Between 1900 and the late 1930’s, the Twin Cities were a haven for organized crime. In particular, gangsters flocked to St. Paul in part due to the O’Connor layover agreement instituted by John O’Connor shortly after his promotion to chief of police on June 11, 1900.
The O’Connor system allowed criminals to remain in St. Paul under three conditions: they had to check in with police upon their arrival; they had to give a portion of their earnings to the police department; and while in St. Paul they couldn’t commit any major crimes, though Minneapolis was fair game.
The prohibition of alcohol from 1919 until 1933 also contributed to the rise of St. Paul as a magnate for gangster activities. The Volstead Act (Prohibition) banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The closing of breweries and distilleries resulted in the rise of bootlegging and St. Paul became known as one of the “wettest” cities in the nation. Prohibition ultimately led to an increase in organized crime as well, since the mob controlled bootlegging operations.
During this time, well known criminals such as John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly, the Barker-Karpis Gang and even Al Capone spent time in the Twin Cities. The arrangement lasted for almost forty years, finally ending when widespread corruption forced crusading local citizens and the federal government to intervene.
Below is a list of some of the historic Twin Cities gangster locations and hideouts where criminal events occurred or gangsters were known to hang out during the Twin Cities’ ‘Gangster Days.’ Open Map…
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Landmark Center – Old Federal Courts Building
Visitors to St. Paul's downtown area are often captivated by the visual grandeur of the city's castle-like architectural crown jewel, the Landmark Center. Read more →
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Barker-Karpis Gang Hideout – 1031 South Robert Street
St. Paul was a haven for notorious criminals in the late 1920s and early 1930s when local law enforcement turned a blind eye to the underworld activities of gangsters, bank robbers, and bootleggers. One of the most cold-blooded groups to take up residence in the city was the Barker-Karpis gang. ... Read more →
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“Dapper Dan” Hogan Home – 1607 West 7th Street
On the morning of December 4, 1928, “Dapper Dan” Hogan, a known mob boss during the height of St. Paul’s organized crime days, entered the garage of his home located at 1607 West 7th Street. He opened the door of his Paige coupe and climbed behind the wheel. When he... Read more →
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Opened in 1933 on St. Paul’s West Side, the Castle Royal was publicized as the “World’s Most Gorgeous Underground Nightclub” by local newspapers. Performers such as Cab Calloway, the Dorsey Brothers and Harry James performed at the club during its heyday. Rumor also has it that patrons of the club... Read more →
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On August 30, 1933 at 9:45 AM, just outside the South St. Paul Post Office, one officer was shot dead and another severely injured when the Barker-Karpis Gang robbed two bank messengers escaping with $33,000 in payroll intended for employees of Swift and Company. A Brazen Crime Around 9:10 AM... Read more →
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Lincoln Court Apartments – St. Paul
On March 31, 1934 around 10:30 AM, John Dillinger, along with Mary Evelyn “Billie” Frechette, and Homer Van Meter, were involved in a shootout with two FBI agents and a local police detective at the Lincoln Court Apartments in St. Paul. During the exchange of gunfire, Dillinger was wounded in... Read more →
