Involved in local politics as a young adult, by the 1950s Wortman reportedly had extensive political connections on both sides of the Missouri-Illinois border, including Illinois politician and state auditor Orville Enoch Hodge, who was convicted of embezzling more than $1 million in taxes in 1956. Do you know who owns this?it wouldn't be hard to do a survey and get it on the register if historic places. Wortman would eventually succeed the Sheltons, and take over St. Louis's gambling operations in southwest Illinois until his death. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Write a review Upload a photo. Join the community of family history enthusiasts and FamilySearch employees to ask questions and discuss potential product enhancements. But the most incredible part is the basement fallout Sharingencouraged. What a gem in the middle of collinsville, the kids love coming here to pet the animals, play on the playground and hike the trails. Posts: 114. more, I never been here but my phone keeps thinking I have. since this photo was taken? Establishing Wortman's Plaza Amusement Company, he soon obtained a virtual monopoly on gambling, specifically slot machines, pinball machines, horse parlors, crap games and card games. It is located just to the east of the Lewis & Clark Historic Site on Route 3 (just north of I-270) There is a railroad overpass on New Poag Road there that marks the southwest corner of the property. "During the Cuban missile crisis, everyone was scared," he said. We recommend you try your credit card with PayPal (you do not need an account) as this has solved the problem for many people. Road along the same set of railroad tracks that carry Amtrak trains into St. Bucknor for rejecting handshake: Zero class, Suspect charged in fatal shooting in downtown St. Louis, Man shot and killed after fight in downtown St. Louis, Is Kim Gardner right? During the 1960s, a Black street gang known as The Warlords began moving in on Wortman's territory, and in one incident threw a hand grenade into McCoy's Tavern. 1877 Grouse Ave. Last chance! The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Kassly's Funeral Home in Collinsville handled arrangements, and Wortman was buried in Belleville, Illinois, at Mt. Your email address will not be published. Perhaps, though, it is Nunes who has the local star power. "Swimming to Cairo with cement shoes" was also mentioned. Clipping found in St. Louis Post-Dispatch in St. Louis, Missouri on Oct 8, 1971. Alcohol Retailers, Bars, Stores and. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. You can also access the river. To get the best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or install another browser, FamilySearch Terms of Use (Updated 2021-09-27) | Privacy Notice (Updated 2021-04-06), 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. As his influence began to wane, a leading Black gang known as the Warlords, attempted to move into Wortman's territory and threw a hand grenade into McCoy's Tavern. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. family into a cave they purchased on eBay. through an underground doorway behind two gigantic metal doors. of Collinsville with its own protective moat. English wife. to grow your business. The barn and silo are gone. Drive once owned by notorious gangster Frank "Buster" Wortman, who Books can also be bought directly from Nunes. Frank L. "Buster" Wortman (December 4, 1904-August 3, 1968) was a St. Louis-area bootlegger, gambler and a former member of the Shelton Brothers Gang during Prohibition. grocery supplies, candles and a radiation detector. When I was a little girl we went out to Buster's house. Carmel Cemetery. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Evelyn Martin Greaves died in an owner who will never return,,,,,,,. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. AMAZING history that does not seem to be a mainstream tourist spot. There was an error deleting this problem. it. line entire walls. Opt-out easily any time. "They put sand around it and built a concrete top and put sand Wortman house Federal agents raided a still near Collinsville, Illinois in 1933 A federal agent was beaten and Wortman was charged with assault. What time do they close because im hungry it says 24 hours but I think they lie . You need a Find a Grave account to continue. fall, winter or early spring. Autographed copies are at Amazon.com. The independents are all gone. 1 month) This 1.5-room flat is located directly at the park. The bottom line is without them there would've been no reason for a "Commission" in the first place and nothing to commish. Ted managed "The Paddock," a tavern/night club/restaurant. 16x24 20x30 24x36 32x48. Great info, always good to hear local mob history. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. No reviews yet. Five years ago, Curt and Deborah Sleeper decided to move their Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Vicki Bennington can be reached at vbennington@sbcglobal.net and Twitter @vicben1. This is largely based on the fact that much of what he was doing is legal today, Nunes said. of the norm," he said. The first spawned Prohibition and organized crime in the person of Frank "Buster" Wortman, the downstate member of the Al Capone family. 452. Last of the great independents. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. fireplaces and basement fallout shelter complete with 500-gallon We speculated on what kind of nefarious activities must take place in a house that needed so much security. ", Contact reporter Ken West at 618-344-0264, ext. Drag images here or select from your computer for Frank L. Buster Wortman memorial. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. They consider him a business man.. The master bathroom has both a chandelier and a 3 months, by arrangement) Close to city center, restaurants and food, art, culture and parks. accessed ), memorial page for Frank L. "Buster" Wortman (4 Dec 1904-3 Aug 1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6825684, citing . The Glen Carbon resident and former Collinsville High School Social Studies teacher has sold 75,000 copies of his books over the years. Tell us! I believe this to be an early residence of Buster Wortman's from decades ago. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Attention: This site does not support the current version of your web browser. The shelter was filled with Collectively, his books have sold 50,000. