John Patrick Looney
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John Patrick Looney was a gangster in the town of Rock Island, Illinois, USA during prohibition. Looney appeared to be a successful citizen practicing law and running a newspaper in Rock Island, but in reality was a bootlegger, extortionist, and all-around criminal.
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[edit] Background
John Looney, son of an Irish immigrant family was born in 1865 in Ottawa, Illinois. On his own he studied law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1889. He practiced (although not very successfully) with his partner Frank H. Kelly and had his first real brush with the law in 1897 when he and his partner were indicted for fraud over construction of a storm drain. They were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the city by using inferior materials. Eventually, all convictions were overturned on appeal.
Looney soon ventured into politics, and went on to hold a prominent position in the Democratic Party. He would eventually run (and lose) for the Illinois State Legislature. Looney attributed his loss to the Rock Island Argus, which wrote many negative opinion articles on him. In response, Looney founded the Rock Island News, and his life of crime began about this time.
[edit] The Rock Island News
The Rock Island News served as a retort to the Argus, which had published many negative articles on John Looney during his indictment. Looney's two brothers came to Rock Island from Ottawa and helped him run the paper. Although the articles would bring to light important issues, they would often distort the truth.
Looney sold the Rock Island News in 1908 to W.W. Wilmerton, but did not wish to relinquish the control of the paper. The night after he sold the paper, a bomb exploded in the building, which Looney still owned. Looney refused a $7,000 insurance settlement and in response, the insurance company canceled his policy. However, the day before the insurance was canceled, a fire broke out within the building and did $75,000 worth of damage. As could be expected, Looney was accused of setting the fire. After the fire Looney again began publishing his paper, this time from his home.
[edit] Crime
Other than publishing inaccurate news stories, Looney had a hand in prostitution, gambling, and extortion. Gambling and prostitution took place in the basement of the building which housed his paper, the Rock Island News. He had also been accused of extortion and/or blackmail of common citizens. Allegedly, he would have one of his prostitutes walk up to a man and throw her arms around him, and once she did he would snap a photograph. Looney would then threaten to publish the photograph in the Rock Island News unless a cash payment was provided.
Looney was the victim of several assassination attempts during his life, one time partaking in a gun fight with W.W. Wilmerton, the man who he had sold his newspaper to. The gun fight with Wilmerton occurred on February 22, 1909 in which seven shots were fired, one bullet wounding Mr. Looney.
[edit] Riots
In March of 1912, one of John Looney's lieutenants, Anthony Billburg, was arrested for extortion. According to accounts, Looney asked the Mayor of Rock Island, Harry M. Schriver, not to prosecute Billburg. After the Mayor refused, Looney published an article on the front page of his paper accusing him of having an affair in Peoria, Illinois. In response, the mayor had Looney arrested and closed down the Rock Island News on March 22. According to the Rock Island Argus, the Mayor beat John Looney at the police station and forcefully extracted an apology.
Four days later, a large crowd gathered in Market Square, stirred and agitated by associates of Looney and opponents of Mayor Schriver. The crowd was angry that Looney was beaten and having the Rock Island News shut down, and went on to storm the police station. Attempts by the police to quell the mob resulted in the death of two rioters.
The riots prompted Governor Charles Deneen to declare martial law in Rock Island and order the National Guard to the city. Throughout the night there were minor disturbances which were resolved whenever the National Guard troops made an appearance. After the riots, raids were carried out on prostitution houses, all public gatherings were banned, and all saloons were closed. Afterward, Looney left Rock Island to go to a ranch in New Mexico, and would stay there until 1921.
[edit] Homecoming
In 1921 Looney returned to Rock Island and regained control of his paper. With prohibition now the law, his former foes were now his friends, and he had control of approximately 150 gambling dens and brothels. Looney extorted protection from local business in close collaboration with corrupt police officers and politicians.
[edit] Downfall
In 1922 before a national Grotto convention, Looney's thugs provided (sold) protection for law violators. Prohibition agents, following up on raids made during the convention met with William Gabel, who provided them with canceled checks endorsed by John Looney. Mr. Gabel was subsequently murdered on July 31, 1922 which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. Meanwhile, through editorials, the Rock Island Argus lambasted the community for having allowed gangsters to gain control of Rock Island. In return, Looney's paper published articles implicating the Argus in the murder of Gabel.
The gang war ended on October 6, 1922 when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. Two vehicles pulled up behind them and opened fire. John Looney ran to the nearby Sherman Hotel and returned fire. Connor Looney was killed in the vehicle, according to eye-witnesses Looney was shot by prominent Rock Island businessman Jacob Ramser. John Looney, however, survived.
On October 26, 1922 all stills, speakeasies, and brothels under Looney's control were closed down, and his house was raided for weapons. Mayor Schriver and the former police chief were arrested and later convicted of vice protection conspiracy. Looney was indicted for the murder of William Gabel and for running a theft ring which spanned several states, but Looney fled to Ottawa and then New Mexico.
John Looney was apprehended in New Mexico in November of 1924. He was convicted in 1925 of "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic in Rock Island", in large part to his former right hand man being a prosecution witness. Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg. Looney was sentenced to 14 years, serving eight and a half in prison for the murder.
Looney died in 1947 at a tuberculosis sanitarium in El Paso, Texas. The site of his grave is unknown.
John Looney would later be portrayed by Paul Newman, as John Rooney, in Sam Mendes's Road to Perdition.
[edit] External links
- Meet a very bad man By Roger Ruthhart
