Dillinger: A gangster is made

Before he went on to become America's most notorious gangster, John Dillinger called Mooresville home after his family moved to the town when he was a teenager.

Born in Indianapolis in 1903, Dillinger and his family moved to a farm in Mooresville in 1920. His father hoped that the slower pace of the more rural setting would be a better environment for his son, who was already showing signs of being a troublemaker.

However, within a couple of years, John was arrested for auto theft. Then on Sept. 4, 1924, the 21-year-old hid behind a church before robbing and seriously injuring grocer Frank Morgan outside of his West End Grocery Store on High Street in Mooresville. The incident netted Dillinger only $50 cash, but he earned a 10-year sentence for armed robbery.

While in prison, it is believed Dillinger made connections with bank thieves and learned skills about how to successfully rob banks. When he left prison on parole in 1933, the country was in the middle of the Great Depression. Rather than look for a low-paying job, Dillinger chose to rob banks — and he was good at it. Some say, he was the best.

On June 22, 1934, the FBI designated John Dillinger “Public Enemy No. 1”—the first person in America to ever hold the title. In all, Dillinger and his gang robbed 24 banks and four police stations, murdered at least 10 people, and managed multiple jail escapes.

Eventually, the crime spree came to a bloody end when Dillinger was hunted down, ambushed and shot dead by federal agents outside of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago on July 22, 1934.

At the request of his father, John’s body was returned to Mooresville where hundreds lined the streets to view it at the Harvey Funeral Home. He is buried at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Dillinger’s notoriety was impactful on the Mooresville community during his life and continues today. Unconfirmed rumors have swirled that he allegedly escaped death that night in Chicago. There has also been speculation about what happened to the Dillinger Gang loot. Are the answers in Mooresville?

An authenticated map of marked designations was recently found on the old Dillinger farm property by the current owner, which led to an episode of The Discovery Channel’s EXPEDITION UNKNOWN to see where the map leads. https://www.discovery.com/shows/expedition-unknown/episodes/7a2a/dillingers-lost-loot

There are also numerous books, articles, films and documentaries about the life of John Dillinger, including a 2009 movie starring Johnny Depp. The “Indiana Room” in the Mooresville Public Library is a great place to visit, and you can search information online.

Mooresville sites related to Dillinger include his former home at 535 N. Monroe, the church at 98 W. Harrison St. where Dillinger hid before assaulting Frank Morgan, and the site of the former Harvey Funeral Home at 111 S. Indiana St.

(Prepared by the Morgan County Leadership Academy Class of 2022 on behalf of the Morgan County Bicentennial Committee)