Charlie Sheridan (died 1920) was an Irish Mob boss from Chicago during Prohibition. Sheridan controlled the Greektown neighborhood, and he fought against Johnny Torrio in a turf war in 1920; Sheridan was whacked by Jimmy Darmody after a gunfight at his bar.
Biography[]
Chicago crime boss[]
Sheridan in 1920
Charlie Sheridan was born in Chicago, Illinois to a family of Irish descent, and he had to deal with bullies picking on his Catholic Celtic ancestry. Sheridan became tough and rose to become an important figure in the criminal underworld of Chicago during the early 20th century. Sheridan made a profit from running booze through Greektown, and George Anastos ran a major speakeasy on the border with the Italian South Side.
Gang war with Torrio and death[]
In 1920, Johnny Torrio's Chicago Outfit decided to make inroads into Greektown after the murder of James Colosimo and the start of Prohibition. Anastos was extorted by the Chicago Outfit, and Sheridan felt insulted when he arrived at the Four Deuces bar in the South Side to meet with Torrio, instead only meeting Al Capone and Jimmy Darmody. At the meeting, Sheridan reluctantly agreed to give Torrio 50% of his profits to avoid trouble, but he sent some of his men to shoot up the Four Deuces, with his henchman Liam cutting the face of the prostitute Pearl to send a message to Torrio. Pearl, who was in love with Darmody, shot herself in an opium trance, as she knew that she would never be beautiful again.
Murder[]
Sheridan and his gang after being killed
In revenge for the attack, Darmody and Capone decided to arrange a second meeting with Sheridan, with Torrio attending. The Chicago Outfit men handed their coats and guns to the check-in girl and had a meeting with Sheridan, who confiscated Darmody's Bowie knife after he spotted it in his boot. Sheridan agreed to a truce with Torrio that would end the war, granting three blocks to the Chicago Outfit. The Chicago Outfit men decided to leave the meeting afterwards, but Torrio said that he had to use the bathroom. Darmody and Capone retrieved their guns from the coat-check girl, who had been bribed by them. They proceeded to kill all of Sheridan's men, and Darmody shot Sheridan in the chest with a pistol. Sheridan then told Sheridan, "I think you'll agree that Greektown belongs to us" before shooting him in the chin, killing him.