Blogs: The Gangsters in St. Paul

The gangsters had a major presence in St. Paul, Mn. during the 1930's----and in addition to the bars and nightclubs to frequent in St. Paul, on the weekends, during the heat of the summer, they motored out to the lakes---on the East to White Bear Lake and to the West, Lake Minnetonka. Click on the post for a blog that reviews some of the activities in St. Paul...and the tours available...as in historical preservation.

As a boy, I remember vividly remember my grandmother pointing out the cottage that Ma Barker rented out for one summer---She should know. She rented it to her. ...right on the path above the dock on the east side of White Bear Lake in Mahtomedi. Ah the glory days. The days of speakeasies....and much more. I know because one had once been in the apartment building I lived in when I was a boy. Tucked in the basement. Did not seem very stylish. But then things were a bit different from the movies.

It must be remembered that the action by the FBI to kill John Dillinger was purposeful drama---because up until that time the public enemies were considered the banks and not the gangsters---at least there was real mixed feelings. The rate of foreclosure was very high and there had been a bank and foreclosure holiday---

Thus the perfect timing of "Public Enemies" being released today.....just in time for the coming foreclosure holiday....Sen Clinton mentioned and advocated for it during her campaign....and if the reworking of mortgages does not work, look for it to happen again....

We are today, as then, filled with a glorification of "Gangsta" and "Thriller" but want to be law abiding most of the time, at least when convenient.