Baby Face Nelson

Born in Chicago, IL, as Lester Gillis, on December 6, 1908, he grew up on the streets, already an accomplished car thief and petty criminal by the time he was twelve years old. He was arrested for the first time when he was 13, and sentenced to a year in a juvenile correction facility. Soon after he was released, he was arrested again, and sentenced to 18 months incarceration. In 1931, Gillis, who had a number of aliases by this time, was convicted of bank robbery, and was sentenced to 1-10 years in the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet. While in jail, he was tried and convicted of another bank robbery charge, and was sentenced to a year to life in prison. While being transported between jails, the prisoner, who was calling himself George Nelson at that time, escaped. He hooked up with John Chase, and would continue in partnership with him until their deaths.

In 1933, Nelson shot and killed a man during a robbery. He went on to murder several others, including some FBI agents. By this time, Nelson was working with John Dillinger's gang.

During a chase in 1934, Nelson was shot and mortally wounded. Acting on a tip, FBI agents found his body wrapped in a blanket at the side of the road near a cemetery in Illinois.

Nelson was married to Helen Wawzynak, and they had two children.