John Dillinger Biography

John Dillinger was a notorious American gangster who operated what was known as the Dillinger Gang or Terror Gang. His gang was accused of involvement in several major criminal activities including 24 bank robberies. Despite being a much feared criminal, he was not known to be a ruthless murderer and the only homicide charge against him was for the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer who shot Dillinger in his bullet-proof vest during a shootout, prompting him to return fire. He operated during the Depression era and earned the reputation of being even more notorious than the other criminals like Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Bonnie and Clyde who operated during the same time period. Dillinger’s foray into the world of crime happened when he was a young man, barely out of his teens. Wild and unpredictable, he had dropped out of school and was unable to establish himself in any meaningful occupation. He took to planning robberies with his friends and within years established himself as one of the most notorious criminals in the Depression-era United States. He had been arrested and jailed many times, but nothing could keep him away from criminal activities. He met a tragic end at the young age of 31 when he was shot to death by the police as he was trying to escape from them.