous for its weeklong parties, drunken orgies, nude swimming in the Rock River, and cock fights, boxing and bulldog fights. Looney served over eight years for the 1922 murder of John Gabel and died in 1942. Kevon Looney. WebJohn Patrick Looney (18651942) was an Irish-American political fixer and Irish mob boss based in Rock Island, Illinois during the early 20th century. Birth. Prohibition agents, following up on raids made during the convention met with William Gabel, who provided them with canceled checks endorsed by John Looney. He ran for the Illinois state House as a Democrat and lost. [3] In response, Looney founded the Rock Island News, which he used to blackmail prominent Rock Island citizens. After a deadly riot two days later that was orchestrated by Looneys supporters, Looney fled to New Mexico, where he spent the next nine years. Meanwhile, through editorials, the Rock Island Argus lambasted the community for having allowed gangsters to gain control of Rock Island. Gabel was murdered on July 31, 1922, which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. John Looney was captured in Belen, New Mexico, on Nov. 30, 1923, and returned to Rock Island. During the early 20th century, Looney published many articles that attacked the Rock Island Argus and threaten to expose the deep dark secrets some of Rock Island's most prominent residents. He attacked the mayor in a series of articles in The News. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Looney then retired to one of his houses in New Mexico, one of many that Looney owned. In one example of the chaos Looneys newspaper would bring happened in 1912 when one of his goons, Anthony Billburg, was arrested for gambling charges, the Mayor of Rock Island, Harry Schriver, pushed to have the charges prosecuted. As for Connor Rooney, he's based on Looney's real-life son, Connor. After his sons funeral, John Looney fled to New Mexico. https://web.archive.org/web/20180413234406/https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180411/before-capone-john-looney-was-the-prototypical-illinois-gangster. He built the house in 1905 as a getaway retreat for himself and his gang of thugs. [6], With Looney unable to publish his newspaper for a year after he sold it, he was left powerless in Rock Island politics since he was unable to blackmail its residents. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. His son and bodyguard, Connor, was killed when rivals opened fire on a car in which he was sitting with his father. With two other men they ambushed Looney and his son and bodyguard outside the Sherman Hotel. Web Designer, Teacher, Artist, Writer, 3D & Visual Effects, DJ. [1], In 1905, Looney bought the Mirror Lounge, a closed club to use for his law office on the 1st floor and to publish his newspaper on the second floor. Place of Burial: McAllen, Texas, United States. There was an error deleting this problem. WebThe story is set in the American Midwest during the Great Depression and draws upon several historical figures, especially the gangster John Patrick Looney, of Rock Island, Illinois; in real life, Looney came into conflict with Dan Drost, a formerly loyal lieutenant in their crime organization, and their feud eventually led to the death of Looney, renamed Rooney and played by Paul Newman in the 2002 film, controlled illegal gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, stolen autos and extortion in a swathe along the river extending from Missouri to Wisconsin from the early 1900s through the mid-20s. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. [4], Ethan Iverson mentions in his detailed online bibliography for Donald E. Westlake, that Collins adapted some dialogue in the graphic novel (later included in altered form in the film adaptation) from a very similar scene in the Parker novel, Butcher's Moon.[5]. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Looneys empire came to an end when he was eventually indicted for murder after a gang war in 1922. By 1910, Looney sold his home to Herbert Casteel, president of the Rock Island National Bank and Central Trust & Savings Bank, who owned it just six Looney attributed his loss to the Rock Island Argus, which wrote many negative opinion articles on him. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. But he returned to Rock Island in 1921 and tried to re-establish his vice empire, with deadly results. He was getting out of his car just after midnight when shots were fired. During the early 20th century, Looney published many articles that attacked the Rock Island Argus and threaten to expose the deep dark secrets some of Rock Island's most prominent residents. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Birth. John Patrick Looney was a gangster in Rock Island, Illinois during the early 20th century. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. A crowd of more than 2,000 people gathered and the stormed the police station, police opened fire, killing two wounding eight people. Drive-by shootings had become commonplace. After Schriver refused, Looney published an article on the front page of his paper accusing him of having an affair in Peoria. Looney controlled almost all gambling and prostitution houses about 150 over a vast region run by Helen Van Dale, known as Queen of the Prostitutes. This time around he added corrupt police, judges and city officials to the list of things he controlled. Gabel was murdered on July 31, 1922, which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. The convictions were overturned on appeal. Please reset your password. Later that night, a bomb exploded at the printing press in the newspaper's building, which Looney still owned. This remote home was far removed from the rest of Rock Island. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in.

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