Tom Dennison, known as Pickhandle or Old Grey Wolf, (October 26, 1858 – February 14, 1934) was an American

political boss In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous of ...

and

racketeer Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

. A politically savvy, culturally astute gambler, Dennison was in charge of the city's wide crime rings, including

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three ele ...

and bootlegging in the 1920s.Beerman, B.J. (2004)
Where the hell is Omaha?
'' AmericanMafia.Com Retrieved 6/18/07. Dennison is credited with electing "Cowboy"

James Dahlman James Charles Dahlman (December 15, 1856 – January 21, 1930), also known as Jim Dahlman, Cowboy Jim and Mayor Jim, was elected to eight terms as mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, serving the city for 20 years over a 23-year-period. A German-America ...

mayor of Omaha eight times, and when losing an election, inciting the

Omaha Race Riot of 1919 The Omaha Race Riot occurred in Omaha, Nebraska, September 28–29, 1919. The race riot resulted in the lynching of Will Brown, a black civilian; the death of two white rioters; the injuries of many Omaha Police Department officers and civili ...

in retribution against the candidate who won.(nd
"Dennison's Political Machine"
NebraskaStudies.org. Retrieved 6/21/07.

Early life

The son of Irish immigrants, Tom Dennison came to Nebraska from

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

in 1860 at the age of two. When he was young, Dennison traveled throughout the

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

as a prospector, saloon-keeper, gambler and robber. Dennison had owned and operated gambling houses such as the Opera House Gambling Saloon in

Leadville, Colorado The City of Leadville is a statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 2,602 at the 2010 census and an estimated ...

and the Board of Trade saloon in

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to t ...

Arrival in Omaha

Tom Dennison was thirty-four when he arrived in Omaha with $75,000 in cash. Upon surveying the city, he found Omaha to be a "wide open town", meaning there was little legal control over gambling, liquor, prostitution and other criminal interests. Dennison soon became known as the city's "King Gambler" and first entered the political arena around 1900 as a way of protecting his interests. Dennison never actually held public office, instead buying influence through lavish campaign contributions and his ability to get out the vote. Dennison acted as a power broker between the business community and the local vice lords. His gambling operations were mainly located in Omaha's third ward. He actively worked with local

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture * Temperance (group), Canadian dan ...

groups to eliminate half of the saloons in Omaha — reputedly, the half he didn't control. Dennison operated a private bank at 1409 Douglas Street, the site of the current

Union Pacific Center The Union Pacific Center at 1400 Douglas Street is one of downtown Omaha, Nebraska's newest high-rise buildings. It houses the headquarters of the Union Pacific Railroad and its parent company, the Union Pacific Corporation The Union Pacific ...

, loaning money and providing a discreet repository for those who shunned traditional banks. For more than 25 years, his power was such that no crime occurred in the city without his blessing, the police reported to him daily, and the mayor himself answered directly to him. Dennison once explained his law theory to the ''Omaha Bee'', saying, "There are so many laws that people are either law breakers or hypocrites. For my part, I hate a damn hypocrite." Early in 1918 Dennison was the subject of a sensational trial. During the proceedings, Dennison himself admitted that one of his " roadhouses" operated for more than 10 years without a license. He explained he was making side payments to a county commissioner for "protection from the law." Dennison controlled Omaha politics throughout his reign. His approval to run for office was gained through payment of

bribes Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

and by supporting the rest of Dennison's political slate. In 1906, Omaha Republicans supporting the

Progressive Movement Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techn ...

nominated a reformer named

Erastus Benson Erastus A. Benson (February 10 1854–1932) was a banker, investor and land speculator in Omaha, Nebraska. Born and raised in Iowa, after graduating from the University of Iowa Benson speculated in land around Omaha. After investing in early busin ...

for Mayor, and Dennison was afraid that Benson would come out in favor of

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...

. Omaha Democrats nominated James C. "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, a popular, first-time candidate. Dahlman seemed to be more tolerant of Dennison's " Sporting District", so Dennison supported him. Dahlman was elected mayor that year, and in eight out of nine subsequent campaigns for mayor between 1906 and 1930; Dahlman's losing the election in 1918 was part of the background to racial violence in Omaha.

Lynching of Will Brown

In 1916 Nebraska passed a state constitutional amendment allowing for prohibition,Larsen, L. and Cottrell, B. (1997) p. 183 and in the late 1910s, Dennison's political power waned. Omahans, fed up with Dennison's corrupt style, voted in Edward Parsons Smith, a reform-minded candidate committed to "cleaning up Omaha", as mayor in 1918. Boss Dennison nursed a grudge against Mayor Smith that is ultimately attributed with leading to the

. That year the ''Omaha Bee'' newspaper, founded by

Edward Rosewater Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, (January 21, 1841 – August 30, 1906) was a Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska. Rosewater had a reputation for being "aggressive and controversial", and was influenti ...

in the previous century, luridly reported on fictitious assaults on white women by black men. Each new story questioned Mayor Smith's ability to run the city. This, along with economic conditions facing recent veterans returning from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, led to increased

racial tension An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's positio ...

throughout Omaha. On September 28, 1919, a white mob launched a

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

resulting in the brutal

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

death of black civilian Will Brown, the death of two white rioters, the injuries of many

Omaha Police Department The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The OPD is the largest law enfo ...

officers and civilians (including the attempted

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

of Mayor Smith), and a public rampage that included the burning of the Douglas County Courthouse in

downtown Omaha Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline ...

