Earl J. “Hymie” Weiss, born Henryk Wojciechowski, was the “only man Al Capone feared.”
Settling in the Irish districts of Chicago’s North Side after emigrating from Poland, his family adapted to their new surroundings, adopting the surname Weiss. Early in his life, he entered the world of organized crime during Prohibition, soon rising to lead the North Side Gang.
A fierce rival of Al Capone, Weiss was reputedly the only man to strike fear into the notorious leader of the Chicago Outfit. Terminally ill with cancer, he was known to act recklessly. His reputation in gang wars contrasted sharply with his devout Roman Catholic faith. His constant companion: a rosary, which he carried as faithfully as he did his firearm.
Weiss’s tenure as a gang leader was marked by uncompromising disdain for the vice rackets that plagued Chicago’s South Side, especially prostitution. His Catholic faith seemed to guide his actions, even in the underworld.
His life ended abruptly on October 11, 1926, during a bold daylight attack as he left a courtroom. His assassination is infamous for the spray of bullets that also struck the cornerstone of the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago—a place he frequented.
Weiss was buried at nearby Mount Carmel Cemetery, the same as Al Capone.
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