Enid M. Cleaves

Gangsters and Ghosts of the Northwoods Enid M. Cleaves

During the Prohibition Era gangsters from the Greater Chicago Area such as John Dillenger, Baby Face Nelson, and Al Scarface Capone visited Wisconsin's Northwoods, where they found solace and secrecy in remote lodges nestled amongst lofty pines and sky-blue waters. Many residents considered these men to be folk heroes, enthralled by their charisma, intrigue and generosity. Many were "on the payroll" so to speak, employed in moonshine stills, speakeasies, and as scouts or whiskey runners. Ghosts are said to have unfinished business in places where their spirit lingers. Perhaps they need to clear their name, avenge their perpetrators, or search for something left behind. Not all ghosts in the Northwoods were gangsters. Yesteryear's lodge owners or residents, maids, waitresses, tribal warriors, family members, and law-abiding citizens from many walks of life roam about in restuarants, residences, lighthouses and islands. This book contains stories about mobsters who frequented the area, malevolent ghosts with dark secrets, but mostly benevolent ghosts, pranksters perhaps, who cause no harm. Local residents share stories of mobsters, moonshiners, personal spectral experiences, and the excitement generated from filming scenes at and near Little Bohemia in Manitowish Waters for the 2009 movie Public Enemies, which starred Johnny Depp.