Jump to content

Dillinger Celebrates with Thompson, New Years Eve 1933.


Recommended Posts

Little short history thing here:

December 21,1933, the Dillinger gang shows up in Daytona Beach , Fla and rents a house on the beach- A gangster vacation I guess. Normal stuff, played on the beach, went to the races and all.

 

New Years Eve, the molls get a couple bottles of Champaign to celebrate- There choice of fireworks, fire Thompson Submachine guns into the ocean. I guess they figured out that was probably an "opps" to do and left the next day for Tucson. ( or sometime around the next day) Stories vary but this is somewhere close.

 

Which Thompsons did they have, # 8946, # 5878, # 3363 and most probably # 7731.

 

My take: Charles Mackley # 3363 a 21/28 Navy, Harry Pierpont # 8646 & # 5878 both 21 ACs and Dillinger with # 7731 a Lebman acquired 21 AC.\

 

All taken at the Tucson arrest 25 days later, Jan 25, 1934.

 

So, Happy New Year, go fire your Thompsons............... John would of wanted it that way.

 

OCM

JD Tucson.jpg

Edited by OCM
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lol...good one, Sandy. I tried to do a little research a few years ago, trying to find out exactly where JD and his crew holed up in Daytona (being a Florida boy myself, and a frequent visitor to DB), but I had no luck. Do you have any idea where they stayed?

Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well of course, I looked it up in the Poulsen book: They rented the house from a Real estate office at 195 Ocean Ave. The house was located at 901 South Atlantic Ave. Two story framed house facing the ocean.

I've talked with a couple people in the past, one being Joe Pinkston who was there- I believe it's a parking lot now for a mall.

Someone sent me a picture of the location a long time ago- I think there was some confusion on the address now, combined or something.

Wherever the current location is, off the beach side is where they fired off Thompsons-

 

You got a cell phone ? Take a picture. Be cool to see what it is today.

 

Lot of mixed stories about this Dillinger trip & JD's return to Chicago- . I had actually talked to Bill Helmer about this, this morning. That's why the posting story.

 

Rob- Goggle map it street view- It's a parking lot to a high rise hotel or something, good photo. Easy visit when you are there.

Edited by OCM
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 901 address was the actual house location, the Google map shows both looking towards the ocean and another view is ( 2008) from the ocean to the 901 site- All gone like a lot of stuff anymore in history.

 

So, you gonna take your Thompson down to the 901 S Atlantic Ave address and fire it off in the ocean, in tribute to John ? Bet you'll get at least 90 days of tribute- Maybe more.

 

Naw-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Outstanding- Thanks.

 

So, if you went out about 50 yards or so, underwater, with a metal detector........................................ Then the FBI does ballistics on the 50-100 spent shells compared to the captured Thompsons. ( whew)

 

Now there's a treasure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe not - Find out what the range of a Thompson is, fired straight forward, set up a grid from there back into the beach- Then hit it with a detector -

Good thing for one of those " Mythbuster " episodes

Edited by OCM
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love this story...We should all chip in for a bronze plaque to be placed there..."On this spot, on December 31, 1933, John Dillinger and gang did L-Drum dumps..." Maybe someone could start up Dillinger tours in Daytona Beach...I wonder whether the inhabitants of the property know of the New Year's celebration there 80+ years ago?

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Better yet, have someone video tape Rob doing a L drum dump on the beach . We could all pitch in for bail money.

 

I'd be surprised if anyone in the high rise condo building knew anything at all about the gang staying there in 1933. If they are under 40, doubt they ever heard of John Dillinger, unless they are a Johnny Depp fan.

 

In 1999 I loaned Dillinger's Dunrite bullet- proof vest, Bonnie & Clyde's death hats and some other historical memorabilia to the Gerald Ford Library/museum in Michigan. President Ford wrote me a note regarding these items, saying in part, " It has been especially popular with school groups, affording thousands of young people an opportunity to experience a history not always glimpsed in their history books "

 

Very true and fading I'm afraid.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Dillinger a short and violent life" by Robert Cromie and Joe Pinkston- out of print maybe hard to find ? Reads like a history book.

 

OR

 

"Dillinger The Untold Story, Expanded Edition" by William J Helmer & G. Russell Girardin- probably more easy to find. Good current information.

 

OR

 

" Dillinger Days " John Toland. good book but outdated information, easy read for lite Dillinger information

 

My pick would be the Helmer book, Bill is a great author and very knowledgeable on Dillinger AND wrote the book " The gun that made the 20s roar" about the Thompson-

Expanded Edition with Rick Mattix is the best copy to find.

Edited by OCM
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll check it out in the time machine. Two story framed house in 1933. Wonder if there are any real-estate records on the property back to 1933. Get real lucky and you find the granddaughter, of the owner in 33, that has old pictures. Has happened.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...