John "Pudgy" Dunn

Deceased Person

1896 – 1937

80

Who was John "Pudgy" Dunn?

John "Pudgy" Dunn was a St. Louis gangster and member of the Egan's Rats.

Born and raised in North St. Louis to Irish-American parents, John and his brother Harry, known as "Cherries", joined the Egan's Rats in their teens. John was nicknamed "Pudgy" because at the age of seventeen he carried 240 pounds on a 5'11" frame. John was known throughout the city as a dangerous brawler. While his older brother Harry was quick to use a gun to settle disputes, Pudgy often preferred to settle matters with his ham-like fists.

While in Chicago with his brother Harry on November 5, 1914, the two Dunn brothers shot and killed a gangster named Robert Koch. Both men were convinced that Koch had been sent up from St. Louis to specifically kill them. While Harry got off scot free, Pudgy was convicted and sentenced to an Illinois prison.

With John locked up, Harry went to great pains to get him free, even offering to snitch on his gang mates. Afraid that gang boss Tom Egan would find out about his disloyalty, Cherries Dunn became increasingly paranoid and killed people over trivial reasons, including William "Skippy" Rohan, a lifelong friend of Tom Egan's.

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Born
Sep 5, 1896
Died
Jul 14, 1937

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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