The Vendetta: Special Agent Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger, and Hoover's FBI in the Age of Gangsters

400 Pages·2009·2.11 MB·English

by  Alston Purvis

Praise for The Vendetta
“In The Vendetta, Alston Purvis paints an absolutely compelling
portrait of his father the heroic legendary FBI agent, Melvin
Purvis. The story is juxtaposed against a backdrop of the 1930
worlds of crime and gangsters and the dark sinister J. Edgar Hoover
shadows everything; this book is full of history and of pathos. Plus
it’s a terrific read.”
—Patricia Bosworth, author of Diane Arbus: A Biography
“More than just a crime story, this book is an unsettling insight into
the corruption and paranoia of the FBI’s powerful leader.”
—Boston Magazine
“This account, written by Purvis’ son, is unflinching and sheds new
light on the darker side of Hoover.”
—Tucson Citizen
“Fascinating . . . [Purvis] succeeds in giving Melvin Purvis the ac-
colades he deserves.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The details of how Purvis hunted America’s Public Enemies (es-
pecially Dillinger’s last hours at the Biograph) are fascinating in
themselves and prepare the reader to accept the son’s premise
that Hoover jealousy haunted Purvis for the rest of his life. Grip-
ping reading for true-crime fans.”
—Booklist
“[T]his exciting story rings true and serves to burnish the reputation
of a true American hero.”
—Library Journal
“Dillinger was captured, and the authors’ detailed description of it
is gripping, putting the reader right at the scene, so that one can
almost smell the cigar Purvis lights when he signals his men to close
in . . . An immense collection of evidence, obtained directly from
the FBI as well as from relatives and others, provides strong support
for many of the authors’ assertions. . . the storytelling is well-done,
and the graphic descriptions of Purvis and others chasing famous
criminals makes for exciting reading.”
—Federal Lawyer
the
VENDE T TA
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the
V ENDE T TA
Special Agent Melvin Purvis,
John Dillinger, and Hoover’s FBI
in the Age of Gangsters
Alston Purvis
AND ALEX TRESNIOWSKI
PublicAffairs
New York
Copyright © 2005by Alston Purvis.
Published in the United States by PublicAffairs™,
a member of the Perseus Books Group.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied
in critical articles and reviews. For information, address PublicAffairs, 250West
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Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call [phone], extension 5000,
or email [email protected].
Book design byJane Raese
Text set in 11/14New Baskerville
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Purvis, Alston W., 1943–
The Vendetta : special agent Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger, and Hoover’s FBI in
the age of gangsters/ Alston Purvis, and Alex Tresniowski.
p. cm.
Includes index.
HC ISBN-13 978-1-58648-301-2
HC ISBN-10 1-58648-301-3
PB ISBN-13 978-1-58648-741-6
1. Purvis, Melvin Horace, 1903– 2. United States. Federal Bureau of
Investigation—Officials and employees—Biography. I. Tresniowski, Alex. II. Title.
HV7911.P845P87 2005
363.25'092—dc22
2005048730
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
to rosanne willcox purvis
and
doris lockerman
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 Legacy 1
2 North to America’s Capital 13
3 “Home of the Gods” 25
4 “He Is Possessed of Snap” 37
5 Kidnappers and Crooks 64
6 “The Man You Want Most Is Up Here” 91
7 Surveillance 126
8 The Biograph Theater 146
9 Pleasure and Commendation 169
10 Pretty Boy 198
11 Conkle’s Farm 221
12 When the Fall Is All There Is 242
13 Hoover the Hero 275
14 “The Biggest Giant in the World” 302
15 Fathers and Sons 324
Epilogue 343
Index 347