John Dillinger "Public Enemy Number One" Thompson

For more than a year, he emptied banks throughout the Midwest, and each job made him more notorious and even more popular. John Dillinger joined a list of criminal celebrities that included Bonnie and Clyde, “Ma” Barker, “Machine Gun” Kelly and “Pretty Boy” Floyd, but the man known as the wisecracking Gentleman Bandit, was always at the top of that list of controversial gangsters of the era.

It was also during this period that the F.B.I. came to prominence. And the history of this era is responsible for much of the lore and legend we associate with them as an organization, along with the key figures who pitted themselves against the gangsters of the day, including J. Edgar Hoover and Melvin Purvis. Newsmen and biographers have memorialized them, Hollywood has glamorized them, and Americans have marked them as the legends of this turbulent time.

Now America Remembers is pleased to announce an exciting new firearm honoring the era of the gangsters and lawmen of the late 1920's and early 1930's. The firearm features John Dillinger and the lawmen of the era; an era when "Public Enemy Number One" was coined to identify the most wanted fugitives of the times.

This firearm is being issued exclusively through America Remembers and is authorized and licensed by Dillinger, LLC, a company owned by a Dillinger family member. In order to capture the legendary exploits of Dillinger and his Depression-era gangsters, along with the lawmen of the era, we selected the perfect firearm to represent this turbulent time in American history: the Thompson rifle.

Each firearm in the edition is a working Thompson Semi-Automatic rifle in caliber .45 ACP with the round drum magazine. Unlike the guns of the Gangster Era that fired fully automatic, each of these fires only in semi-automatic. In thrilling detail, this handsome Tribute chronicles the tale of 1934’s “Public Enemy Number One.” Craftsmen commissioned specifically for this project by America Remembers decorate each working Thompson in stunning 24-karat gold and nickel with a blackened patinaed background to highlight the details of the artwork.

Public Enemy Number One
When the stock market crashed in 1929 and triggered the Great Depression, a new breed of outlaw emerged. Bank robbers became the new gangsters. At the time, many Americans considered banks the “bad guys” and blamed financial institutions for the suffering and hardship that had crippled the country. So there were plenty of small town folks who saw bank robbers as modern day Robin Hoods. As the bold bank bandits became more popular with the common folk, they earned quite a different reaction from America’s top cop. The Director of the Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover, became furious as criminals, like Dillinger, openly mocked the law, and he became determined to stop them in their tracks. Eventually Hoover would get his chance, but not before Dillinger zigzagged across five states in a crime spree that would make him a legend.

The Gun that Made the Twenties Roar
John T. Thompson developed the Thompson submachine gun for the military to use as an automatic “trench-broom” to sweep enemy trenches. However, in the absence of a global conflict, the Thompson was immediately touted as the ultimate crime fighting tool.

Unfortunately, many of the Thompson’s biggest fans were the country’s most wanted outlaws. It was compact, easily hidden and light enough that its tremendous firepower could be unleashed swiftly from under a coat or from the back of a speeding black sedan. Throughout the epic struggle between gangsters and G-Men during the 1920s and 1930s, the “Tommy Gun” played a pivotal role.

Only 500 Available
Only 500 John Dillinger "Public Enemy Number One" Thompsons will ever be issued in this strictly limited edition. Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received. Shipment of your working Thompson will be arranged through a licensed dealer of your choice. And if you are not satisfied with your Thompson after personal inspection, you may return it in original unfired condition within 30-days for a complete and courteous refund.

The “Gangster Era” is long gone, but the thrills and exploits of John Dillinger, other gangsters and the lawmen who pursued them will be remembered forever. This historical firearm magnificently captures the drama and excitement of the Gangster Era, when gangsters ruled and law enforcement rose to the challenge, eliminating the many Public Enemies and restoring law and order to the streets of America. Now is your opportunity to preserve this exciting era and the lawmen and outlaws who made their mark on history with the Thompson submachine gun.

Right side features officers escorting Dillinger from the plane to jail. Also featured is a depiction of a popular newspaper headline of the day, proclaiming, “John Dillinger, Public Enemy Number One!” Featured in the center is a detailed panorama of a typical Midwestern town where Dillinger and his gang would rob banks. A gunman provides cover with his Thompson while his accomplice rushes to the getaway car. The final depiction on the right is a version of the well-known photograph of Dillinger at his parents’ farm house, posing with his trusted Tommy Gun and the infamous wooden pistol he used in his escape from the Crown Point jail.

Left side features an illustration of two officers escorting Dillinger to prison following his extradition flight from Tucson to Indiana. Also featured is the text from a poster that proclaimed: “Get Dillinger! $15,000 Reward.” The Justice Department offered the reward after declaring Dillinger “Public Enemy Number One.” Featured in the center is a scaled-down illustration of the Wanted poster showing that the infamous bank robber was wanted in five states. The final illustration on the left is a close-up of John Dillinger, the Gentleman Bandit.

John Dillinger is a licensed trademark and Dillinger, LLC, is the licensing entity for any and all Dillinger items. (For further information or interest in licensing matters please contact Amy Wright at (317) 713-3500.)