Lucas Cavanaugh

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Lucas Francis Cavnaugh
Born August 23, 1928 (1928-08-23)
Chicago, Illinois
Died September 8, 1976 (aged 48)
Status Deceased
Occupation Gangster, Hitman
Spouse Jessica Dawson
Children Francis Killian Cavanaugh, George Cavanaugh

Lucas "Lucky Luke" Cavanaugh (August 23, 1928- September 8, 1976) was born to Francis Cavanaugh and Christine Callaghan. Irish mafia hitman and associate of George "Bugs" Moran.

Contents

[edit] Early Years

Lucas Francis Cavanaugh was given up before he reached his first birthday due to his father being placed in prison for murder.[1] Moran had adopted him like Cavanaugh had asked. Moran raised him into the family until Moran was put in jail in 1946 for robbery. When his father was murdered he was only 12 he was told by Moran that he could be better then him and his father. Lucas eventually ended up learning his marksmanship from many of Moran's ties in the family.[2]

[edit] North Siders

After hearing his father was killed he had sweared to serve the family for Moran but when Moran's business was taken by Frank Nitti he swore revenge for Moran. He took on the family name and kept working for the family even though Nitti was changing it into the Chicago Outfit.[3] After Nitti had been at a meeting with many of the bosses of the area such as Joe Capagna, Ralph Pierce, John Roselli, Nick Circella, Phil D'Andrea, Paul Ricca, and Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe.[4] Nitti was being forced by them to go to jail and take the fall for the Outfit but eventually shot and killed himself.[5]

Lucas, after hearing about Nitti's death, wanted to take out the rest of the Outfit. His first official kill was Joe Capagna and Ralph Pierce at a Chicago meeting.[6] Lucas entered the meeting as a waiter, serving the group, but eventually pulled out a gun, killing Capagna and Pierce and their men by a machine gun. Lucas fled the scene before anyone had any idea of who did it. A waiter had seen this and reported it, but this was to a cop that Lucas had already bribed for silence.[7]

Lucas started after more of the bosses, now heading for Nick Circella.[8] Circella was walking out of his house to go to a meeting with Paul Ricca, but as he got into his car and started it, a bomb exploded and killed him, blasting most of the house containing his wife and children. [9]

Lucas was ready for Phil D'Andrea at a local bar the next night. D'Andrea went into the bathroom followed by his guards at the door. Lucas, disguised in a waiter's outfit ventured in after him. The guards, not expecting anything, let him through and Lucas snuck behind D'Andrea and choked him. Lucas ended up leaving, and after 20 minutes of waiting the guards went in to check on D'Andrea and found him lying on the floor dead.[10]

[edit] Life

The Cavanaugh Family Tree as of 2008.
The Cavanaugh Family Tree as of 2008.

Lucas finally in April of 1959 found a woman named Jessica Dawson from St.Louis and the two finally married in late August. Lucas had started to stay home with his wife and ended his killing spree when his wife had gotten pregnant in December. Frank Cavanaugh was born on November 3rd, 1960. Lucas named him after his father and grandfather.[11] Jessica's med's were cut off by a man while she was still in recovery from the birth and only a nurse saw the man. The Nurse I.D.ed him as Johnny Circella brother of Nick Circella.[12] Lucas swore to his critical wife and newborn son that they would always be safe and he would always protect them. Two years later they had their second son Andrew Lucas Cavanaugh. In 1964 Jessica was taking Andrew to her parents house but when her car started it blew up and both died in an instant. After his wife and son were killed he took 3 years off. Once his work had subsided in Lucas met a new lover then had another son with lover Alison Pinkston.[13] They gave birth to George Andrew Cavanaugh on March 15th, 1967 although Alison died during the birthing process.[14] Lucas named him after his adoptive father George Moran and his dead son Andrew.[15]

[edit] Nickname

Lucas got his nickname "Lucky Luke" for his interesting ways of leaving a clover with the dead bodies of his victims. [16] After every killing he would place a clover somewhere on,in, or around the body as a calling card yet no one could trace it. This eventually was reffered to in the fact that he was lucky finding his enemies and having enough time to kill them before anyone noticed. [17]

[edit] The Family

In late 1960 Lucas had gathered his closest friends and ex-family with the Moran's and regenerated The Family.[18] Lucas took control of them and had made his best friend Alexander "Zander" O'Shea into his underboss/hitman. Lucas ran into conflicts with John Roselli, Paul Ricca, and Sam Giancana "Sam Gold" the bosses he hadn't knocked off from his prior base of work.[19]

Lucas first ordered to take out Johnny Circella.[20] This lasted for four years before anything major happened but in 1965 Circella broke into the home of the family and killed Jessica and Andrew and left Frankie with a note saying this is what happens when you meess with us. Lucas and Zander travelled to the home of Circella and confronted him.[21] Circella told Lucas that he had no clue of this hit and said he didn't do it. Lucas and Zander pulled out their guns and opened fire at close range towards Circella killing him. Later the body was found with over 20 bullets found inside him. 10 to the chest 5 to the legs and 5 to the head and neck.[22]

Lucas had ordered O'Shea to take out Roselli after conflicts erupted. O'Shea found him at his home leaving and set up a sniping base and ended up shooting at him but Giancana got in the way and took the bullet to the arm. Roselli and his man saw O'Shea and broke into gunfire.[23] O'Shea had taken out all 6 of Roselli's guards but ended up running out of ammunition and fled the scene. Lucas took the hit as success even though Roselli was alive, as Giancana was wounded and many of Roselli's men had fallen.[24]

Sam Giancana was later murdered by his higher affiliates due to distrust in the family. He was shot once in the back of the head and then several times in the face.[25]

Lucas and Roselli had competed at war for many years all the way into 1976 when Roselli was put into prison for the assination of president John F. Kennedy. Lucas then hired one of his men to take out any remenence of Roselli's business.[26] The man was then caught breaking and entering on FBI seized property and was jailed. Charles Nicoletti one of Roselli's hitman had learned of Lucas's involvement and went after him. Lucas got wind of this and told higher boses that he was questioning the killing of Giancana. Those bosses whacked Nicoletti by shooting him in the head many times.[27]

Lucas took his son Francis and tried to get him out of the mob life but Francis refused and told him he had to finish what his father has started. Lucas taught his son everything he needed to know about the mob business including all the old and new bosses. Francis was ready at a young age of only 17 to take control of the mob.[28]

[edit] Death

Lucas Cavanaugh died September 8th, 1979 of congestive heart failure shortly after meeting his other son George who was only 12.[29] Lucas was apparently having heart problems the last 5 years of his life and the only one who knew was his son Francis. Theories state that Francis was taught everything so early in his life because Lucas knew he was failing and he needed a successor.[30]

[edit] Sources

[edit] Web

North Side Gang

[edit] Books

  1. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  2. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  3. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  4. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  5. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  6. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  7. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  8. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  9. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  10. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  11. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  12. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  13. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  14. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  15. ^ North Side Gang
  16. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  17. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  18. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  19. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  20. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  21. ^ North Side Gang
  22. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  23. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  24. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  25. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  26. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  27. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  28. ^ Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted
  29. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  30. ^ Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family
  • Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books Inc., 2005. ISBN 978-1-57488-785-3 (Enright, p.114)
  • Terrence, Jacob M. Life at War: The Cavanaugh Family Chicago, Illinois: University Northern Illinois., 1987. ISBN 978-1-567493-739 (Terrence, p.215)
Preceded by
George "Bugs" Moran		 North Side Gang Boss
1947–1976		 Succeeded by
Frankie Cavanaugh