Bullets for Dead Hoods - Annotated (Paperback)

About the Book

"In the early 2000's, John Corbett struck thrifter's gold in a going-out-of-business Chicago junk shop when he stumbled onto a 1933 manuscript intimately documenting the Chicago Mafia. The tone of the browned and brittled pages immediately grabbed him-sensationalistic and funny, they read like an embellished police blotter as they named names, gave addresses, and detailed crimes. Presented here in facsimile in order to capture the physicality of the type-written and annotated document, Bullets for Dead Hoods: An Encyclopedia of Chicago Mobsters, c. 1933 offers an expanded overview of the Chicago Outfit through 140 character sketches that range from the infamous-Al Capone, Big Jim Colosimo, the Everleigh Sisters-to their lesser known aiders and abetters. Whoever dared to put this testament together was clearly someone with access to information-a cop? a detective? a newspaperman? a bitter mafiosi?-but who would've risked sharing this information, and why, is a mystery that will most likely never be solved. What is left for us is a concise introduction to a particularly gripping chapter in American history that, through its details, knits Chicago together in a new way. In addition to the 1933 manuscript in facsimile (approx 200 pages/images), there will be an introduction by John Corbett; a list of all addresses and locations mentioned in the manuscript, organized according to Chicago's grid layout; and a map that shows the locations of all of the addresses mentioned"--

Book Synopsis

This haunting dossier--anonymously assembled and found in a thrift store--gives an unprecedented and intimate lowdown on the Chicago mafia

Writer, curator, and gallerist John Corbett struck thrift gold at a going-out-of-business Chicago junk shop when he stumbled onto a browned and brittle manuscript intimately documenting the Chicago mob of the early 1930s. The tone of its typewritten and hand-annotated pages immediately grabbed him--sensationalistic and funny, they read like an embellished police blotter, naming names, listing addresses, and recounting crimes. For all of the dossier's texture and personality, however, Corbett could find no clues as to the identity of its author.

Presented here in facsimile in order to capture its distinctive materiality, Bullets for Dead Hoods: An Encyclopedia of Chicago Mobsters, c. 1933 offers a detailed rundown on the Chicago Outfit through 140 noir character sketches, which range from the infamous--Al Capone, George "Bugs" Moran, the Everleigh Sisters--to their lesser-known aiders and abettors. Whoever dared to put this testament together was clearly someone with access to information--a cop? a reporter? a bitter mafioso?--but who would've risked sharing these particulars, and why, is a mystery that will likely never be solved. What we are left with is this idiosyncratic introduction to a storied chapter in Chicago history that knits the city together in a new way.

In addition to the full-color manuscript, Bullets for Dead Hoods includes related documentary material, an introduction by John Corbett, a compilation of more than 400 locations referenced in the manuscript, and a pull-out map of Chicago that pinpoints hundreds of street addresses.

Review Quotes

Books are written, illustrated, bought, sold, and loaned, but this one was salvaged, and assembled several decades after it was written. It's a special kind of encyclopedia, which usually offers answers; this one contains a mystery.--Larry Potash "WGN TV"

"Bullets for Dead Hoods" is gorgeous -- a coffee-table book that you'll also compulsively read. The result is a combination of history, puzzle, narrative and work of art, and every time I've picked it up since its arrival, I find a grin on my face [...] As a primary text of mob history, it must be invaluable to historians and scholars, but Soberscove has made it accessible, and literally fun for everyone.--John Warner "Chicago Tribune"