John Patrick Looney
Encyclopedia
John Patrick Looney was a gangster
in the Rock Island, Illinois
area during the early 1900s. Looney was also a successful lawyer
and newspaper
man in Rock Island.
immigrants, was born in Ottawa, Illinois
. He studied law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1889. He practiced with his partner Frank H. Kelly; he had his first real brush with the law in 1897 when he and Kelly were indicted for onspiracy (to defraud
the city by using inferior materials. The convictions were overturned on appeal
.
Looney soon ventured into politics, and went on to hold a prominent position in the Democratic Party
. He would eventually run for, but lose, election to the Illinois State Legislature. Looney attributed his loss to the Rock Island Argus, which wrote many negative opinion articles on him. In response, Looney founded the Rock Island News, which he used to blackmail prominent Rock Island citizens.
, which Looney believed had published negative news articles to ruin his local political career.
In 1905 Looney bought the Mirror Lounge, a closed club to use for his law office on the 1st floor and to publish his newspaper on the second floor. After purchasing the building John brought his brothers William (Bill) and Jeremiah (Jerry)to Rock Island from Ottawa to help him run the paper. During the early 1900s Looney published many articles that attacked the "Rock Island Argus" and threaten to expose the deep dark secrets some of Rock Island's most prominent residents. The residents attacked by Looney threats were blackmailed into paying "kill fees" to kill articles before they were published. However, by 1908 Looney was desperate for money to keep all of his operations afloat, so he was forced to sell Rock Island News to W.W. Wilmerton.
However, Looney had no plans to relinquishing his control of the newspaper. The night after Looney sold the paper, Wilmerson shut down the newspaper which angered Looney. Later that night a bomb exploded at the printing press in the newspaper's building, which Looney still owned. Looney refused a $7,000 insurance settlement, and the insurance company canceled his policy. In November two mysterious fires would destroy the Mirror Lounge. The first fire on November 2 caused $32,000 worth of damage to the building, destroying the Mirror Saloon ran by Dan Drost. The 2nd fire started the day before the insurance was canceled, causing $75,000 worth of damage to the mirror building. Looney was accused of setting the fire by Dan Drost, who later admitted to helping Looney set the fire.
With Looney unable to publish his newspaper for a year after he sold it, he was left powerless in Rock Island politics since he was unable to blackmail its residents. Looney did resume his publishing from the garage on the side of his house called the "The Roost" in 1909. Loony moved his newspaper again in 1924 to the upper story of his mansion overlooking the Rock River. However, when Looney began to publish his first newspaper again for the first time on February 6, 1909, he personally attacked Wilmerson and his family on the front page. This personal attack of Wilmerson family led to a downtown shootout on February 22, 1909. Looney was shot in the side, but he was not seriously injured. Wilmerson was arrested, but was never charged with a crime.
, illegal gambling, and extortion
. Gambling and prostitution took place in the basement of the building which housed the Rock Island News. He had also been accused of extortion
and blackmail
. He allegedly would have one of his prostitutes walk up to a man and throw her arms around him, and once she did he would snap a photograph. Looney would then threaten to publish the photograph in the Rock Island News unless a cash payment was provided.
Looney was the target of several assassination
attempts, and at one time partaking in a gun fight with W.W. Wilmerton, the man to whom he had sold his newspaper. The gun fight with Wilmerton occurred on February 22, 1909 in which seven shots were fired, one bullet wounding Looney. The "Bel-Aire" house at which this gun fight occurred can be viewed just slightly west of 30th street in Rock Island on River Heights Road.
.
In response, Schriver had Looney arrested and closed down the Rock Island News on March 22.
Four days later, a large crowd gathered in Market Square, stirred and agitated by associates of Looney. They stormed the police station. Attempts by the police to quell the mob resulted in the death of two rioters.
The riots prompted Governor
Charles Deneen to declare martial law
in Rock Island and ordered the National Guard
to the city. Throughout the night there were minor disturbances which were resolved whenever the National Guard troops made an appearance. After the riots, raids were carried out on prostitution houses. All public gatherings were banned, and all saloons were closed. Afterward, Looney left Rock Island to go to a ranch in New Mexico
, staying there until 1921.
now the law, he had control of approximately 150 gambling dens and brothels. Looney extorted protection from local business in collaboration with corrupt police officers and politicians.
convention, Looney's thugs provided (sold) protection for law violators. Prohibition agents, following up on raids made during the convention met with William Gabel, who provided them with canceled checks endorsed by John Looney. Gabel was murdered on July 31, 1922, which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. Meanwhile, through editorials, the Rock Island Argus lambasted the community for having allowed gangsters to gain control of Rock Island. In return, Looney's paper published articles implicating the Argus in Gabel's murder.
