The Gangs of St. Louis by Daniel Waugh

Author:Daniel Waugh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.

9.

Potius Mori Quam Foedare

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

The infusion of peace into the St. Louis underworld in the spring of 1928 was met with relief by most citizens and with skepticism by the city’s police force. While the Sicilians had spent the better part of the last year shooting one another, the Cuckoo Gang seized the opportunity to leapfrog over them in the city’s rackets. As that spring began, the Cuckoos were arguably the most powerful gang in St. Louis. They controlled bootlegging in better than half the city and much of south and west St. Louis County.

The Cuckoos’ main allies, the Shelton brothers, were now out of prison and riding high. After being convicted of mail robbery in February 1927, they had won their release from Leavenworth three months later by successfully proving that they had been set up by their archrivals, the Birger Gang. Although Carl, Earl and Bernie Shelton had been convicted of a Kincaid, Illinois bank robbery in January 1928 and sentenced to ten years to life in the state penitentiary, they eventually beat the case on appeal. Charlie Birger was nowhere near as lucky; convicted of the murder of Joe Adams, mayor of West City, Illinois, the gang boss was on death row. Birger’s sentence was carried out on April 19, 1928, making him the last person to be publicly hanged in Illinois.238

The Cuckoos maintained their stills and bootleg customers on the East Side, as well as nightclubs and speakeasies. They operated an East St. Louis cab service, Red Top Taxi Company, which served as a front for their criminal operations. Herman Tipton also had points in the Madison Kennel Club, a dog-racing track in Madison County about three miles north of East St. Louis. A quarter mile south of the dog track, on the west side of Collinsville Road, was the Villa Iris, a roadhouse that was a favorite hangout of the Cuckoo boys when they happened to be on the East Side.

Formerly owned and operated by George Halstead, the property was taken over by the Cuckoos after he was busted for selling illegal liquor on the premises. Now running the joint were John “Piggy” Weller and Louis Mandel. While half of the large building remained padlocked, the dance hall was open for business and did a steady profit as people came to drink, “trip the light fantastic” and have a fun time.

At thirty-one years old, Piggy Weller was regarded by the Cuckoo Gang as something of a mascot. Standing a hair under six feet and weighing 209 pounds, he was the type of guy who made friends easily, always ready with a kind word or a joke. Despite his easygoing nature, Piggy was more than able to handle himself in a tough spot. In 1917, he had served a term in the city workhouse for a robbery and a year later was convicted of second-degree murder. Weller ultimately served five and a half years in the state penitentiary at Jefferson City. Nevertheless, Piggy was the face of the Villa Iris.

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