'Dapper' Danny Hogan

Daniel P. Hogan 1905 Age 22

"Dapper" Danny Hogan (ca. 1880 - December 4, 1928) was a charismatic underworld figure and boss of Saint Paul, Minnesota's Irish Mob during Prohibition. His connections to cops of the deeply corrupt St. Paul Police Department made him hugely rich. Police Chief John "The Big Fellow" O'Connor of Saint Paul allowed criminals to operate in the city as long as they checked in with police, paid a small bribe and promised not to kill, kidnap, or rob within city limits. St. Paul was a safe haven for gangsters from 1900 to 1936 — as long as they conducted their criminal shenanigans elsewhere. Notorious gangsters like John Dillinger, Al Capone, “Babyface” Nelson, Ma Barker, Alvin Karpis, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow all made Minnesota stops.

On December 4, 1928, Dapper Dan got behind the wheel of his Paige coupe and turned on the ignition. A bomb located beneath the floorboards detonated and blew off his right leg. He slipped into a coma at the hospital and died nine hours after the blast. Although the murder is still considered unsolved, declassified FBI files reveal that the most likely person responsible was Harry Sawyer, Hogan's underboss.