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Here's a 'wee story' of one man who sells his soul by living the good life on the back of Prohibiton Era crime...
Many years ago, the notorious gangster, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed EJ, or EASY EDDIE for a good reason. Eddie was very good at his job! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time..
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him VERY well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie also got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Yep!! Eddie sure did live the DREAM!!
Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.
Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.
And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.
Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. In many ways, Eddie had gone to bed with the Devil a long time ago.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to try and rectify the wrongs he had done.
He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great..
So, he testified, and no doubt realised that in doing so he was signing his own death warrant.
Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a dark and lonely Chicago Street far from the glitz he had become accustomed to.
But in his eyes and soul, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police recovering the bullet ridden body removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.
The poem read:
'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop - at late or early hour.. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.'
NOW HERE'S ANOTHER STORY TO THINK ABOUT OF A VERY DIFFERENT MAN...
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.
He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.
One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.
He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation on and headed back to the fleet.
As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.
The American fighte rs were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then an other. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.
Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.
Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.
He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of
this great man and son of the City.
So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's just located between Terminals 1 and 2.
SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?
Read below...
Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son. So, just maybe, Eddie's wish did come true for his son to be free of the underworld shackles and shame that Eddie had become entangled in and be a true, good living American Hero that folk could look up to.
Many years ago, the notorious gangster, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Capone had a lawyer nicknamed EJ, or EASY EDDIE for a good reason. Eddie was very good at his job! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time..
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him VERY well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie also got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Yep!! Eddie sure did live the DREAM!!
Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.
Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.
And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.
Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. In many ways, Eddie had gone to bed with the Devil a long time ago.
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to try and rectify the wrongs he had done.
He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great..
So, he testified, and no doubt realised that in doing so he was signing his own death warrant.
Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a dark and lonely Chicago Street far from the glitz he had become accustomed to.
But in his eyes and soul, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police recovering the bullet ridden body removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.
The poem read:
'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop - at late or early hour.. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.'
NOW HERE'S ANOTHER STORY TO THINK ABOUT OF A VERY DIFFERENT MAN...
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.
He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.
One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.
He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation on and headed back to the fleet.
As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.
The American fighte rs were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then an other. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.
Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.
Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.
He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of
this great man and son of the City.
So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's just located between Terminals 1 and 2.
SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?
Read below...
Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son. So, just maybe, Eddie's wish did come true for his son to be free of the underworld shackles and shame that Eddie had become entangled in and be a true, good living American Hero that folk could look up to.
