OCM Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) 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 Edited December 30, 2014 by OCM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostsoldier Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 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 More sharing options...
OCM Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) 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 December 30, 2014 by OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostsoldier Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Yeah, I can see that, Sandy...here's a Google Earth photo. Thanks for the info; back then, I didn't have the Poulson book. Rob Edited December 30, 2014 by ghostsoldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 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 More sharing options...
ghostsoldier Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Here's the 901 South Atlantic Avenue site...somewhere in the guts of this condo. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 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 More sharing options...
ghostsoldier Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 That would be a neat adventure....if it could be done; I'm sure it would be like finding a needle in an ocean of haystacks, lol. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) 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 January 1, 2015 by OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 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 Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurencen Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 OCM, what would be good book to learn more about Dillinger? Laurence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 laurencen,I only have one book on JHD so its easy to pick my favorite.The title is,---"The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal. John Dillinger". By Dary Matera.Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurencen Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 thanks, will check it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted January 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) "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 January 2, 2015 by OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
full auto 45 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 https://www.google.com/maps/@29.2149099,-81.0025118,3a,75y,85.63h,73.47t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sgt-M-eTX7-1Bj9vRhOQfWA!2e0 Street view of 901 South Atlantic avenue Daytona Beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 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 More sharing options...
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