Originally Posted By: ht2
I don't believe the Outfit had anything to do with Cermak's death. The gunman was targeting FDR campaigning in Florida. A brave woman in the audience hit his arm and one bullet struck Cermak and 4 other random people. His obsession with FDR was no secret. He attended an anarchist meeting in Manhattan? and walked away with the idea that all bosses were bad and became obsessed with Roosevelt. He was in constant pain from stomach or duodenal ulcer and probably lost his mind during the Great Depression.

The Untouchables TV show did an episode "The Unhired Assassin". The producers did their homework and IMO did a fairly accurate portrayal. IMO, the Giancana book and other theories are nonsense.


Dwalin is right.Cermak was a corrupt politican and wanted to take over the Outfit's rackets with the help of their rivals.

Cermak built the strength of the Democratic Party by bringing together diverse factions and was a known ruthless guy. Cermak's powerful political organization derived much of its strength from the gambling business,which meant a strong alliance with organized crime.Ted Newberry, a former associate of George "Bugs" Moran and Roger Touhy sided with Cermak against the Capone mob.One of Newberry's and Cermak’s obstacle was Frank Nitti and it was rumored that they offered $15,000 to anyone whos goin to have Nitti eliminated.Cermak summoned two members of his special squad to his office, Harry Miller and Henry Lang. Miller and Lang were cops,but also they were crooks.Harry Miller, who had once been dismissed from the force for trafficking in narcotics, was one of the notorious Miller Brothers who headed up the Valley gang.They went to Nitti’s office and Lang fired five shots into Frank Nitti but Nitti managed to survive.On February 15, 1933,Anton Cermak was shot to death while shaking hands with the President Franklin Roosevelt in Miami, Florida. Cermak took two bullets in the chest,while Roosevelt was unharmed, indicating that Joe Zangara’s marksmanship was either very bad or very good.I belive that the Chicago Outfit was behind the hit because of revenge but to be honest theres no real evidence.If you ask me,I really don't believe that much in coincidences,especially in situations like this one.Many reports say that Cermak was standing some good distance from Roosevelt when he was gunned down.Only after 10 days(i think) Zangara was executed with out any real questioning and investigation.Fast justice a?

Story goes that if Cermak escaped Joe Zangara's bullets another triggerman would have gotten him.There weren't going to be any mistakes because the Outfit wouldn't allow that to happend.Two days before Anton Cermak was shot, a Chicago beat cop spotted Three Fingers Jake White(Humphries associate) and Frankie Rio(old Capone bodyguard) sitting inside the main terminal of the Chicago railroad.Both of these guys were ruthless hitmen.Within minutes, several carloads of detectives were inside the station and had White and his companions, Frankie Rio and ward politician Harry Hockstien, up against the wall for a body search. The officers found nothing on the three smirking hoods except a bag of doughnuts and were forced to release them. White and Rio explained that they were on their way to Miami, Florida for a short vacation.

Mongol General: Conan, what is best in life?

Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.