PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1 - the story of John Dillinger

John Dillinger is the most famous bank robber in history and was chased for a year by almost all law enforcement agencies in the United States. During this time he managed to rob about two dozen banks for a sum of 500 thousand dollars.

During his lifetime, he was called a gentleman bandit and a modern-day Robin Hood. And his death was the starting point after which Hoover and the FBI really gained power. About a dozen movies have been made about him and even more books have been written. Pieces of his tombstone have been taken several times by fans from all over the world, and everyone who knew him made money for the rest of their lives just from stories about Dillinger.

But is his story so unequivocal? Was this man really the “American Robin Hood,” and why did one single year of his life give him fame that lives on to this day? We will tell you about this and much more in our video today.

And if you're interested in the real story of America’s top enemy and go beyond the now trite framework of his conflict with Hoover, then meet John Dillinger, on the other side of the law.

[fishbaitcrab]

This was a the best documentary about John Dillinger I have ever seen. RIP John Jr.

[larryr]

This is by far the best documentary on JD I have ever seen

[runawaywind]

I love how well you've so intricately incorporated news reels and gangster film footage during the narration.

[jassenjacobs]

My Grandma was there the night he was killed at the Biograph theater. She told me people dipping their handkerchiefs In his blood. She watched the same movie, His last movie

[MikeBurks-wi]

My hats off to the ppl who made the film possible...Outstanding

[miki_mao]

I can never get enough Dillinger... There is something about 30 eras bank robbers that is so fascinating.

[MaryRich-kuqm]

Mr Johnny Depp there is no other actor that could have played John Dillinger as well as you.... your class and you're amazing looks crushed this movie..

[mikemccray]

Just saw this today (02-20-24) I find the 30's fascinating. I found it interesting that you mention how they concealed there Tommy guns for the bank job, well after seeing the movie PUBLIC ENEMIES and how they concealed them in the movie 1:06:51 made me want to concealed mine in the same way. I have the deluxe model 1927A1 with the butt stock that is removalable, so I made a adapter that replaced with my shoulder stock and had Ruffalo international made me a shoulder harness so I could swing my Tommy gun under my arm. I'm from South Bend, In and the bank looks nothing like it did in the 30's but a movie theater on Michigan St down the street from the bank still has bullet wounds from the shoot out. Excellent video thank you for showing us the video

[ilostmypickle]

I really like your voice. You compliment everything with your easy, natural cadence. It's relaxing! I didn't miss a beat in the storyline, stayed interested, and found myself anticipating how you'd unwrap the coming portion and where you'd take your story next.
You are, Sir, in League with the very select and extremely rare Brand of Creators here there is a lingering dissatisfaction when a video is over.
I'm happy to have met you.
I've subbed

[deby]

I just kept thinking, why stay in the same states where he was known. Other states have banks... Very well done and thorough documentary!!!

[rancanable]

Very In depth analysis. I didn’t realize he had escaped so many times. But before metal detectors I’m sure it was a lot easier to accomplish these tasks and the lack of assets law enforcement had

[briancondon]

The Dillinger family name is pronounced with a 'slient 'g'. Uncle John had a very good childhood with a loving family. How do you know that he was involved with an Indianapolis young lady who would become pregnant? I like the films running in the background of Uncle John, Bonnie and Clyde, etc. Audrey never saw a movie that correctly told the story of her brother. He loved his family and he was loved by his family. The TRUE life story of Uncle may never be told as all everyone wants to cover are the times in his life when he made bad choices. He was a beloved uncle to Mary, who thought of him more like an older brother than an uncle as they grew up together. Mary made many visits to Pendleton to see Uncle John but only made one visit to see him in Michigan City because of the number of gates she had to go through to see Uncle John. Also, Mary wrote numerous letters while he was incarcerated and Uncle John always enjoyed those letters. It's unfortunate that neither the John Dillinger Museum in Michigan Ciry or Crown Point displayed the letters that were always on display at the original John Dillinger Museum in Nashville, Indiana. Mary would take us there and go through her life growing up with Uncle John. Also, she made sure that we never paid as a lot of the items came from Audrey. So, they gave us a 'Family Pass', which mad Mary happy. Uncle John wasn't involved with the shooting and beating up of Sheriff Sarber. Uncle John liked the Sarber family as they took very good care of him while in jail. Please refrain from convicting Uncle John for the tragic death of Office O'Malley as he was never convicted of this crime. As you mentioned, there are witnesses that saw Uncle John in Florida when the East Chicago robbery took place. Of course, there are witnesses that say that they saw Uncle John during the East Chicago robbery. Then again, there were many times when Uncle John was 'seen' in two places at the same time. Some of the banks, during this time, were wanting Uncle John to rob them so they could cover up some of the bad things that were going on in banks during this time. The so called 'family reunion' was really a usual family dinner at the farm. Sadly, it was the last time that the family saw Uncle John alive. When Uncle John decided that things were getting too hot with the cars driving by the house, he, Billie, Mary (niece) and Alberta (niece) all left in his car. Billie was driving while Uncle John was on the floor neat Alberta, who was in the back seat. Mary was holding Uncle John's Tommy Gun riding 'shotgun' with Billie as Billie went down the back roads from the back of the farm. I am always amazed whenever I hear how Uncle John would go to baseball games, talk with police officers, etc. while he's the most wanted man in America. Uncle John was not armed when he was executed in the alley outside of the Biograph Theatre. The fatal shot was the one through the back of his head at point blank range. The agents took just about everything off of Uncle John's dead body. A tie tack that Audrey had given him was later seen in pictures being worn by some in the FBI. Uncle John was never without hundreds of dollars on him as was seen by Audrey and Mary whenever Uncle John would stop by and see them in what would be the place of his funeral at Audrey's home in Maywood. The clothes that Uncle John was wearing when he was assassinated were in Audrey's possession until she loaned them for display in the John Dillinger Museum in Nashville, Indiana, owned by long time family friend, Joe Pinkston.

[Steve_]

He robbed a bank in my town i grew up in, they converted it into a restaurant and they kept the safe.

[BillyBobThot]

JUST STARTED AND ALREADY IMPRESSED WITH THE OLD RARE PICTURES AND INFO ABOUT HIM GETTING A GIRL PREGNANT AND JOINING THE NAVY I DONT THINK IVE HEARD OF IN MOST DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT HIM

[TheTempleOfBoom]

Kind of ironic that Hoover was a way bigger criminal than Dillinger ever was, and he was a disgusting human being as well .

[AmeliaIslaNole]

I can't watch these documentaries without starting to talk like a gangster from the 30s and 40s. “Mah, see! This is a stickup, see?!” 😂

[michelbenidorm]

Best Documentary ever seen lot of respect for the makers 👌✊🙌🙏From first till the last second

[AmericanWireman]

My great grandfather ran moonshine for John dillinger
, he was a black man from muncie indiana, about an hour east from Indianapolis

[Lizille]

I must say that Johnny Depp played his role so good.

[garyemenaker]

He used to hide out in Hamilton, Ohio and was known to have family there. Hamilton was close to Lawrenceburg Ind. where there were several distilleries and had hijacked shipments from those distilleries. There was a restaurant known as Nichtines was in a house that when renovating they found a stash of whiskey in the walls that came from one of those hijacking. Dillinger had stashed it there and never made it back to get it.