The gang war ended on October 6, 1922 when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. Two vehicles pulled up behind them and opened fire. John Looney ran to the nearby Sherman Hotel and returned fire. Connor Looney was killed in the vehicle.
On October 26, 1922, all stills, speakeasies, and brothels under Looney's control were closed down, and his house was raided for weapons. Schriver and the former police chief were arrested and later convicted of vice protection conspiracy. Looney was indicted for the murder of William Gabel and for running a theft ring which spanned several states, but Looney fled to Ottawa and then to New Mexico.
Looney was apprehended in New Mexico in November 1924. He was convicted in 1925 of "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic in Rock Island", in large part to his former right-hand man being a prosecution witness.
Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg
. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and served 8½ years. Looney died in 1947 at a tuberculosis
sanitarium
in El Paso, Texas
.
' graphic novel Road to Perdition
. The character was renamed Rooney and portrayed by Paul Newman
in Sam Mendes
' 2002 film adaptation.
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
in the Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
area during the early 1900s. Looney was also a successful lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
man in Rock Island.
Background
John Looney, son of IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrants, was born in Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
. He studied law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1889. He practiced with his partner Frank H. Kelly; he had his first real brush with the law in 1897 when he and Kelly were indicted for onspiracy (to defraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
the city by using inferior materials. The convictions were overturned on appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
.
Looney soon ventured into politics, and went on to hold a prominent position in the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He would eventually run for, but lose, election to the Illinois State Legislature. Looney attributed his loss to the Rock Island Argus, which wrote many negative opinion articles on him. In response, Looney founded the Rock Island News, which he used to blackmail prominent Rock Island citizens.
Rock Island News
Looney created the Rock Island News to serve as a retort to the Rock Island ArgusThe Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus
The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus are daily morning newspapers based in Moline, Illinois, and circulated throughout the Quad City metropolitan area of Moline, East Moline, Rock Island and Rock Island County in Illinois; and Davenport, Bettendorf and Scott County in Iowa.The newspapers are owned...
, which Looney believed had published negative news articles to ruin his local political career.
In 1905 Looney bought the Mirror Lounge, a closed club to use for his law office on the 1st floor and to publish his newspaper on the second floor. After purchasing the building John brought his brothers William (Bill) and Jeremiah (Jerry)to Rock Island from Ottawa to help him run the paper. During the early 1900s Looney published many articles that attacked the "Rock Island Argus" and threaten to expose the deep dark secrets some of Rock Island's most prominent residents. The residents attacked by Looney threats were blackmailed into paying "kill fees" to kill articles before they were published. However, by 1908 Looney was desperate for money to keep all of his operations afloat, so he was forced to sell Rock Island News to W.W. Wilmerton.
However, Looney had no plans to relinquishing his control of the newspaper. The night after Looney sold the paper, Wilmerson shut down the newspaper which angered Looney. Later that night a bomb exploded at the printing press in the newspaper's building, which Looney still owned. Looney refused a $7,000 insurance settlement, and the insurance company canceled his policy. In November two mysterious fires would destroy the Mirror Lounge. The first fire on November 2 caused $32,000 worth of damage to the building, destroying the Mirror Saloon ran by Dan Drost. The 2nd fire started the day before the insurance was canceled, causing $75,000 worth of damage to the mirror building. Looney was accused of setting the fire by Dan Drost, who later admitted to helping Looney set the fire.
With Looney unable to publish his newspaper for a year after he sold it, he was left powerless in Rock Island politics since he was unable to blackmail its residents. Looney did resume his publishing from the garage on the side of his house called the "The Roost" in 1909. Loony moved his newspaper again in 1924 to the upper story of his mansion overlooking the Rock River. However, when Looney began to publish his first newspaper again for the first time on February 6, 1909, he personally attacked Wilmerson and his family on the front page. This personal attack of Wilmerson family led to a downtown shootout on February 22, 1909. Looney was shot in the side, but he was not seriously injured. Wilmerson was arrested, but was never charged with a crime.
