Adam Richetti
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Adam "Eddie" Richetti (August 5, 1909-October 7, 1938) was an American criminal and Depression-era bank robber. He was associated with Aussie Elliott and later
Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...
in the early-1930s, both he and Floyd later being implicated in the Kansas City Massacre in 1933.Newton, Michael. ''The Encyclopedia of Robberies, Heists, and Capers''. New York: Facts On File Inc., 2002. (pg. 261-263)


Biography

Adam Richetti was born in Strawn,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
on August 5, 1909, and moved with his family to Lehigh, Oklahoma three years later. He had an older brother Joseph and a younger sister Eva. Richetti, although he began drinking heavily at 14, was apparently uninvolved in criminal activity until his arrest for robbery in
Crown Point, Indiana Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 33,899 at the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 1868. On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family became the first settlers to ...
on August 7, 1928, two days after his 19th birthday. He was convicted and sentenced to serve 1 to 10 years at the Pendleton state reformatory, remaining there for two years, and paroled on October 2, 1930. He participated in his first bank robbery two years later when he joined Fred Hamner and brothers L.L. and W.A. Smalley in raiding a bank in
Mill Creek, Oklahoma Mill Creek is a town in Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 319 at the 2010 census, a decline from the figure of 340 in 2000.
. During the getaway, Hamner was killed and the Smalley brothers were wounded and captured at the scene. Richetti, also wounded, was able to escape with $800. He managed to make it to Sulphur, Oklahoma before being arrested, only two hours after the robbery. On April 5, he was convicted of the robbery and sent to McAlester state prison. He spent four months in prison before being granted release under a $15,000 bond pending appeal of his conviction. Richetti quickly skipped bail and disappeared for several months. He finally reappeared on January 12, 1933, to rob a bank in
Ash Grove, Missouri Ash Grove is a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,512 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ash Grove was laid out in 1853. The city was named from ...
of $3,000. His partners in the heist were Edgar Dunbar and Aussie Elliott with whom he hid at his brother's home in
Bolivar, Missouri Bolivar is a city and county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. As of a 2019 estimate by the U. S. Census Bureau, the city population was 11,067. History Bolivar began as a settlement around Keeling Spring, with the majority of settl ...
. Sometime prior to this, Richetti met
Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...
who eventually became one of his closest confidants. The two became partners and, despite Richetti's worsening alcoholism, accompanied Floyd on a crime spree during the summer of 1933. They stole a car in Castle, Oklahoma on June 8 and together stole $1,638 from a bank in
Mexico, Missouri , image_skyline = Audrain County Missouri Courthouse.JPG , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = The Audrain County Courthouse in downtown Mexico. , image_flag = , image_seal = ...
six days later. That same afternoon, two police officers were killed near Columbia for which Richetti and Floyd were wrongly accused. Three days later, on June 16, the two men kidnapped Polk County Sheriff William Killingsworth from Bolivar, driving east in his brother's car (which he stole) until reaching
Clinton, Missouri Clinton is a city in Henry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,792 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Henry County. History Clinton was laid out in 1836. The city was named for New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, ...
, where they commandeered another car and took its driver Walter Griffith hostage as well. Both Killingsworth and Griffith were released later that night at
Lee's Summit Lee's Summit is a city located within the counties of Jackson (primarily) and Cass in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2020 census its population was 101,108, making it the sixth-largest city in both ...
near Kansas City. Unknown to either Richetti or Floyd, while they were driving across Missouri, bank robber Frank Nash was being transported by train from Arkansas to Kansas City where his partners attempted to free him from custody. A shootout resulted, referred to as the Kansas City Massacre, which left Nash and four of his guards dead. Eyewitness accounts were inconsistent and various men were identified in the aftermath including Harvey Bailey and Wilbur Underhill.
Vernon Miller Vernon C. "Verne" Miller (August 25, 1896 – November 29, 1933) was a freelance Prohibition gunman, bootlegger, bank robber and former sheriff in Huron, South Dakota, who, as the only identified gunman in the Kansas City massacre, was found ...
, a former sheriff turned outlaw, was identified as the ringleader but his accomplices remained unknown. Meanwhile, Richetti and Floyd struck again holding up a Galena bank for $3,000 on August 29. A month later, they rented an apartment in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
and moved in with their
gun moll A gun moll or gangster moll or gangster's moll is the female companion of a male professional criminal. "Gun" was British slang for thief, derived from Yiddish ''ganef'', from the Hebrew ''gannāb'' ( גנב). "Moll" is also used as a euphemism for ...
s, sisters Rose Ash and Beulah Bird, on September 21. Despite the fact that there was nothing to link Richetti and Floyd to the shooting, the FBI identified them along with Miller as the triggermen on October 10, 1934. At the time of the announcement, the two were still living in Buffalo with their girlfriends. Floyd, by this time, had been elevated to "public enemy #1" for his alleged role in the Kansas City Massacre. The basis for Floyd's involvement was largely circumstantial. A .45-caliber cartridge shell found at the scene was later traced to one of Floyd's guns months after the shooting and questionable testimony from one of Miller's female associates, held incommunicado by the FBI and without legal representation, was enough to convict Floyd. As a well-known associate, it was assumed that Richetti had also taken part in the rescue attempt. Richetti is believed by most modern crime historians to have had no active role in the Kansas City Massacre, the most popular story being sleeping off an all-night drinking binge at the time the shooting began. After hearing the news, Richetti and Floyd fled Buffalo with their girlfriends on October 20. Heading for Oklahoma, their car broke down near
Wellsville, Ohio Wellsville is a village in southern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. Its population was 3,113 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Salem micropolitan area, north of Steubenville and south of Youngstown. In its he ...
after two days on the road. They sent the girls into town to get a tow truck and hid in the woods until their return. Their presence attracted the attention of local residents who called the police and arrested Richetti. Floyd managed to escape but was cornered by federal agents under
Melvin Purvis Melvin Horace Purvis II (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. Given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short, frame, Purvis became noted for leadi ...
near
East Liverpool East Liverpool is a city in southeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River within the Weirton–Steubenville metro ...
and gunned down two days later. Richetti was indicted for obstruction of justice on November 6, 1934, however that charge was held in abeyance when he was officially charged with murder by Missouri state officials for his alleged role in the Kansas City Massacre. During this time, Richetti was represented by Attorney Hugo Chestosky who fought against Richetti's extradition to Missouri. Chestosky doubted Richetti's role in the Kansas City Massacre based on his belief that the suspect had no involvement in the death of the officers. The Evening Review, 29 Oct 1934, Mon, Page 1 His trial began on June 13, 1935, during which time a number of eyewitnesses identified him and Floyd despite these witnesses having previously identified other suspects or had been unable to identify anyone at the time of the shooting two years earlier. Three days later, Richetti was found guilty of the murder of police officer Frank Hermanson and sentenced to death. His legal team appealed the court's decision but ultimately failed to get a new trial. Richetti was originally to be sent to the gallows but was instead executed in Missouri's newly constructed
gas chamber A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History ...
on October 7, 1938.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Richetti, Eddie 1909 births 1938 deaths 20th-century executions by Missouri American people of Italian descent American gangsters of Italian descent Depression-era gangsters People from Palo Pinto County, Texas People from Coal County, Oklahoma People convicted of murder by Missouri People executed by gas chamber