Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/7/2017
Eliot Ness and The Untouchables. Before Kevin Costner portrayed him on the silver screen in the 1980s, and before Robert Stack played him on TV in the early-1960s, the real Eliot Ness in 1929 formed a small group of U.S. federal law-enforcement agents who came to be known as “The Untouchables” for being incorruptible in bringing Al Capone to justice in Prohibition-era Chicago. This remarkable framed display features a 1931 wire photo of Ness taken shortly after Capone was sentenced to prison, and a check with the famous crime fighter’s fountain pen ink signature. A COA for the 1931 wire photo is included along with a COA for the signed check dated Jan. 29, 1945 and an LOA for both pieces.
The COA for the Eliot Ness wire photo states that this original black and white photograph was trimmed to 7” x 4 1/2" and that an original news caption dated “11-17-31” is affixed to the verso, which displays an “Eliot Ness Racket Fighter” title below that handwritten in blue color pencil. The COA states that the news caption “discusses Ness and his group of ‘untouchables who could not be bribed … A few days ago he caught George Howlett … a lieutenant of Capone … (who) eluded Chicago police, but Ness found him in the crowd at a Northwestern football game.’” A hologram sticker from the issuer of the LOA for both items in the framed display is affixed to the bottom right corner of the wire photo.
The COA for the Eliot Ness signed bank check from 1945 states that “the check does have cancellation marks affecting the signature but still a very rare and very cool signed bank check by Eliot Ness …” The Riggs National Bank check for $25.35 signed by Ness is payable to the Carter Hotel.
A plaque at the bottom of the 18 1/4" x 14 1/4" framed display reads, “Eliot Ness, Chief Investigation, ‘The Untouchables,’ April 19, 1903 – May 16, 1957, Eliot Ness was driven to take down Al Capone and his men.”
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