Myles O'Donnell
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Myles O'Donnell was an Irish American bootlegger and mobster during the roaring twenties in Chicago during Prohibition. Most famous for being the founder of the West-side O'Donnell Mob aka the Westside O'Donnells or West-side gang. Has no relation to the South side O'Donnells, another rival gang.
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[edit] Early years
Myles O’Donnell was born into a large, struggling Irish Catholic family in the Chicago Western suburb of Cicero, Illinois. Like any other poor child off the streets in the corrupt town of Cicero, Myles started his criminal career committing petty crime.
[edit] Klondike
William "Klondike" O’Donnell was only a few years younger than his brother. They had a strong bond. Another well known brother involved with peddling of booze with Myles and Klondike was Bernard, the youngest of the three. The oldest sibling and brother of the O'Donnell family was Edward O'Donnell, Chicago's Brick Layers Union President for almost two decades. The rest of the O'Donnells were girls except for the youngest of the family Pat O'Donnell.
[edit] The Good Days
The O’Donnell brothers made an alliance with Johnny Torrio who was the leader and founder of the Chicago Outfit; his lieutenant was Al Capone. When Torrio got into a war with Dean O’Banion and the North Side Gang and when The South side O’Donnell’s got into a war with Frank McErlane things went better for the O’Donnell’s not having to worry about enemies. Johnny Torrio was later gunned down by Bugs Moran avenging his mentor Dean O’Banion death. Torrio luckily survived and quickly retired, leaving Al Capone to take over the South Side mob.
[edit] Getting away with murder
One day after drinking himself to the point where he was staggering Myles and a childhood friend and Westie O'Donnell member Jim Doherty staggered into a Saloon early Sunday morning. The Saloon belonged to Eddie Tancl, a man O'Donnell and Capone hated because of his way of buying beer from whoever he wished. Myles and Jim ordered some breakfast from the only waiter still working on the job that day. sitting across from the two Westiders was Eddie Tancl and his wife. Sitting across from the couple were Mayme McClain, Tancl's star entertainer and Leo Klimas, Tancl's head bartender. After Myles and Jim were done eating they complained to the waiter that they had been overcharged on the bill. Tancl made his way to O'Donnells table and blocked his way in between the waiter and O'Donnell just before he threw a punch at the waiter. O'Donnell gave Tancl a shove and then both men's drew their guns. They shot each other in the chest. Doherty got up from the table and began firing. Klimas and the waiter tried to disarm Doherty. O'Donnell fired a shot at Klimas pushing him back against the bar, where he died. O'Donnell was hit by four shots in the chest while he proceeded to the street with Doherty. Tancl was also hit in the chest in numerous places, Doherty was also hit several times in the leg by Tancl during the gun battle. Tancle and O'Donnell had no bullets left in their guns but Doherty did. As the two Westsider's made their way to the street Eddie Tancl grabbed a different gun from behind the bar. Sources say that Myles and Doherty split up and went different directions through the streets. The way Myles ran was hard for him to get away because he was in the middle of the street running through Sunday Church goers while bleeding heavily. Tancle chased after O'Donnell through the streets shooting at him until his gun was empty. Out of breath, Tancl threw his empty hand gun at the back of O'Donnell's head. O'Donnell fell and passed out due to exhaustion, Tancl fell as well but didn't pass out. As Tancl and O'Donnell laid just a few feet from each other in the middle of the street the waiter O'Donnell had tried to hit ran towards O'Donnell and Tancl. Tancl shouted to the waiter "He got me, get him". Those were his last words. The waiter jumped on O'Donnell's body a few times, kicked him in the face, and fled the crime scene. Doherty managed to limp his way to a near by hospital to treat his gun shot wounds on his leg. Myles was later picked up by cops where he passed out.
Other sources state different events in which Myles fled the saloon first and Klimas was never hit because he hide during the gun battle. Tancle shot Doherty in which Doherty fell and never returned fire or got up after that. Myles ran outside of the saloon through the streets. Tancl chased after him and they did what happened in the first story. Klimas ran after his boss to aid him. Tancl said to Klimas "Leo kill the rat, he got me". Klimas did what the waiter did in the first story. Doherty got up and stumbled into the streets in which he saw Klimas beating O'Donnell up. Doherty stumbled behind Klimas and shot him in the head a point blank range killing instantly. Doherty picked O'Donnell up and put him in his car in which they both drove off in.
Myles and Doherty were never arrested for the murders although there were many witnesses to the murders. It was rumored that the man prosecuting them was a childhood friend who purposely failed to prosecute Myles and Doherty for the murders of Klimas and Tancl. His name was William McSwiggins. He was one Illinois' best prosecutors who prosecuted many criminals. He got the nickname "Hanging Prosecutor" due to his ruthless tactics to take hard criminals down, and he fully supported the death penalty as a final punishment.
[edit] McSwiggins
William McSwiggins was born and raised on the west of Chicago know as Cicero, he usually went the name Bill or Will in Cicero . He befriended the O'Donnell brothers and Doherty at a young age. He was known for his powerful build, and for being very athletic. His father was a police officer for many years. Unlike his hoodlum friends, his occupation was Illinois state prosecutor.
[edit] Death of Myles
Sometime in early 1933, Myles was shot by a bartender during a drunken argument. Myles killed the bartender, but the bartender put a bullet into one of Myles own lungs, which had to be removed in order for him to survive the injury. He contracted pneumonia soon after and died on March 10, 1933. He never lived to see the end of illegal bootlegging but his brother did. Myles was buried the same day Mayor Anton Cermack was, on March 10. Klondike took over the West Side rackets, but failed in his attempts to make them as profitable as they had been in the past.
[edit] O'Donnell Mob Members
Myles O'Donnell - Leader and Founder of The Westside/O'Donnell Mob.
William "Klondike" O'Donnell - underboss.
Bernard O'Donnell - Brewery Owner.
Jim Doherty - O'Donnell soldier, enforcer, gunman, best friend and right hand man to Myles.
Thomas "Red" Duffy - Soldier.
Fur Sammons - Klondike's Hitman, was considered by some to be a crazed rapist.
William McCue - O'Donnell beer deliverer, found killed in a ditch. Doherty killed him because he was "skimming" from the money he collected in Doherty's saloons.
Walter Quinlan - O'Donnell Gunman , killed in a saloon by John Ryan
Sources: Paddy Whacked by T.J. English Page 161 year 2005 Mr. Capone by Robert J. Scheonberg
