Early Years
Born Vincenzo D'Ambrosio in Chicago, Illinois, very little is known about Drucci's early life other than he grew up in Chicago. One of Drucci's childhood friends was Dean O'Banion. After serving in the U.S Navy, Drucci returned to Chicago and started robbing pay telephone coin boxes.
Drucci was soon invited to join the North Side Gang, a primarily Irish-American street gang that controlled the North Side of Chicago. He lived at 3817 Osgood Street in Joliet, Illinois. Drucci gained the nickname "Schemer" for his inventive and detailed plans for committing bank robberies, kidnappings, and other crimes. With the advent of Prohibition, the North Side Gang took over the formerly legal breweries and distilleries in that part of the city and start producing bootleg alcohol. They quickly became one of the most powerful gangs in Chicago.
Laurence Bergreen, in his book, Capone: The Man and the Era, describes Drucci:
"He had a streak of recklessness and daring, and he looked the part of a gangster – tough, dark, and menacing, his expression frozen in a tragic mask topped by wild unkempt hair (and) a face to haunt the dreams of his enemies."
Known for his sharp temper, Drucci frequently served as an enforcer for the North Side Gang.
Read more about this topic: Vincent Drucci
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