Elias "Eli" Thompson (1877-?) was the early 20th century Atlantic County Sheriff, the brother of County Treasurer and crime boss Enoch Thompson, and the father of Assistant US Attorney Willie Thompson.
Biography[]
Eli Thompson was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1877, the son of Irish immigrants Ethan and Eleanor Thompson and the younger brother of Enoch Thompson. Thompson was appointed Atlantic County Sheriff through his brother's influence, allowing for corrupt law enforcement officials to run the city and permit bootlegging under Thompson's supervision. Eli Thompson was sent to work with Philadelphia bootlegger Mickey Doyle by his brother, and he narrowly survived an ambush on one of Thompson's delivery convoys by gangster Gyp Rosetti at Tabor Heights, New Jersey in 1921. Later, he would conspire against his brother due to his personal ambitions and his resentment at living in his brother's shadow, leading to him being exiled to Chicago. Thompson became a drunkard and an associate of the corrupt cop Nelson Van Alden, and the two failed to kill Al Capone. Thompson was given money by an FBI agent and sent on a train back to Atlantic City after the agent acquired evidence against Capone, and Thompson returned home, destitute. Thompson became a hitman-for-hire, participating in the murder of Salvatore Maranzano while disguised as a policeman.