Bugs Moran

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George Clarence "Bugs" Moran (August 21, 1891 – February 25, 1957) was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in August 1891, Moran moved to the north side of Chicago when he was nineteen. Growing up, he ran with several gangs and was imprisoned twice before turning 21. His nickname "Bugs" came from those who thought he was nuts or "buggy."

Moran began trying to make a name for himself in the Chicago underground, running liquor and hosting craps games. Eventually, Moran joined Dean O'Banion's gang, bringing his small-time rackets along with him.

1 Battling Johnny Torrio
2 Battling Al Capone
3 After Prohibition
4 External links

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Battling Johnny Torrio

In 1924, O'Banion was killed by Johnny Torrio's men and Moran became second in command behind Earl Weiss. On January 25, 1925, Weiss and Moran tried to execute Johnny Torrio, but as Moran attempted to shoot him, his gun misfired and, lacking any further ammunition, a furious Moran was forced to back down. The now-terrified Torrio decided to retire and handed his operation over to Al Capone.

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Battling Al Capone

Weiss and Moran's bootlegging operations remained the only serious challenge to Al Capone's empire in Chicago and Moran and Capone became ongoing rivals because of it. The two led bloody turf wars against each other for many years. Moran hated Capone and verbally attacked him in the press, as well, saying "Capone is a lowlife." Moran also felt superior to Capone's gang because Capone's gang was involved in the prostitution racket, something Moran, a devout Catholic, refused to dabble in.

On September 20, 1926, Moran and his men attempted to have Al Capone killed in Cicero, Illinois, where Al Capone based his operations. The hit was unsuccessful and Capone escaped unharmed.

Several associates of Moran were killed by associates of Capone in the notorious St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929. Moran escaped death by being late to the warehouse where the massacre took place.

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After Prohibition

When Prohibition was lifted in 1933, the various Chicago gangs began to decline and the same was true for Moran. In 1936, Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn who helped to orchestrate the Valentine's Day massacre, was murdered but probably by the Capone "Outfit" and not a victim of Moran revenge. Moran's remaining gambling institutions were taken over by the Outfit, led now by Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti.

After the Valentine's Day Massacre, Moran was quoted in the press as saying, "Only Capone kills like that!" This was an unforgivable breach of the gangster code of absolute silence (omertà) and contributed to Moran's downfall.

In July 1946, Moran was arrested for robbing a bank messenger in Ohio of $10,000, a paltry amount compared to Moran's lifestyle during the Prohibition days. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years but was arrested again for an earlier bank raid shortly after his release. He was sentenced to another ten years at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, but died in prison of lung cancer on February 25, 1957. He was given a pauper's burial in the prison cemetery.

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