FDR and the Outfit
The assassination attempt that (probably) wasn't.
Anton Cermak (1873-1933), 44th Mayor of Chicago (1931-33) PHOTO: Library of Congress
Anton Cermak, mayor of Chicago from 1931 to 1933, was born on this day (May 9) in 1873. He built a coalition of European immigrants and African Americans to win the mayoral election, and such alliances defined the northern and "liberal" wings of the Democratic Party for nearly two generations.
Nationally, however, Cermak may be best remembered as the man accidentally killed by Giuseppe Zangara in a failed assassination attempt on President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). The attempt occurred at a speech by FDR in Miami on February 15, 1933. (FDR's inauguration wouldn't be until March 4, as was the law at the time.)
In the past, I heard it mentioned that Cermak himself may have been the target, due to the nature of Chicago politics and the prevalence of organized crime in the city, which Al Capone's Outfit had dominated. But I never looked into it.
However, I've looked at failed assassins before. In "When JFK's body was stolen," I briefly reviewed the curious backgrounds of Sarah Jane Moore and Squeaky Fromme, who made separate attempts on Gerald Ford's life, and John Hinckley, who shot Ronald Reagan. So, who was Giuseppe Zangara?
Wikipedia's article about Zangara stops just short of calling him a "lone nut." The Italian soldier migrated to the U.S. in 1923 and worked as a bricklayer. In 1929, he became a U.S. citizen. By 1933, he was in Miami working odd jobs and living off savings. At FDR's speech, which Cermak attended, Zangara fired shots, but a woman tried to stop him, which disrupted his aim. Five people were hit, but no one died at the scene. Zangara was captured and confessed, saying, "I kill kings and presidents first and next all capitalists." He pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 80 years.
Cermak passed away on March 6. It's unclear what role the bullet played in his death; it may have exacerbated existing health conditions, and there were allegations of medical malpractice. Nevertheless, Zangara was then charged with and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, which applies even if the murder victim wasn't the intended target. He was sentenced to death and promptly executed on March 20. He may have been motivated by fame because he was enraged that no newsreels were capturing his final moments.
But what if Cermak, not FDR, was the target?
John William Touhy crafted an intriguing narrative that tied Zangara to the mafia. You can read about it in three parts:
According to Touhy, Cermak was a gangster throughout his political climb. As mayor, Cermak hired two shady Chicago cops to kill Frank Nitti, who was appointed Capone's successor while Capone was serving time for tax evasion. Nitti survived the three shots, and, fearing retaliation, Cermak beefed up his personal security detail.
Touhy writes that in the 1920s Zangara was more than a bricklayer, as Wikipedia says, he was a well-paid mason. However, he served time in a federal prison for running a still during Prohibition. He also had at least one alias. By 1933, Zangara's job was transporting heroin from Miami to New York. But he was a gambling "degenerate" who was in over his head. His gangster bosses no longer trusted him. When the Outfit discovered that Cermak would be in Miami, they found Zangara and gave him a choice: be killed now, or shoot Cermak and take his chances with surviving capture and the legal system. With a successful insanity defense, he could be free in 10-15 years. Zangara agreed to do the hit.
Zangara was stalking Cermak before FDR's speech, staying at a hotel that a friend of Cermak owned. Wikipedia and Touhy have different accounts of the shooting; Wikipedia has Cermak next to FDR; Touhy has him 30 feet away. According to Touhy, more bullets were found at the scene than were in Zangara's round; there were other Outfit gangsters present, and FDR always believed Cermak was the real target.
If Cermak really was some distance away from FDR, then there's no question: Cermak was the target. If they had been close together, Cermak might still have been the target. If there is any solid evidence that Zangara had organized crime connections, I believe Cermak was the target. Zangara's "death to tyrants"-like statements might have been an initial insanity defense strategy.
However, the Touhy narrative I read doesn't have citations. That doesn't mean it isn't true, but it could be a speculative connection of dots. I conclude that, unless there are disprovable details in Touhy's account, it is most plausible that Cermak was the target. Better for the Outfit to off him in another city. FDR's presence at the scene was the perfect diversion.
That said, Zangara didn't try the insanity defense. He also didn't admit to targeting Cermak even when facing execution and having nothing to lose. That bolsters the theory that FDR was the target. But then, why would he admit to targeting Cermak?
Zangara knew an attempt on a (soon-to-be) President's life would bring him at least a bit of notoriety. And who knows, maybe he did agree with his "death to rulers and capitalists" message on some level. He also might have felt taking the secret to the grave was a matter of honor.
It's also possible he felt genuine remorse, not for shooting Cermak, who in his mind had it coming, but for the "innocent civilians" he inadvertently shot. I could see how Zangara might have dispensed with his plans to plead insanity when he knew justice demanded he should be punished.
I wouldn't be surprised if FDR concluded it was best to leave well enough alone. Probably best for the Democratic Party if the American people thought he was the target, rather than reveal the truth and instigate an even more intense mafia war in Chicago.
© James L. Wilson
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James Leroy Wilson writes The MVP Chase (subscribe) and JL Cells (subscribe). Thank you for your subscriptions and support! You can contact James for writing, editing, research, and other work at jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.
Nice I knew none of this history. The cases for and against each theory seem very evenly balanced. A true mystery.