26 Facts About Eliot Ness

Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent known for his efforts to bring down Al Capone and enforce Prohibition in Chicago.

Eliot Ness was the leader of a team of law enforcement agents, nicknamed The Untouchables.

Eliot Ness was born on April 19,1903, in the Kensington neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

Eliot Ness was the youngest of five children born to Peter Ness and Emma King.

Eliot Ness was educated at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1925 with a degree in political science and business administration, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Eliot Ness began his career as an investigator for the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta assigned to the Chicago territory, where he conducted background investigations for the purpose of credit information.

Eliot Ness joined the US Treasury Department in 1926, working with the 1,000-strong Bureau of Prohibition in Chicago.

Eliot Ness was sentenced to eleven years in prison and, following a failed appeal, began his sentence in 1932.

In 1932, Eliot Ness was promoted to Chief Investigator of the Prohibition Bureau for Chicago.

Eliot Ness declared war on the mob, and his primary targets included "Big" Angelo Lonardo, "Little" Angelo Scirrca, Moe Dalitz, John Angerola, George Angersola, and Charles Pollizi.

Eliot Ness was Safety Director at the time of the murders known as the Cleveland Torso Murders, occurring in the Cleveland area from 1935 to 1938; though he had oversight of the police department, he was only peripherally involved in the investigation.

Eliot Ness especially fell out of favor after he had the city's large shantytowns evacuated and burned during the Cleveland Torso Murders.

Eliot Ness directed the battle against prostitution in communities surrounding military bases, where venereal disease was a serious medical issue.

Eliot Ness was offered the job because of his expertise in law enforcement and moved from Cleveland to Coudersport, Pennsylvania, where much of the investment capital for the company was located.

Now drinking more heavily, Eliot Ness spent his free time in a local bar, telling stories of his law enforcement career.

In later years, Eliot Ness struggled financially; he was nearly penniless at the time of his death, with his role in bringing down Al Capone having been largely forgotten.

Eliot Ness was married to Edna Stahle from 1929 to 1938, illustrator Evaline Michelow from 1939 to 1945, and artist Elisabeth Andersen Seaver from 1946 until his death in 1957.

Eliot Ness's body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in one of the small ponds on the grounds of Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.

Eliot Ness was survived by his widow, Elisabeth Andersen Seaver, and adopted son, Robert.

The best-known adaptations include the 1959 TV series The Untouchables, which starred Robert Stack as Eliot Ness and was narrated by Walter Winchell, and the 1987 film The Untouchables, directed by Brian De Palma, which starred Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness and featured Sean Connery and Robert De Niro as Al Capone.

Eliot Ness was portrayed by actor Jim True-Frost in the fifth-season episode "The Good Listener" of the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire.

Eliot Ness is mentioned in many hip hop and rap tracks.

Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing Company, which claims several connections to Ness, named an amber lager "Eliot Ness" and included several subtle nods to his career in the beer description and label art.

Eliot Ness fought for law and justice in Ohio, and fought for peace and freedom in World War II.

Eliot Ness was a public servant and an American hero who deserves to be remembered.

In 2019, an "Eliot Ness Museum" inspired by the annual festival opened in downtown Coudersport, featuring several antique cars and exhibits describing Ness's life and career.