The Dayton 1933 Arrest of John Dillinger
Presenter: Stephen Grismer from the Dayton Police History Foundation
John Dillinger's infamous “career” as a bank robber and, eventually, the FBI’s first “P
ublic Enemy No. 1”, lasted little more than a year. Released from the Indiana State Prison in May 1933, his first of many bank holdups was in the community of New Carlisle. Love-struck, his frequent visits to his Dayton girlfriend led to his arrest by Dayton police officers on September 22, 1933. The local mug shot of a defiant Dillinger furthered his celebrity. He was unable to escape Dayton custody but did so many times in other cities over the next few months only to die in gunfire on July 22, 1934 at the hands of federal agents. Steve Grismer, Dayton Police History Foundation trustee, shares this account, punctuated with a few noteworthy side stories.