Full Name: George Kelly Barnes
Profession: Gangster
Biography: George Kelly Barnes, named "Machine Gun" after his affection for the Thompson submachine gun, is most famous for kidnapping oil tycoon Charles F. Urschel in 1933, which ultimately led to Kelly's capture by the FBI.
Kelly was born in 1900 in Memphis, Tennessee. He briefly attended Mississippi State University but left after getting in trouble and marrying Geneva Ramsey. During Prohibition, Kelly worked as a bootlegger and was arrested in 1928 for smuggling liquor, serving three years in prison.
After his release, Kelly married Kathryn Thorne, a seasoned criminal. Together they kidnapped banker Howard Woolverton in 1932 and Urschel in 1933, demanding a $200,000 ransom for the latter. Urschel's observations while captive helped the FBI find and arrest Kelly.
In October 1933, George and Kathryn Kelly were convicted of kidnapping Urschel and sentenced to life in prison. This was a landmark case for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. Kelly spent most of his sentence in Alcatraz, nicknamed "Pop Gun Kelly." He died of a heart attack at Leavenworth prison in 1954.
Kelly's life has been portrayed in films like "Machine-Gun Kelly" (1958) and subject to a wide variety of cultural references. His name was even adopted by rapper Colson Baker, also known as MGK, as his stage name.
Born: July 18, 1895
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Generation: Lost Generation
Star Sign: Cancer
Died: July 18, 1954 (aged 59)
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Articles and Photos
Historical Events
- 1933-10-12 Gangster George Francis Barnes, aka Machine Gun Kelly, is sentenced to life imprisonment
Baby Face Nelson
Bugsy Siegel
Charles "Lucky" Luciano
Pretty Boy Floyd
Roy DeMeo
Whitey Bulger