Galesburg’s Role in Stopping Al Capone

Prohibition & Al Capone

Prohibition in the United States began in 1920 with the passage of the 18th Amendment. It ended in 1933 with the passage of the 21st Amendment. 

During this period of time, Al Capone in Chicago built a huge financial empire selling alcohol. By the late 1920’s, Capone was pulling in an estimated $100 million selling illegal alcohol. That would be equivalent to over $1 billion in today’s dollars. The center of his empire was on the southside of Chicago, but it is estimated that the Capone mob controlled over 6,000 speakeasies in Illinois.

Al Capone

Galesburg During Prohibition

Al Capone did not actually run downstate speakeasies but in most cases he was the wholesale supplier of their alcohol. In downstate communities, local businessmen ran speakeasies but were expected to buy their booze from Capone. 

In downstate communities like Galesburg, often legitimate businesses might sell liquor out of back rooms. Yes, even in Galesburg.

One popular Galesburg legend tells of a City Council debate about whether there was alcohol being sold in Galesburg. To prove his point at the meeting, one councilman gave cash to a young man at the meeting. Ten minutes later, the young man came back with a bottle of booze. 

Several small towns in Illinois, including Galesburg, claimed Al Capone came to their town to get away from federal agents at different times. One story even identified a particular house in Galesburg that was Al Capone’s hideout. The only problem is that the house was not built until 1934 after Capone’s conviction. So while there was alcohol in Galesburg and there may have been businessmen who had a financial connection with Capone, stories about Capone’s trips to Galesburg are more questionable.

Elliot Ness

Al Capone & the Untouchables

Federal agents tabbed as the Untouchables were the group that tried to bring down Al Capone. 

The leader of the Untouchables, Eliot Ness shared his story with author Oscar Fraley in book entitled, “The Untouchables.” The book then became the basis for a popular TV series by the same name. The TV series ran from 1959 thru 1963. 

Oscar Fraley followed up the first book with a second entitled, “The Last of the Untouchables.” This book is based on interviews with Paul Robsky, one of the primary agents of the Untouchables. Paul Robsky was born and raised in Galesburg. 

Most historians give both The Untouchables and The Last of the Untouchables low marks for historical accuracy. The experts say that both books tend to embellish scenes of daring and violence. All of which made both the books and the TV show very popular. 

It is estimated 700 people were killed during the Prohibition in Chicago. None of the Untouchables were killed and most all the deaths were in battles between Capone’s mob and Bugs Moran’s mob. 

The Last of the Untouchables provides a fascinating account of the methods used by the Untouchables. While the Untouchables developed clever methods to successfully raid and shut down breweries and speakeasies, it was the work of accountants who eventually brought Al Capone down for tax evasion in 1931. 

Paul Robsky & Galesburg

There is a strong connection between Galesburg and the Untouchables. Paul Robsky was born and raised in Galesburg. According to the City Directory, Paul grew up with his parents near Lombard school on South Locust St. Robsky’s dad worked for Purington Bricks. 

Robsky and the federal agents who were brought to Chicago by Elliot Ness were hand picked from across the nation. Galesburg’s Paul Robsky had been a successful agent in South Carolina, known for his ability as a pilot and his willingness to take risks. 

With Capone paying about $500k per year in bribes to law enforcement officers, Ness needed people he could trust and who were honest. Robsky had shown such qualities.

Paul Robsky

Early the Untouchables Weren’t Untouchable

Until this group arrived in Chicago, so many police were taking bribes from Capone that it was impossible to surprise the Capone mob with a raid. Elliot Ness’ group was labeled as the “Untouchables” by Charles Schwarz of the Chicago Daily News because they appeared unwilling to be bribed. 

While the group was dubbed the Untouchables, in his book Robsky outlnes how early in their operation there were some agents who were taking bribes. 

Robsky shared the frustration of planning raids on breweries and speakeasies but finding the places empty with no booze in sight. The Untouchables knew someone in their group was sharing info with Capone’s mob but the Untouchables could not figure out who it was. 

Paul Robsky at the Elliot Ness Museum

Galesburg Vacation That Changed Everything

Robsky claimed a break through occurred during a short vacation to Galesburg to see his parents, who had moved to North Blaine Avenue. 

While in Galesburg, Robsky asked a neighbor friend where he might get a bottle of liquor for himself. The neighbor pointed him to old friends, the Colson brothers who sold booze in the back of their repair shop. 

Paul’s neighbor was a banker. The neighbor shared that Joe Colson had been in the bank that day in a panic needing a $5k loan. 

Later that evening, Paul met up with old friend, Jimmy Griffin. During their conversation, Paul brought up that he planned to go to the Colson Brothers to get some alcohol. This triggered Griffin to share a weird event he witnessed at Colson’s.

Griffin had been at Colson’s when a man came in identifying himself as a government agent. The agent went in the back room with Joe Colson. Robsky claimed that he identified who the agent was and that he had to be there for a payoff.

After this Galesburg encounter, Robsky claims when he got back to Chicago, they set the man up and proved he was the mole. According to Robsky this was instrumental to getting the Untouchables able to begin being successful in their raids. 

According to the 1930 Galesburg City Directory, it shows that Paul Robsky’s family still lived in Galesburg on North Blaine Avenue, and that Jimmy Griffin lived in Galesburg. There were 19 businesses that repaired autos, none were named Colson Brothers Garage. Ten of the auto repair businesses might have been run by the Colson brothers as they did not have person’s name to identify them. 

Later in the book, Robsky describes having to hide someone from the Capone mob. Where better to hide someone than in Galesburg? To get him to safety, Robsky drove the man to Galesburg. Robsky bought the man a car in Galesburg to allow him to escape to Iowa City. 

Whether the Galesburg stories included in The Last of the Untouchables are fabrications or not, historians agree that Galesburg’s Paul Robsky played an instrumental role in the work of the Untouchables.