Wicked Akron: Tales of Rumrunners, Mobsters and Other Rubber City Rogues

by Kymberli Hagelberg

Wicked Akron, Ohio takes the reader on a journey through the seedy underbelly of the city's history. Akron is known as "the rubber capital of the world'? and home to Goodyear. But look beneath those tires and you will find dirt…a lot of dirt! Explore Akron's darkest days, when citizens burned city hall to the ground and members of the Ku Klux Klan called the shots from the schoolhouse to the courthouse. Meet a grave robber who became a political leader, a mobster who ordered police murders and a beloved bootlegger turned bail bondsman. Say hello to Frank Hurn, a flashy, frenetic, fast-talking con man who was looking for suckers to invest in the Vulcans, an NFL team he promised to bring to Akron. From city saloon to suburban hideout, this is an alternative history lesson of the sometimes dicey coexistence of the well-heeled and the workers, men and women who lived big lives during Akron's fledgling days as a canal port, its pre-Depression heyday and zenith as a Midwestern industrial success story. Author Kymberli Hagelberg, an award-winning journalist and native Northeast Ohioan, takes the reader on a morbidly-entertaining tour of the shadowy corners of Akron's history. With stories including mobsters and body snatchers, con men and Klansmen, plagues and fires, there is truly something for fans of local history and true crime stories.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 21, 2010

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-Fiction>History of Akron/Summit County OH
I live in this area, so this was a nice history lesson for my as it is super local. Some of it isn't that exciting, but it all happened right here LOL! I am glad I purchased this, and I do plan to refer back to it and go see some of the sites mentioned.

[Ris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect content to par with a walking tour.

Appeals: local history, true crime

diversity representation (gender, class, race, sexuality) in Wicked Akron: Tales of Rumrunners, Mobsters and Other Rubber City Rogues are thematic (gender, class, race) and incidental (sexuality)

[CG InDE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically just retellings of stories from other books and newspaper articles, this book lacks the substance of a proper reference book. Unfortunately it also lacks citations and a bibliography, and also has some errors in facts and spelling. Rather disappointing for an author with a journalism background.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I missed leaving my review on this book, which I actually finished months ago. It's a nice, light read on some of the more unseamly moments of Akron's past. A few stories even loosely connect. The chapter on the body-snatching business and the scandals it created was especially memorable. I enjoyed it- this is a quick read, and those with an interest in Akron history may like it.

[Leigh Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read, but each story is intriguing enough to prompt further investigation … and plenty of fun family conversation for this born-and-raised-in-Akron girl. It also explained a lot about the legacy Akron of today.

[Fred Baerkircher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akron has a much more salacious history than I knew. From mob ties to body-snatching, this is a collection of saucy episodes.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief look at Akron criminal history. Apparently my neighborhood was once controlled by the dreaded Black Hand!

[Debi · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some interesting bits to be learned in this book but otherwise...it's a truly boring book. I can't explain why exactly but it is just dull.

[Patricia Tennant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This topic was really interesting. There were many great, seedy, surprising stories that I hadn't anticipated in the city's past.

Each chapter deals with a different event/person. This made the writing lack some flow. It felt like each chapter was a mini report.

[Rob Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad little book, but the writing felt a little dry. Great photos and a few fun tidbits throughout.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, if somewhat sordid, account of crime and controversy in the history of Akron, Ohio.

[Gretchen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this entertaining history book. Lots of history.