Cops and bankers hated him, and the press celebrated him as Robin Hood. During the Great Depression era, Dillinger became one of the most famous gangsters in the United States.

In the 1920s and 1930s, criminals of Italian and Irish descent “reigned” in the United States. Mafia families controlled entire neighborhoods and cities. For example, Al Capone controlled Chicago and Lucky Luciano controlled New York. Meyer Lansky, a native of the Russian Empire, developed the gambling business not only in the United States, but also in Cuba. One might get the impression that the Americans themselves were “out of the game”. But it is not so. A vivid example of this is John Dillinger, a man who was adored by both farmers and laborers. After all, he was not only “his own man,” he was a daredevil who defied the system. The criminal was idealized - people wanted to believe in Robin Hood.

John Herbert Dillinger was born in June 1903 in Indianapolis, Indiana (according to another version - in a town located in Virginia). Father - John Wilson Dillinger - was the owner of a grocery store. Mother, however, was engaged in the education of children. But a quiet and peaceful life did not last long. At the age of three little John lost his mother. His father was completely immersed in work and almost no time for children.

A few years later, Dillinger senior Dillinger married for the second time. And then, together with his wife, he decided to move to another city and start a new life there. John, who at that time was already 16 years old, stayed in Indianapolis. He got a job in a store and for a while tried to lead a law-abiding lifestyle. But an incident that occurred in 1923 led him to crime. The 20-year-old wanted to impress his girlfriend. So he stole an automobile.

Dillinger was unlucky enough to be stopped by the police. Realizing that he was facing a very real prison sentence, John decided to cheat. The guy managed to sneak away from the guards, and only a few days later he volunteered for the army. This act he hoped to redeem himself. But the service in the navy did not impress John. Military life, in which always and in everything you need to follow only orders, was not for him. And after a few months, Dillinger ran away.

John returned to his hometown and once again tried to lead a law-abiding life. He even got married and got a job at a furniture factory. And in his spare time he played for the local baseball team. But the money was woefully short of money, which led to frequent scandals with his wife. From despair John decided to commit a crime - steal chickens. But he was again unlucky, the police were in the right place at the right time. Dillinger was not convicted only thanks to the intervention of his father.

In 1929, John was divorced. Now he had no desire to lead a law-abiding life. He decided that honest labor to achieve financial well-being will not work. So, with a friend, John set out to rob a store.

At the beginning of his criminal path, Dillinger was frankly unlucky. The very next day he and his accomplice were arrested by the police. Once again, his father intervened. He advised his son to cooperate with the investigation to get a lighter sentence. Dillinger Jr. agreed and pleaded guilty. But his partner denied taking part in the store robbery. As a result, John received 10 years in prison, his accomplice - significantly less. For Dillinger it was a real shock, which greatly affected him. He realized that you can not rely on the fairness of the judicial system. And he began to play by other rules.

John spent several years in prison and was released in 1933. He was released on parole for good behavior. But he made the most of that time. Dillinger met professional robbers who shared with him the secrets of their craft. Accordingly, reform was out of the question. John frankly hated the system and society.

A few months after his release, he, having formed a gang of several people, robbed a bank in Ohio. This time Dillinger managed to escape from the police. And it inspired the bandit on new crimes. Together with his associates, he traveled across America and committed armed raids on banks and stores. The gang was not averse to murder. Their victims were policemen. Once Dillinger and his associates attacked a prison in order to free a few familiar criminals.

At that time, the Great Depression that hit the United States caused powerful social tensions. And ordinary Americans, forced to work for minimum wage, blamed the banks for the economic crisis. And, of course, the government, which, in their opinion, did not help people in any way. Accordingly, against the background of general bitterness, Dillinger looked like a real hero. He robbed banks, bravely fought with police officers and enjoyed success with women. In the creation of his heroic image participated and newspapers. Journalists more than once in their articles admired him. And so it turned out that John became a “people's avenger” who challenged the rich.

For the police to arrest Dillinger became a priority. The police hated him and wanted revenge for the murders of his colleagues. One day, John was captured. He was placed in a prison located in Indiana. But the bandit soon escaped. He managed to get a piece of wood, made a fake revolver out of it and painted it with goutaline for realism. It worked. The guards believed John had a real gun. The robber got away with it.

After that, FBI agents became involved in catching the criminal. Moreover, the bureau named him “public enemy number one”. For Dillinger, it meant only one thing - he was officially declared war. A special task force was dedicated solely to finding him. And after a while the whole gang of John was liquidated: someone was shot, someone went to jail. But it was impossible to capture the ringleader. Dillinger often changed his place of residence and even had plastic surgery. But that didn't help him.

A woman came to the agents' aid. Prostitute Ana Kumpanash (aka Ana Sage) knew that one of her clients was Dillinger. And although he was paying well, Ana decided to turn him in to the FBI, ensuring her own trouble-free existence. The plan was simple: Ana, along with John and his girlfriend, were to go to the movie theater. And so that the agents could easily spot them in the crowd, the woman was asked to wear a brightly colored dress.

On July 22, 1934, Dillinger walked out of a movie theater in Chicago accompanied by two women. One of his girlfriends was wearing a red (according to other sources - in orange) dress. Immediately, FBI agents approached them. According to one report, they ordered John to surrender, but he drew his weapon. A firefight ensued, in which the criminal was killed. According to other reports, the agents immediately eliminated Dillinger.

For some time John's body lay near the movie theater. A large crowd gathered around him. According to the memories of eyewitnesses, some people tried to break through the cordon to dip handkerchiefs in his blood. And several thousand people gathered at the funeral of the criminal. After a while, a museum was opened in his hometown. And fans of the gangster began to gather annually at the movie theater on the day of his death. Dillinger is devoted to a lot of songs, several movies were made about him. In the movie “Johnny D.” (“Public Enemies”) gangster played by Johnny Depp.

As for Ana Cumpanas, she was paid 5 thousand dollars as a reward, and then deported to her native Romania, where she died in 1947.