December 6, 1908
November 27, 1934
AKA: Alex Gillis, Lester Giles, Big George, Jimmie
Mobster, Robber, and Murderer
At a time when many outlaws were romanticized by the American public, Baby Face Nelson was known for his hunger for ruthless violence. He loved to kill, a trait that made him a problem for his gangster bosses Al Capone and John Dillinger (see entries in volume 1). An ambitious robber, Nelson once planned to rob a bank a day for one month.
Born near the Chicago stockyards on December 6, 1908, Lester J. Gillis grew up in a rough city neighborhood. A small, youthful-looking boy, he was often beaten up and bullied. Fearless and scrappy, he ran with street gangs in Chicago. In 1922, at the age of fourteen, he was caught stealing an automobile and was sent to a home for boys. In April 1924 he was paroled (released under certain conditions), but he soon ran into trouble for violating the terms of his parole and other illegal activities. Believing his real name did not sound tough enough, Gillis wanted to be known as Big George Nelson.
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