One of the biggest mob myths is that it was 'the St. Valentine's Days Massacre' that finished Bugs Moran as a power in the Chicago underworld.

He held on and slayed many men that he felt betrayed him and he had strong alliances in St. Louis too. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre hit was a big setback but the reality is that Bugs Moran held onto North Side territory and it was only law enforcement's insistence on hounding him out of town that eventually made his reign in the Chicago underworld untenable.

He actually outlived Capone, had a fearsome reputation as a bank robber and was well aligned with all the big hitters in that era who plyed their trade so famously in the 30's, Dillinger of course foremost amongst the most legendary names but there were many others too.

George Bugs Moran also attempted to infiltrate the LA underworld and again it was his only his status as "Public Enenmy Number One" that prevented him from doing so.

Years later there was an FBI Files related program about the era that defined Bugs Moran by the moniker "Public Enemy Number One" and even after the St. Valentine's Day massacre he remained number one on the police radar despite the rise to prominence of the Outfit.

Whether this reflected the reality or whether the new power in Chicago the Outfit had the Feds payed off may be a contributing factor that sealed his fate in organised crime it could be argued but often in hindsight things are simplified in terms of one hit and Bugs Moran was a very tough crook, as many of them were in them days.

They had to be but Bugs Moran was more determined than most and his adventures after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre are often left unmerited when if you read the catalogues of his crimes, the many gun battles,, murders and connections he had after the all time no.1 hit then I think many would be surprised at how revealing this chapter of his life turned out to be.

Quite handy with his fists too, once two muggers tried to rob him at knife point and he knocked them both out with two straight punches, a witness told the press, thowing his coat over one like a net and then busting the other's jaw and leaving him sunbathing in the street.

Very underestimated underworld figure in my opinion. One tough old school mobster for sure.