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The Untouchables were a group of eleven U.S. federal law-enforcement agents, led by Eliot Ness, who from 1929 to 1931, worked to end Al Capone's illegal activities by aggressively enforcing Prohibition and tax laws against Capone and his organization. In their conduct, they became legendary for being fearless and incorruptible, earning the nickname "Untouchables".

Mission

Upon becoming president in 1929 President Herbert Hoover charged Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon with bringing down Alphonse Capone. The federal government approached the problem by attacking Capone's organization on two fronts. The first front was mounted by criminal investigators of the Treasury's Bureau of Internal Revenue, who would examine the financial records of Capone and his subordinates to see if they could be prosecuted for tax evasion. This unit of IRS agents was headed by Frank J. Wilson under the close supervision of Elmer Irey.

The second front would consist of a special unit of the Bureau of Prohibition, then a branch of the Department of Justice, who would attack Capone's beer and liquor empire by raiding speakeasies, stills, and, particularly, breweries. Ness was chosen to head this elite squad.

Raids against stills and breweries began immediately, and within six months Ness claimed to have seized breweries worth over one million dollars. An extensive wire-tapping operation was the main source of information for the raids.

An attempt by Capone to bribe Ness's agents was seized on by Ness for publicity, leading to the media nickname "The Untouchables."

With the conclusion of the Capone case, "The Untouchables" were disbanded and Ness, in recognition of his work, was promoted to Chief Investigator of the Prohibition Bureau for Chicago.

Members

Because corruption was endemic among law-enforcement agents, Ness went through the records of all the Prohibition Agents to create a reliable team, initially of fifty, later reduced to fifteen, and finally to just eleven men.

The final group of eleven were:

• Martin J. Lahart
• Samuel M. Seager - Former death row Corrections Officer at Sing Sing.
• Bernard V. Cloonan
• Lyle Chapman
• Thomas Friel - former Pennsylvania state trooper.
• Joseph Leeson
• Paul W. Robsky
• Michael King
• William Gardner - former professional football player of Native American descent. In his mid-forties, Gardner was the oldest member of the group.
• Jim Seeley - former private investigator.
• Albert H. Wolff - transferred to Chicago from the Kentucky hills shortly after the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

See also

• The Untouchables (1957 book)
• The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
• The Untouchables (film)
• The Untouchables (1993 TV series)

External links

• Crime Library about Untouchables