The Midwest's Most Infamous Mobsters
Most know of Chicago's famous gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran who ran the streets of the Windy City throughout the early 20th century. Fewer have heard tales of Southern Illinois' equally violent and lawless criminal gangs. For most of the 20s and 30s, the Shelton gang controlled all illegal activity in the counties of Southern Illinois.
The Gang's All Here
The three brothers started with petty crime in their youth, but hit it big when Prohibition opened the door for bootlegging. Carl, the eldest, was the leader of the gang. With a penchant for bribery and corruption, he worked closely with local officials to clear the gang of any trouble. Earl, the middle brother, was in charge of logistics. He kept the shipments of booze flowing and the gambling halls running smoothly. Bernie, the baby of the bunch, was the brawn. His short fuse and quick temper made him perfect for the role of enforcer.
Struggle for Power
The gang faced trouble early on with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the area. The Klan was interested in acting as the region's morality police and clearing streets of what they viewed as abhorrent behavior. Since several Klan members held local office and worked for the police, this presented a problem for the Shelton gang. The locals were split in their support of the two factions, as some aligned with the Klan and supported Prohibition. Times were rough though, and hardship led many locals to drink and some to profit from the bootlegging itself. Eventually, the gang won out and the Klan fell out of favor.
The Sheltons Take Over
With the Klan gone and no one to push back, the Sheltons took full control. They opened numerous roadhouses, many right out in the open, that operated 24 hours and featured drinking, gambling, and dice. The locals who opposed the gang felt powerless and wanted something to be done, but the Sheltons had the local politicians in their pockets.
This Is War
Things got heated for the Shelton gang around 1925 when one of their own rebelled. Charlie Birger worked for the Sheltons, controlling operations in Saline County. When Birger's girlfriend was accused of cheating with Carl, Birger declared all-out war on the Shelton gang. The resulting battle was epic. The Sheltons utilized a homemade tank to attack Birger's hideout, and Birger even dropped jerry-rigged bombs on the Sheltons from an airplane. Bodies littered the streets of Southern Illinois, and hundreds were killed in the altercations. The Sheltons had more men, but ultimately couldn't defeat Birger who ended the feud by having the Sheltons arrested and locked away for a minor mail carrier robbery.
A Violent End
Birger would meet his maker only a few years later in 1928. He was arrested and hanged for the murder of Joe Adams, a known Shelton associate and the mayor of West City, Illinois. Birger's hanging was the last public execution in the state of Illinois.
The Sheltons continued their criminal enterprise after their early release from prison in 1930. Once prohibition ended, they switched their attention to gambling. Eventually, the criminal lifestyle caught up with them. Chicago mobsters had Carl and Bernie both murdered for encroaching on their territory. Earl was lucky enough to escape to Florida where he died in 1986 just shy of one hundred years old. The Shelton gang is still legendary in Southern Illinois, but never got the mainstream attention of its Chicago neighbors.
References: A Bloody Band of Bootleggers: The Shelton Brothers Gang | Booze, Blood And Bombs: Prohibition In Southern Illinois | Al Capone
