Original rectangular brick from the garage on 2122 N. Clark Street, in Chicago, the scene of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Unique to Chicago, known as a ‘Chicago Common’ in the trade, the brick was made from local clay following the Chicago Fire. The brick measures 8.5 x 4 x 2.5, with a white paint identification notation to one side. Accompanied by a note of provenance from David G. Christensen, which states: “This brick was removed from the north wall of the ‘St. Valentine’s Day Massacre’ garage, 2122 North Clark St., Chicago, at the time of its demolition in November 1976 [sic, 1967].” In fine condition, with the bottom glued to the wooden base of a small display case. Includes a rare cupro-nickel bullet recovered from the house of suspected St. Valentine’s Day killer Fred Burke, mounted in a small frame along with the business card of Joseph C. Wilimovsky of Calvin Goddard Associates, a pioneering forensic ballistics firm that worked on the St. Valentine’s Day investigation. Additionally includes three Goddard Crime Lab cardstock photos distributed at the 1933-34 World’s Fair, and a glossy photo of a bullet under magnification, marked “Fatal” on the reverse. Also accompanied by an original page about the massacre from the Chicago Daily Tribune of February 15, 1929, a large quantity of research material in several binders, a Jim Beam decanter in the shape of a Chicago police car, and a later souvenir edition of a newspaper. In overall very good condition. Among the research materials are copies of the massacre report by the Chicago police at the time of the killings; the medical examiner’s autopsies on all seven victims; a particularly rare five-months-long stenographic record of the special Coroner’s Jury investigation of the 'gangland crime of the century'; an FBI report that was not conducted until 1935 when a fugitive, captured in connection with another crime, turned out to be one of the massacre lookouts; and newspaper articles on massacre suspects.
This brick was picked up by David Christensen at the time workmen were tearing down the building at 2122 North Clark Street, the site of ‘Bugs’ Moran’s garage and booze depot at the time of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14, 1929. The garage was soon refurbished and rented or sold to other companies, the last of which used it mainly for storage before it was razed in 1967. At that time a Canadian, George Patey, arranged with the demolition company to purchase and label the section of bricks from the building’s north wall where the shootings had taken place, and he later rebuilt it in the men’s room of his dinner club. The here-offered brick was acquired directly from Christensen by noted gangland historian Bill Helmer. An impressive assemblage of St. Valentine's Day Massacre material highlighted by this rare brick.
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