. The rioting in Omaha ended a day later, after 1,700 federal troops from nearby

Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, ...

and Fort Crook came to the city which restored order and peace throughout the area. Police compiled a list of 300 alleged participants, with Dennison's "right-hand man" Milton Hoffman high on the list. Hoffman was accused of leading the mob from

South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...

to the Douglas County Courthouse and whipping them into a frenzy. Dennison got Hoffman out of the city before he could be arrested.(nd
"Who Was to Blame?"
NebraskaStudies.org. Retrieved 6/21/07. In the trials that followed, a turncoat from Dennison's machine said he had heard Boss Dennison boasting that some of the assailants were white Dennison operatives disguised in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

. This was corroborated by police reports that one white attacker was still wearing the make-up when apprehended. As in many other Dennison-related cases, no one was ever found guilty for their participation in the riot. A later

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a p ...

hearing corroborated this claim, stating "Several reported assaults on white women had actually been perpetrated by whites in blackface." They went on to report that the riot was planned and begun by "the vice element of the city." The riot "was not a casual affair; it was premeditated and planned by those secret and invisible forces that today are fighting you and the men who represent good government."

Prohibition era

During the 1920s, the Eighteenth Amendment and the

Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress, designed to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919), which established the prohibition of alcoholic d ...

effectively ended the mainstream distribution of alcohol in Omaha and across the United States. Early in this period Dennison formed the Omaha Liquor Syndicate to monopolize the bootleg liquor trade in Omaha. Dennison also developed alliances with

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and

Tom Pendergast Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1872 – January 26, 1945), also known as T. J. Pendergast, was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939. Pendergast only briefly held elected ...

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...

. This led to violence among the city's bootleggers, culminating in the 1931 murder of Harry Lapidus, a local businessman and outspoken opponent of the Dennison machine. Police never solved the murder of Lapidus; however, in the wake of the murder public opinion turned against Dennison. It was during this time that Dennison most strongly exerted his influence in state politics. After vigorously opposing a plan to have a single election commissioner law for Omaha, in the 1920s Dennison also fought against statewide plan, leading state legislators to back off from their plan until after his death. Dennison was also strongly in control of the city's political element; a survey in 1929 found more than 1,500 outlets in the city selling alcohol. A campaign by state officials, including several raids, drove several establishments underground; however, Dennison encouraged the transformation of the industry, leading saloons to become cocktail lounges and taverns. Because of him, Omaha remained a "boisterous town". During this period it was said that there was no crime that happened in the city without Dennison knowing about it beforehand. Dennison maintained several offices around downtown Omaha, connecting them by tunnels. His influence over the mayor helped Dennison install family members in city jobs all over Omaha. In this same time frame Dennison also ran Omaha's Flatiron Building at 1722 St. Mary's Avenue as a refuge for mobsters running from the law in Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis. Dennison's key lieutenant and business manager during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...

was local power broker William "Billy" Nesselhous, who ran most gambling operations,

speakeasies A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States ...

and

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub p ...

s in the city.

Final years

In June 1932 Dennison suffered, and recovered from, a paralytic

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

. In August of that year Dennison and 58 of his associates went on trial for

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...

to violate the

. Tom Dennison was indicted in the liquor conspiracy case; however, the trial resulted in a

hung jury A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. Hung jury usually results in the case being tried again. T ...

and was declared a

mistrial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, ...

. That December he nearly died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

. In August 1933, Dennison was divorced by his 20-year-old wife, Neva Jo Truman Dennison. The political ticket Dennison was running was defeated in elections throughout Omaha later that year. Dennison and his associates were acquitted of conspiracy in January 1934. The following month, while visiting associates near

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fifteenth largest city in the state of California, and the 78th-largest city in the United States. The popu ...

in February, 1934, he was fatally injured in an auto accident. Dennison was 75. His funeral on February 20, 1934, at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Omaha was attended by more than a thousand people, reportedly representing Omaha's business, official and sporting interests. One hundred eight cars made up the procession to Forest Lawn Cemetery. Throughout his life Dennison maintained he had no control over city politics, and repeatedly pronounced that he never hurt anyone.

Legacy

Boss Dennison's thirty-year reign over Omaha politics is seen today as a hallmark in the city's history, causing Omaha to resemble Eastern cities more than other

Midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...

cities, including Omaha's neighbor, Lincoln. His death ended the reign of his

political machine In the politics of representative democracies, a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership co ...

, causing Omaha to have "formless politics" for the following 50 years.Mayhew, D. (1986) ''Placing Parties in American Politics: Organization, Electoral Settings, and Government Activity in the Twentieth Century.'' Princeton University Press. p. 169. Dennison was fictionalized as a character in two recent novels set during the machine era in Omaha:
Kings of Broken Things
' (2017) by Theodore Wheeler and
World, Chase Me Down
' (2017) by Andrew Hilleman.

References

External links

Historic photo
of Tom Dennison.

Bibliography

* Davis, J.K. (1977) "The Gray Wolf: Tom Dennison of Omaha," ''Nebraska History, Vol. 58'' (1) Spring. * Menard, O.D. (1987) "Tom Dennison, The Omaha Bee, and the 1919 Omaha Race Riot." ''Nebraska History Quarterly. Vol. 68''(4). Winter. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennison, Tom 1859 births 1934 deaths American bootleggers Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska American people of Irish descent American gangsters of Irish descent American gangsters Government of Omaha, Nebraska American crime bosses Sporting District, Omaha Crime in Omaha, Nebraska American political bosses Nebraska Democrats Road incident deaths in California