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"Machine Gun Kelly", American Gangster

George Francis Barnes Jr. (July 18, 1895 - July 18, 1954), better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. During the Prohibition era he worked as a bootlegger but, after several run-ins with the local Memphis police, he decided to leave town and head west with his girlfriend. To protect his family and escape law enforcement officers, he changed his name to George R. Kelly. His most infamous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman Charles F. Urschel in July 1933 for which he, and his gang, collected a $200,000 ransom. Their victim had collected and left considerable evidence that assisted the subsequent FBI investigation that eventually led to Kelly's arrest in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 26, 1933. He spent his remaining 21 years in prison. During his time at Alcatraz he got the nickname "Pop Gun Kelly". He died of a heart attack at Leavenworth on his 59th birthday.
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Title:
"Machine Gun Kelly", American Gangster
Caption:
George Francis Barnes Jr. (July 18, 1895 - July 18, 1954), better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. During the Prohibition era he worked as a bootlegger but, after several run-ins with the local Memphis police, he decided to leave town and head west with his girlfriend. To protect his family and escape law enforcement officers, he changed his name to George R. Kelly. His most infamous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman Charles F. Urschel in July 1933 for which he, and his gang, collected a $200,000 ransom. Their victim had collected and left considerable evidence that assisted the subsequent FBI investigation that eventually led to Kelly's arrest in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 26, 1933. He spent his remaining 21 years in prison. During his time at Alcatraz he got the nickname "Pop Gun Kelly". He died of a heart attack at Leavenworth on his 59th birthday.
Credit:
Album / FBI/Science Source
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Image size:
3203 x 4200 px | 38.5 MB
Print size:
27.1 x 35.6 cm | 10.7 x 14.0 in (300 dpi)
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