J. Edgar Hoover

Before being appointed as Director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924,
J. Edgar Hoover was a lawyer from the Justice Department. When he took over the Bureau, it employed 650, including about 440 special agents.

Hoover ruled the Bureau with an iron fist. He was a gifted criminologist who made the Bureau famous for its efficiency.

During the 30's, city and state law enforcement agencies implored the FBI to assist in the apprehension of a growing number of "gentlemen bandits" across the Midwest. The Bureau was able to step in under the Motor Vehicle Theft Act which makes it a federal offense to take a stolen vehicle across state lines.

During a raid on the Dillinger Gang's vacation hideout,"Little Bohemia" in Wisconsin, an agent and bystander were killed. Hoover took it personal and pursued Dillinger and his gang with a new fire. As the Dillinger cat and mouse game continued, the notoriety of both Dillinger and Hoover grew.

A tip from a Dillinger insider eventually led to the shooting of John Dillinger by special agents. Dillinger's demise, along with the capture and shootings of other famous gangsters of the era, brought a greater power to the Bureau and it was re-named the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Hoover continued to rule the FBI for 48 years until his death.

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Visit the John Dillinger Museum to discover more about
the gangsters and g-men of the 30's.
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