Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the dangerous double life of Edward J. O'Hare, better known as "Easy Eddie."

Discover how this successful lawyer moved from managing greyhound tracks in St. Louis to becoming a close business associate of Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit during the height of Prohibition. We explore the pivotal moment O'Hare turned against the mob, working undercover with IRS agent Frank J. Wilson to help federal prosecutors convict Capone of tax evasion. Learn how O'Hare helped break the mob's bookkeeping codes and tipped off the judge regarding jury tampering—a move that sealed Capone's fate.

Finally, we discuss the tragic price O'Hare paid for his cooperation, detailing his brutal assassination in 1939 just days before Capone’s release from Alcatraz. Plus, we reveal his lasting legacy as the father of Butch O'Hare, the World War II Medal of Honor recipient and namesake of O'Hare International Airport. Tune in for a gripping true crime history of organized crime, federal informants, and an American legacy.