Last Stand Of The Barker Gang

In the fall of 1926, the best friend of Chicago gangsters returned to politics and got his name added to the Republican mayoral primary ballot. William “Big Bill” Thompson was back from political exile – he just couldn’t stay away. In early July, he sailed his yacht down the Chic ...  Show more

If there was any one thing that motivated Hymie Weiss it was revenge. Since the murder of his friend Dean O’Banion, he’d been the de facto boss of the North Side gang that Dean had founded, mostly because none of the rest of the guys had wanted to be in charge. They were content ...  Show more

This week we close out our series on the Barker-Karpis Gang, who after taking the logical next step from Bank Robbing to Kidnapping, found themselves in one final bloody shootout that took the lives of Ma Barker and the rest of her Murderous Brood.

Kevin MacLeod (< ...

In Episode 93, Robert is joined by Emily Yoshida (Night Call Podcast) to discuss Ma Barker, the notorious leader of the Barker Gang.

FOOTNOTES:

In the 1880s the booming silver mining town of Tombstone, Arizona was home to one of the most famous gunfights in American history. Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt's brothers try to bring law and order to a small town, but they clash with a gang of outlaw cowboys, leading a l ...  Show more

During the Gangster Era, many believed Ma Barker led the Barker Gang. In the late 1800s, Barker had four sons, two of whom joined the infamous Barker gang. But was Ma really the mastermind behind their criminal activities?