Gangsters find their Safe Haven Breaking
The Hamm and Bremer kidnappings ended with the safe return of the victim. The official line was that the kidnappings were shocking because the underworld had intruded on the “overworld,” the criminals picked non-criminal targets. This isn’t quite right, according to historian Paul Maccabee. He claims the two worlds blended for years. St. Paul citizens were perfectly content – even excited – about their scandalous neighbors. The biggest concern centered around the crimes happening in St. Paul. The O’Connor system was clear – St. Paul was off limits. These crimes violated the oath. Additionally, the FBI identified Police Chief Thomas A. Brown, a chief supported by the underworld, as the source of leaks that allowed the Barker-Karpis gang to get away before the FBI could raid their compounds. The St. Paul Police Department fired Brown, but the crooked chief never faced charges.