On this date, May 1, in 1936, J. Edgar Hoover arrested Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, essentially ending the age of the big-name Depression-era criminals.
The capture of Karpis elevated Hoover and the FBI to national prominence.
Karpis, who earned his nickname for his sinister smile, allied with the “Ma” Barker gang, making it the most formidable gang of the 1930s. The group, led by Karpis, who had a photographic memory, dealt in robberies and kidnappings.
The FBI began specializing in hunting down so-called “public enemies.” The year 1934 saw the deaths of John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, and Baby Face Nelson.
After Barker was gunned down in Florida, Karpis became the fourth and last Public Enemy. Karpis vowed to kill Hoover himself.
Hoover and his agents caught Karpis in New Orleans. Karpis was sentenced to life in prison. He is known as the prisoner who spent the longest time at Alcatraz and later for teaching Charles Manson how to play the guitar.
Karpis was paroled in 1969. He died on Aug. 26, 1979, at age 71.
