William J. Fallon (January 23, 1886 – April 29, 1927) christened The Great Mouthpiece by the press was a prominent defense attorney during the 1920s who defended the gangster

Arnold Rothstein Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 4, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athleti ...

and his accomplice

Nicky Arnstein Julius Wilford "Nicky" Arnstein (born Arndstein; July 1, 1879October 2, 1965) was an American professional gambler and con artist. He was known primarily as Julius Arnold, but among his aliases were "Jules Arndtsteyn", "Nick Arnold," "Nicholas Ar ...

during the trial for the

fixing Fixing may refer to: * The present participle of the verb "to fix", an action meaning maintenance, repair, and operations * "fixing someone up" in the context of arranging or finding a social date for someone * "Fixing", craving an addictive drug, ...

of the 1919 World Series.

Early life and education

Fallon was born in Manhattan in 1886 and graduated Valedictorian of the Fordham class of 1906, and then went on to attend

Fordham Law School Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test tak ...

in 1909. After his graduation he worked for three years as a prosecutor in

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

Career

At the urging of Governor Whitman he unsuccessfully prosecuted the Warden of

Sing Sing Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north of ...

prison Thomas Osborne on trumped up charges, including "Gross Immorality" with prisoners because the Governor wished to be rid of a prison reformer whom he considered too soft. In 1918 he set up a law firm with his friend Eugene McGee; it was around this time that he met Arnold Rothstein who was taken by the polished charm of the lawyer who was known for his oratory skills taught to him during his Jesuit education and his reputed photographic memory that allowed him to memorize whole books in hours. During the Black Sox Trial Fallon had a falling out with his client Nicky Arnstein because of his noticeable heavy drinking. Arnstein fired Fallon and was later found guilty. Afterward Fallon defended many White Collar criminals involved with stock fraud, his tendency to get hung juries attracted the attention of muckrakers and in 1924 he was tried and acquitted for jury tampering. However, his reputation was damaged and his career never recovered. He was also prosecuted in the

Fuller case ''E. M. Fuller and Co. bankruptcy trial'', or the ''Fuller case'', was a criminal trial referring to the prosecution of Edward M. Fuller and William F. McGee for using their brokerage firm E. M. Fuller and Co. as a " bucket shop" in the early 19 ...

Death and legacy

Fallon died at the early age of 41 on April 29, 1927, from complications of his excessive lifestyle. Four years after his death a popular biography was written by

Gene Fowler Gene Fowler (born Eugene Devlan) (March 8, 1890 – July 2, 1960) was an American journalist, author, and dramatist. Biography Fowler was born in Denver, Colorado. When his mother remarried during his youth, he took his stepfather's name to be ...

was published, which inspired the Warner Brothers films ''

The Mouthpiece ''The Mouthpiece'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film starring Warren William and directed by James Flood and Elliott Nugent. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40'' ...

'' (1932), ''

The Man Who Talked Too Much ''The Man Who Talked Too Much'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Vincent Sherman and written by Walter DeLeon and Earl Baldwin. Starring George Brent, Virginia Bruce, Brenda Marshall, Richard Barthelmess, William Lundigan, George Tobias a ...

'' (1940) and ''

Illegal Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body. Illegal may also refer to: Law * Violation of law * Crime, the practice of breaking the ...

'' (1955). He has been cited as one of the inspirations for the celebrity lawyer Billy Flynn in the popular musical ''Chicago''. He is also portrayed for six episodes by

David Aaron Baker David Aaron Baker (born August 14, 1963) is an American actor whose credits stretch across theater, film, television and audiobooks. Biography On Broadway, he is most prominently known for his starring role as "Prince Dauntless" opposite Sarah ...

in the HBO television series ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fallon, William J. 1886 births 1927 deaths 20th-century American lawyers Fordham University School of Law alumni Lawyers from Manhattan