One hundred years ago the melting pot that is America brought three brothers from their farm in Fairfield, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri where they would begin a career in crime unmatched in Illinois history. The Shelton Brothers, Carl, Earl, and Bernie would go on to rule southern Illinois in the ’20s, ‘30s, and ’40s. Along the way, they crossed paths with Al Capone, Frank Nitti, Charlie Birger, Blackie Harris, Art Newman, Connie Ritter, Buster Wortman, and no small assortment of slightly lesser lights. They were so powerful in their control of gambling and bootlegging that Al Capone and his minions made a peace pact with the Shelton Brothers to not venture south of Peoria. It was a grudging sign of respect for the power of the Sheltons. While the five families were well established in New York State by the 1920’s the fertile hunting grounds that opened the Midwest to the Sheltons, the Outfit, and Birger were launched by Prohibition which became law in 1919. The Volstead Act gave the government the power and authority to enforce the 18th Amendment outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. Some took exception to this law of the land. Al Capone began his ascent in the early 1920s. His criminal empire, known as the Outfit, reached full bloom with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929 when the Northside mob, headed by Bugs Moran, was decimated. The Sheltons faced down the KKK and Charlie Birger who managed to get himself hung in 1928. Birger was the last public hanging in Illinois. From 1928 until the mid-1940’s The Shelton Brothers ruled Illinois from Peoria south. Until Carl Shelton was murdered in October 1947 it is fair to say that gambling, legal and illegal alcohol sales and some vice locations demanded the approval of The Sheltons. The man behind the murder, Black Charlie Harris, once a Shelton ally who felt he had been betrayed and undervalued by the brothers, took it upon himself with the help of St. Louis and Chicago crime families, to stamp out the Sheltons. He didn’t stop with Carl. In 1948 he shot and killed Bernie. Three unsuccessful attempts didn’t kill Earl, but he did murder Roy in 1950. From 1947 forward, properties belonging to the Sheltons were systematically destroyed. In 1951, having seen enough, Earl moved the family to Jacksonville Florida, an area he knew well from his days running illegal liquor into the US from Cuba and the Bahamas. Earl became quite wealthy and lived to the ripe old age of 96. With the Shelton’s only a memory, Buster Wortman, once a Shelton member who resided in St. Louis, took over many former Shelton locations and became the new man of the moment. Wortman had a working relationship with The Chicago Outfit and with Big Carl gone, they became the new kids on the block, controlling nearly all the illegal activities in the State of Illinois. Charlie Harris continued his rampage against those who offended him in some way. Shot Winchester managed to get himself killed. It was not suicide. Time has a way of making us all mortal but make no mistake about it, for nearly 25 years Big Carl, Big Earl, and their brother Bernie were the Kings of Little Egypt. Their lives revolved around perceived values: loyalty, betrayal, revenge, and deception. Money, power, and control were their constant companions. No one becomes a King overnight. Carl wanted respectability, Earl desired success, and Bernie just wanted nice cars and women. They are all long gone now but we are here to remember the days when America said hell no. These were the leaders of the pack.