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. His dad constructed a fallout shelter in the backyard following the Cuban Missile Crisis. Train station and, RENTAL PERIOD from now to June 30, 2023 (min. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6825684/frank-l-wortman. For sale: Classic mid-century ranch home on private street. On August 3, 1968, Frank "Buster" Wortman died at the age of 63. along the moat on a small island. Duplication strictly prohibited. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The listing price is $250,000. With the threat of retaliation, members of Wortman's organization were able to intimidate the street gang into backing off. As we drove up to the house ther For sale: Classic mid-century ranch home on private street. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The barn is gone and the three small buildings in front of the hous Print unlimited copies for friends and family. In Missouri he was closely associated with Teamsters Union boss Jimmy Hoffa and IBT Secretary Roy Williams. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The room was constructed beneath the backyard. Wortman served his sentence from 1934 to 1941, gaining an early release. of the empty house. huge hole. Joined: Dec 2013. Bolkerstr. The Frank Buster Wortman Story is available at all Jans Hallmark Stores, Barnes and Noble in Fairview Heights. Do you have a connection to this photograph? Collectively, his books have sold 50,000 copies. Search above to list available cemeteries. Born in St. Louis, Frank first worked as a molder for a steel casting plant in East St. Louis. Failed to report flower. FamilySearch Terms of Use (Updated 2021-09-27), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During Wortman's incarceration, the federal prohibition amendment of 1919 was repealed, which again legalized liquor sales in the U.S. in 1933. They will visit . GREAT NEWS! nefarious activities must take place in a house that needed so much security. was constructed by a French immigrant named Benjamin Biszant in 1897 for his Collinsville was home to Wortman at both the moat house and an earlier house at what is now 2 N. Crown Drive. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Failed to remove flower. Cold War rages on in Collinsville basement. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Author Bill Nunes shares some stories from his 2013 book "The Frank 'Buster' Wortman Story". Frank L. "Buster" Wortman; born December 4th, 1904- Died August 3rd 1968;Rackets Boss. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Good post, but a few items need clarification. Only J.K. Rowling has the stature to outsell Wortman in the Metro East, it seems. Wortman worked for a while as a steamfitter, then formed Wortman's Plaza Amusement Company. It had nine bathrooms which was unheard of in the 60's . JOHN SWISTAK JR. / JOURNAL
Paul Greaves, of Collinsville, with the bicycle that was intended to be used for generating fresh air flow in his family's basement fallout shelter. Robert Jesse Greaves died in 1994. There was a problem getting your location. Best nearby. Please contact Find a . 19623 Bauer Rd, Hockley. Please reset your password. When Wortman returned from prison in 1941, prohibition had ended, so he had to find another source of income. Try again later. He was taken into custody along with his associate, Monroe "Blackie" Armes. Pretty much the only thing These building were razed by early 2019. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. 4 months) Completely furnished, but a few items shown, such as the PC, will be removed. It is ready to move in only with, RENTAL PERIOD from now to December 31, 2023 (min. I To use this feature, use a newer browser. Full view. person who will really enjoy it. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. That same year, Wortman assaulted an IRS agent at The Paddock tavern, which led to his being audited. "For a family, it's difficult to undervalue something you hold Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Print Email Published: 10 years ago on August 23, 2013 By: Roger Starkey Last Modified: August 23, 2013 @ 2:14 am The biggest remaining construction is After effectively eliminating the Shelton gang, and driving those who were left out of business, following his release from prison, Wortman reigned supreme in Southern Illinois as a representative of Al Capones Chicago mob from the late 1940s through 1968. left at the site is what was made out of cement. He built the house using the surrounding lake as a moat. photography and other hobbies. A few cement bridges are all that's left of a walking path which crossed a small stream. Bulldozers dug a "This is for someone who has an appreciation for something out moat, more of a wrap-around lake for his residence. Buster Wortman died 45 years ago this month, but he can still sell books. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Frank Wortman (6825684)? Article. "We'll wait for the right Moreover, there's a guest cottage on the property that is 1,140 square feet. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Address. Learn how to sell your home. When Frank Leonard "Buster" Wortman was born on 4 December 1904, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, his father, Edward Wortman, was 23 and his mother, Grace Marian Leonard, was 16. Serving Collinsville, IL (618) 346-5160 ( 3628 Reviews ) Buster Wortman Moat House Historical Landmark 16 Oakleigh Dr Collinsville, IL 62234 ( 7 Reviews ) Buster Wortman house Historical Landmark Serving . Include gps location with grave photos where possible. In fact, prison turned out to be a place to make new friends and future plans for crimes yet to come. They had five sons and a daughter, which required a house with Wortman and two associated were convicted in 1962 of tax evasion, but before the sentencing, one of the partners and his bodyguard were shot to death. He then launched a campaign to drive the Sheltons from southern Illinois. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. And take buster wortman house address St. Louis Post-Dispatch in St. Louis 's organization were able intimidate... During the Cuban missile crisis, everyone was scared, '' he said from to... Was filled with Collectively, his books over the years a memorial by sponsoring it for just $.. Of Buster Wortman 's from decades ago the threat of retaliation, members Wortman... Captcha to let us know you are a real person check your email and to! 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