Baby Face Nelson

Lester Joseph Gillis was a notorious American bank robber during the 1930s.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 6, 1908, to Flemish Belgian immigrants. Most people knew him by the nickname "Baby Face Nelson." This name came from his short stature and youthful facial features. However, his professional criminal associates often simply called him "Jimmy." He became one of the most violent figures in American organized crime history.

Nelson's criminal path began with small-scale theft and local gang involvement. While working at a Standard Oil station, he joined a group of tire thieves called "strippers." He soon moved into more serious organized crime. In early 1930, his group engaged in home invasions to steal jewelry. They used adhesive tape to bind their victims during these robberies. Because of this method, Chicago newspapers labeled the group "The Tape Bandits."

By April 1930, Nelson transitioned to robbing banks. His first bank robbery netted approximately $4,000. He continued this pattern throughout the year, targeting both banks and wealthy homes. In October 1930, he robbed the Itasca State Bank of $4,600. Shortly after, he stole $18,000 worth of jewelry from the wife of Chicago Mayor Big Bill Thompson. The mayor's wife described him as a good-looking man with a "baby face." This period marked his shift toward much higher levels of violence.

Nelson's criminal career included several prison stints and escapes. He was sentenced to a term at the state penitentiary in Joliet in 1931. However, he escaped during a prison transfer in February 1932. He fled to Reno, Nevada, and later moved to Sausalito, California. In California, he worked for a bootlegger named Joe Parente. During this time, he met key associates like John Paul Chase and Fatso Negri. These connections helped him build the foundation for his own criminal gang.

In 1933, Nelson began leading his own organized crew. He recruited men such as Homer Van Meter, Tommy Carroll, and Eddie Green. On October 23, 1933, his gang robbed the First National Bank of Brainerd, Minnesota. They successfully took $32,000 from the institution. Nelson also acquired specialized weaponry during this time. In San Antonio, Texas, he purchased a .38 Super Colt pistol. This weapon had been modified to function as a fully automatic firearm.

Nelson became famously linked to the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. In March 1934, Dillinger escaped from a prison in Crown Point, Indiana. It is believed that Nelson's gang helped arrange and finance this escape. Following this, Nelson's crew was often called the "Second Dillinger gang." They carried out several major robberies across the Midwest. For example, they took roughly $49,000 from a bank in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The FBI eventually labeled Nelson and his remaining gang members as "Public Enemy Number One."

A major confrontation occurred at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin. In April 1934, the gang stayed at this secluded resort for a weekend. Federal agents, led by Melvin Purvis, received a tip and launched a sudden ambush. The attack caused massive chaos at the lodge. While many gang members escaped, Nelson engaged the agents in a direct firefight. He eventually fled into the surrounding woods to avoid capture.

Nelson's criminal career ended during a violent encounter in Illinois. On November 27, 1934, he was involved in a gunfight known as The Battle of Barrington. During this event, FBI agents fatally wounded him. Nelson had killed more FBI agents than any other criminal of his era.

He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois, alongside his wife, Helen.