Franklin Mint B11YF78; 1933 Ford V8 Deluxe; John Dillinger

Year of Release: N/K

John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and escaped twice. He was charged with but not convicted of the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana, police officer, who shot Dillinger in his bullet-proof vest during a shootout; it was the only time Dillinger was charged with homicide.

Dillinger courted publicity. The media ran exaggerated accounts of his bravado and colourful personality, and cast him as a Robin Hood. On July 22, 1934, local and federal law-enforcement officers closed in on the Biograph Theatre, Chicago. When Bureau of Investigation agents moved to arrest Dillinger as he exited the theatre, he tried to flee. He was shot in the back; the deadly shot was ruled justifiable homicide.

This Franklin Mint was sourced in January 2022 from a private collection