A Killing in Capone's Playground: The True Story of the Hunt for the Most Dangerous Man Alive

by Chriss Lyon

“Bloody Chicago” was the name given to America’s most corrupt city after the grotesque scene that left seven humans embedded into masonry walls and oil-slickened concrete. Two Thompson submachine guns did the majority of the damage but the masterminds behind the St. Valentines Day Massacre escaped. Ten months later on December 14, 1929, St. Joseph, Michigan Police Officer Charles Skelly working a routine traffic crash came face to face with a killer. Shots were fired, the assailant escaped and the dying Officer Skelly identified his murderer before taking his last breath. The trail led to a home in Stevensville, Michigan where authorities found an arsenal of weaponry, over $300,000 worth of stolen bonds, bulletproof vests, and two Thompson submachine guns. The hideout belonged to Fred Burke, a highly sought suspect in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and now the most wanted man in the nation.
The “backwash of bloody Chicago” had made its way into the rural neighborhoods of Southwestern Michigan and Northern Indiana. Citizens who turned a blind eye to crime, helped create “Capone’s Playground,” an environment abundant in all that is illegal and immoral.
Using never before published police reports, interviews with family members of key witnesses, and leading experts, historian Chriss Lyon establishes the foundation for what would develop as a haven for gangsters from the onset of the Prohibition Era through to the mid-twentieth century, while revealing new information about the eventual capture of notorious gangster Fred “Killer” Burke.

Genres: True Crime

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

For over twenty-five years, retired public safety professional and historian Chriss Lyon has not only walked the beat, but shot the most famous Thompson submachine guns in the world, all while documenting and researching the historic era of the “The Roaring Twenties.” Using techniques of forensic genealogy combined with investigative research, she has been able to uncover little known facts about the people and events surrounding the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, revealing them at presentations at schools, museums, genealogical, and historical societies. Her passion in Prohibition-era gangsters, maritime, law enforcement, and aviation history as well as historical weather has afforded opportunities to write articles for various magazines and journals and assist other authors with historical research. A graduate of Grand Valley State University’s Film/Video School, Chriss began working behind the scenes at CNN Headline News but now is out in front of the camera. She has appeared in an episode of the PBS series, “History Detectives” as well as documentaries on the National Geographic Channel, American Heroes Network, German Public Television, and Investigation Discovery Channel.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chriss is a great story teller. I enjoyed reading about familiar places. Much "blood sweat and tears" must have been shed in the research and writing.

[Valerie Heest]

What an amzing never-before-told story! Chriss Lyon did a spectacular job of bring to light a little known event--the killing of a Michigan Police officer in 1929--that lead to the capture of , as the title suggests, the most dangerous man alive, Fred Burke. If you think the St. Valentines Day Massacre has not been solved, think again. I won't write a spoiler, but this book has answers. Chriss paints a vivid picture of crime in rural America and citizens complicity in those crimes, offering food for thought even for our lives today. If you liek true crime and narrative non fiction novels, you must read this.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I am a writer and so I don't spend as much time reading as I should. However, I LOVED this book! I found the subject matter fascinating, the writing style was crisp and engaging and the research was top-notch. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in gangsters (the real kind) and history, because I learned SO much! Chriss (the author) has a comfortable reading style, which meant I never labored over what I was reading. Likewise, her descriptions of the era, the locales and the people involved felt like I was right there. I highly recommend this book.

[Scott Kebschull · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're familiar with southwest Michigan, the references to the places there are very interesting. However, if you're not familiar with the area, the amount of detail in this book can be a little excessive.

Overall, I liked learning a little more about how the gangsters of that era operated, and how law enforcement dealt with them. I found it to be very worth reading.

[Tom Mcmillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional read. Tremendous insights into a story you only "think" you know. I love it when someone who is passionate about history writes about history. Sharp, clear writing with a good pace that makes you want to keep reading. Highly recommended.

[Chriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins where the St. Valentine's Day Massacre left off and includes little known facts of gangster occupation in rural America.

[Laura Kebschull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and all the history from my hometown of St. Joseph, Michigan.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal collection softcover book

Excellent book

[Caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional read, full of detail.

[Kelly Fortune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner about Fred Burke's murder of Officer Skelly in Saint Joseph, Michigan, and how the gangs of Chicago impacted nearby communities. Great for anyone who enjoys history, particularly this time period, or lives in Southwest Michigan, Northern Indiana, or near Chicago.

[Kevin Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up the St Joe and found the history fascinating.

[Nancy Holverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chriss Lyon does an excellent job of researching the mobster, Killer Burke, and the ties to Berrien County, Michigan.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was well-researched and had an interesting topic, setting, and historical context. There were parts of it that really piqued my interest, and it was fascinating knowing how much gangland history exists in my home state! But large sections of this book needed a better editor. At times it felt like a list of facts and details rather than a story, and as the book went on, it lost its cohesiveness, which made it a bit of a slog. Overall, though, a pretty good book. I give this author a lot of credit for the obvious hard work when it comes to research and primary documents and sources!

[Katie Kwon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read some local history. Would have liked a map; appreciated the many photos. We're going to do a tour of sites this summer. Book could have used an editor to prevent howlers such as "History is about facts, not opinions" but only an amateur is going to write a book on this subject, so take what you can get.