Crime
Looney had a hand in match fixing, prostitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, illegal gambling, and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
. Gambling and prostitution took place in the basement of the building which housed the Rock Island News. He had also been accused of extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
. He allegedly would have one of his prostitutes walk up to a man and throw her arms around him, and once she did he would snap a photograph. Looney would then threaten to publish the photograph in the Rock Island News unless a cash payment was provided.
Looney was the target of several assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempts, and at one time partaking in a gun fight with W.W. Wilmerton, the man to whom he had sold his newspaper. The gun fight with Wilmerton occurred on February 22, 1909 in which seven shots were fired, one bullet wounding Looney. The "Bel-Aire" house at which this gun fight occurred can be viewed just slightly west of 30th street in Rock Island on River Heights Road.
Riots
In March 1912, one of Looney's lieutenants, Anthony Billburg, was arrested for extortion. According to accounts, Looney asked the Mayor of Rock Island, Harry M. Schriver, not to prosecute Billburg. After Schriver refused, Looney published an article on the front page of his paper accusing him of having an affair in PeoriaPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
.
In response, Schriver had Looney arrested and closed down the Rock Island News on March 22.
Four days later, a large crowd gathered in Market Square, stirred and agitated by associates of Looney. They stormed the police station. Attempts by the police to quell the mob resulted in the death of two rioters.
The riots prompted Governor
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Charles Deneen to declare martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in Rock Island and ordered the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
to the city. Throughout the night there were minor disturbances which were resolved whenever the National Guard troops made an appearance. After the riots, raids were carried out on prostitution houses. All public gatherings were banned, and all saloons were closed. Afterward, Looney left Rock Island to go to a ranch in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, staying there until 1921.
Homecoming
In 1921 Looney returned to Rock Island and regained control of his paper. With ProhibitionProhibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
now the law, he had control of approximately 150 gambling dens and brothels. Looney extorted protection from local business in collaboration with corrupt police officers and politicians.
Downfall
In 1922 before a national GrottoMystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm
The Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, also known as M.O.V.P.E.R. or The Grotto, is an appendant body in Freemasonry.-Overview:...
convention, Looney's thugs provided (sold) protection for law violators. Prohibition agents, following up on raids made during the convention met with William Gabel, who provided them with canceled checks endorsed by John Looney. Gabel was murdered on July 31, 1922, which prompted a gang war in which 12 people were murdered. Meanwhile, through editorials, the Rock Island Argus lambasted the community for having allowed gangsters to gain control of Rock Island. In return, Looney's paper published articles implicating the Argus in Gabel's murder.
The gang war ended on October 6, 1922 when Looney and his son Connor were talking in their car in Market Square. Two vehicles pulled up behind them and opened fire. John Looney ran to the nearby Sherman Hotel and returned fire. Connor Looney was killed in the vehicle.
On October 26, 1922, all stills, speakeasies, and brothels under Looney's control were closed down, and his house was raided for weapons. Schriver and the former police chief were arrested and later convicted of vice protection conspiracy. Looney was indicted for the murder of William Gabel and for running a theft ring which spanned several states, but Looney fled to Ottawa and then to New Mexico.
Looney was apprehended in New Mexico in November 1924. He was convicted in 1925 of "conspiracy to protect gambling, prostitution and illicit liquor traffic in Rock Island", in large part to his former right-hand man being a prosecution witness.
Looney was later charged and convicted of the murder of Willam Gabel and prosecuted in Galesburg
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and served 8½ years. Looney died in 1947 at a tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
sanitarium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
.
Fictional portrayals
Looney served as the model for John Looney, a major character in Max Allan CollinsMax Allan Collins
Max Allan Collins is an American mystery writer. He has written novels, screenplays, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, movie novelizations and historical fiction. He wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition , created the comic book private eye Ms...
' graphic novel Road to Perdition
Road to Perdition (comics)
Road to Perdition is a series of fictional works written by Max Allan Collins.The comic book of the original series, with art by Richard Piers Rayner, was published by DC Comics' imprint, Paradox Press...
. The character was renamed Rooney and portrayed by Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
in Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes
Samuel Alexander "Sam" Mendes, CBE is an English stage and film director. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning work on his debut film American Beauty and his dark re-inventions of the stage musicals Cabaret , Oliver! , Company and Gypsy . He's currently working on the 23rd James Bond...
' 2002 film adaptation.