AKA Lester M. Gillis

Born: 6-Dec-1908
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Died: 27-Nov-1934
Location of death: Barrington, IL
Cause of death: Justifiable Homicide
Remains: Buried, St. Joseph's Cemetery, River Grove, IL

Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Criminal

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Public Enemy Number One

Bank robber and murderer Lester Gillis was called "George" by his family and "Baby Face" by the members of his first gang in his mid-teens, due to his childlike appearance and shortness. The Nelson surname was an alibi. He started his criminal career as a petty shoplifter and car thief, then graduated to armed robbery and deadly gunfights. His known associates included Al Capone in the late 1920s and early 1930s, John Dillinger in the 1930s, and smuggler and bootlegger John Paul Chase, who was his best friend and sidekick. After Dillinger's death on 22 July 1934, Nelson was listed as the FBI's Public Enemy #1. He was involved in murders in Minneapolis, Reno, South Bend, Chicago, and small towns in Illinois and Wisconsin, and his victims included three FBI agents, including two killed in the shootout that left Nelson dead on 27 November 1934. His body, reportedly riddled with 17 bullets, was dumped in a cemetery near the small town of Niles Center, Illinois, presumably by his wife or his friend Chase. Nelson was said to have hated the nickname "Baby Face", and though he stood only five feet four inches tall, he preferred to be called "Big George".

Father: Joseph Gillis (tanner, d. 1922 suicide)
Mother: Mary Gillis
Sister: Juliette Gillis Fitzsimmons (b. 1911, d. 1987)
Wife: Helen Wawzynak Gillis (m. 1929, d. 1987)
Son: Robert Gillis (b. 4-Apr-1930)
Daughter: Darlene Gillis (b. 1932)

    Escaped from Prison Illinois State Penitentiary (17-Feb-1932)
    Inmate Illinois State Penitentiary, Joliet, Illinois (1931-32)
    Murder Barrington, IL (two FBI agents)
    Murder Rhinelander, WI (FBI agent, 22-Apr-1934)
    Bank Robbery South Bend, IN (30-Jun-1934)
    Bank Robbery Wheaton, IL
    Bank Robbery Grand Haven, MI (18-Aug-1933)
    Bank Robbery Chicago (Jan-1931)
    Grand Theft Auto 1922, 1923, 1934, numerous other
    Shot by Police 27-Nov-1934 (fatal)
    Belgian Ancestry

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