Galesburg’s Role in Stopping 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 and in Illinois built a huge financial empire. By the late 1920’s, it is estimated that in today’s dollars, Capone was pulling in well over $1 billion dollars selling illegal alcohol. 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

The relationship between Capone and downstate speakeasies was one in which Capone was the wholesale supplier, not the operator. Local businessmen ran speakeasies but were expected to buy their booze from Capone. 

“Old timers” in Galesburg tell stories about alcohol sales in Galesburg during prohibition, often describing legitimate businesses selling booze in the back. 

One popular Galesburg legend is that at a City Council meeting, the topic of liquor sales in Galesburg was brought up. Supposedly one Councilman stated something to the effect that Galesburg was a good Christian town and did not have any alcohol being sold in town. Another Councilman then gave some cash to a youngster in the audience, ten minutes later the boy came back with a bottle of booze. 

Legends of old timers have claimed some local businessmen were connected with Al Capone. There are numerous small towns in Illinois who claim Al Capone came to their town to get away from federal agents at different times. There has been that claim by Galesburg. One Galesburg legend was that there was a particular house that Capone stayed in Galesburg, the irony was that the house was not built until 1934 after Capone was convicted. 

Elliot Ness

The story of Al Capone and the attempt to shut him down, became famous with the ABC TV series entitled, “The Untouchables.” It ran from 1959-1963. The 118 episodes were based on the book by the same name that was written by Oscar Fraley as told by Eliot Ness. Ness was the leader of the Untouchables, and he shared stories with Fraley. 

In 1962 Oscar Fraley wrote a sequel with Paul Robsky, entitled The Last of the Untouchables. The connection between Galesburg and the Untouchables is that Robsky was born and raised in Galesburg. He grew up with his parents, Theordore and Mollie, on South Locust St. This just south of Lombard school. Robsky’s dad worked for Purington Bricks. 

There is no evidence of Paul Robsky as a student at Galesburg HS, so my assumption is that he attended Corpus Lyceum, although there is no yearbook. 

Paul Robsky

The group of federal agents who were brought to Chicago, were hand picked from across the nation. Galesburg’s Paul Robsky was one of the “primary ten” of the Untouchables. He had been a successful agent in South Carolina, known for his ability as a pilot and willingness to take risks. 

This primary group was labeled as the “Untouchables” by Charles Schwarz of the Chicago Daily News. Up until this group arrived in Chicago, so many police were taking bribes from Capone that it was impossible to surprise the mob with a raid. Capone was paying an estimated $500k in bribes per year. 

Most historians give both books, 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 in the books. 

While it is estimated 700 people were killed during the Prohibition, none of the Untouchables were killed and most all the deaths were in battles between Capone’s mob and Bugs Moran’s gang on the northside of Chicago. 

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. 

The Last of the Untouchables is based on the stories of Galesburg’s Paul Robsky to Oscar Fraley. It is considered to provide a detailed description of the operation and methods of the Untouchables. Several times as Robsky describes events, he claims to have thought, “What would people in Galesburg think if they saw me now.”

While the group was dubbed the Untouchables, in his book Robsky outlnes how early in their operation it was not true. They early on had trouble making successful raids because they had a mole in the group reporting to Capone. Robsky claims that while their efforts to find the mole had been unsuccessful, a trip by Robsky back to Galesburg uncovered the mole. 

Robsky took a few days vacation to go see his folks in Galesburg. According to the City Directory, by 1930 his parents had moved to North Blaine Avenue (just north of Main Street). 

Paul Robsky at the Elliot Ness Museum

He describes talking with an unnamed neighbor. Robsky on vacation, asked where he might get a bottle of booze. The neighbor told him that the Colson brothers ran a garage and in the back sold booze. The neighbor, who was a banker said Joe Colson was just in the bank today in a panic needing a $5k loan. 

Later that evening, Paul met up with old friend, Jimmy Griffin. According to the City Directory, Griffin lived at 204 Madison. According to Robsky, when he told Griffin about wanting to go to Colson’s to get some booze, Griffin said he had been there that afternoon. 

In the conversation, Griffin said a man came into Colson’s and identified himself as a government agent. The agent went in the back room and talked with Joe Colson. In further conversation between Robsky and Griffin, Griffin described the agent at Colson’s. 

From the description and questions that Robsky asked, Robsky claims that he identified who the agent was, who was getting a payoff. According to Robsky, this one of the Untouchables that they suspected as a mole. After this Galesburg encounter, Robsky claims they set the man up and proved he was the mole. Robsky claims this was instrumental to getting the Untouchables up and going. 

While records show that Paul Robsky’s family still lived in Galesburg and that Jimmy Griffin did live in Galesburg. The closest thing to Joe Colson in the City Directory is a Colson with the middle name J. By 1930 there are 19 businesses that repair autos, none are named Colson Brothers Garage, but 10 of the repair do not have a person’s name to identify them- Northside Garage, Owl Garage, etc. 

Later in the book, Robsky describes a person with access inside the Capone mob who was supplying the Untouchables with information. The Capone mob found out he was an informant. To get him to safety, Robsky drives the man to Galesburg. Robsky buys the man a car to allow him to escape to Iowa City. 

After reading the book, one is left to wonder if Robsky’s story about his trips to Galesburg are accurate or not. Whether those stories are fabrications or not, there is no doubt that Galesburg’s Paul Robsky played an instrumental role in the work of the Untouchables in Chicago.