The story below details the life of crimefighter Eliot Ness.  "Eliot Ness
and the Untouchables," debuts on The History Channel, Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The author assisted in the production of that program and has a prominent on-air role, part of his four-year-long mission to properly
chronicle the life of Eliot Ness and tear down the legend. The "real" Eliot
Ness has been lost in history. Paul Heimel will be appearing at a number of libraries, bookstores and other public venues in August to coincide with the debut of this program.


‘Real’ Eliot Ness Emerging From Behind Hollywood Myth

By Paul W. Heimel, Freelance Writer

To many, the name Eliot Ness conjures visions of Al Capone, tommy gun
fights and the all-knowing crimefighter portrayed by Robert Stack in the
black & white TV classic series, "The Untouchables."

That character is largely a myth. Nevertheless, the accomplishments of the
real Eliot Ness were no less fascinating.

Ness, a Chicago native, will be in the spotlight on Aug. 24, as The History
Channel focuses on “Eliot Ness and the Untouchables,” marking the 70th
anniversary of that special crimefighting unit’s formation.

“I never had the pleasure of meeting Eliot Ness, but I think I have a pretty
good feel for what he was like, based on what I was told by his widow,
Betty, and others who knew him,” said Robert Stack.

Stack, while admitting that television series was fictional, is still proud
of bringing the public’s attention to the real Eliot Ness. “He was smart,
methodical, and rather soft-spoken, but very effective and brave,” Stack
said. “My character had to be a bit more flamboyant—that’s television—but I
think I was able to capture at least some of the essence of the real Ness.”

The History Channel documentary, to be aired as part of the “In Search of
History” series, is the result of a three-month study, which included
detailed research and extensive interviews by the producers.

A native of Chicago, Ness was the youngest of five children born to
Norwegian immigrants. Although he studied business management at the
University of Chicago, Ness chose to become a Prohibition Agent with the
U.S. Treasury Department in 1927. By that time, Al Capone had risen from a
Brooklyn street thug to a powerful Chicago crime boss.

Their paths collided when Ness was chosen to head a special investigative
unit charged with destroying Capone's breweries and gathering evidence of
Prohibition violations. This special unit, formed in August 1929, was the
basis for the exaggerated accounts of "Eliot Ness and the Untouchables."

Capone's lieutenants really did threaten to kill Ness. They also tried to
bribe him. When Ness and two of his agents refused to accept money and turn
their backs on Capone’s illicit activities, a newspaper columnist called
them "Untouchable." The nickname faded into history, but it was resurrected
as the title of a book Eliot Ness and a professional writer, Oscar Fraley,
co-authored in 1956-57.

The History Channel program debunks the myth that Ness and his team produced
the criminal evidence that sent Capone to jail. Ness did have an
overwhelming case of Prohibition law violations against Capone and his
associates. However, the true heroes were those Treasury Department and
Justice Department officials who, with financial support from the Chicago
business community, documented countless violations of income tax law
violations. Capone was sent to prison, where his health declined as a result
of syphilis and he spent his final years in the Miami, Fla., area, far
removed from the Chicago crime scene.

After Prohibition was repealed, Ness was reassigned to the government's
Alcohol Tax Unit and was put in charge of enforcing tax laws in the
"Moonshine Mountains" of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
He resigned to become Cleveland’s Public Safety Director in December 1935.
Mayor Harold Burton wanted an independent director who was not afraid to do
battle with corrupt police officials and organized crime. He got all of that
and more. Eliot Ness rooted out corruption and inefficiency in the police
department, smashed gambling and extortion rings, tamed violent youth gangs,
upgraded fire protection and traffic safety, and instituted other reforms.

Despite his professional accomplishments, Ness encountered personal
problems. His commitment to law enforcement and long hours away from his
home were largely responsible for two failed marriages. Ness also developed
a drinking habit and enjoyed an active social life, often mingling with
Cleveland’s high society.

His failure to apprehend one of the nation’s first serial killers, the
so-called “Mad Butcher of Cleveland,” not only frustrated Ness, it also
brought him under public fire. Criticism of the Public Safety Director
intensified in March 1942, the result of an early morning traffic accident
on an ice-covered Cleveland street. The fact that Ness had been drinking and
had tried to persuade the investigating officers to look the other way
turned the tide of public opinion against him.

He resigned as Public Safety Director to become National Director of the
government's Social Protection Program. In that role, Ness forged alliances
with police agencies and community leaders near military bases, in an effort
to stamp out prostitution and curb venereal disease.

Ness's career took another bizarre twist when he was installed as Chairman
of the Board of Directors for Diebold Inc. of Canton, Ohio, one of the
world's largest manufacturers of vaults and safes. At the same time, Ness
helped form an export-import company that sent American steel and
manufactured goods abroad while bringing silk, tea and other products into
this country. He also teamed with General Claire Lee Chennault, famous
leader of the "Flying Tigers" air squadron, to set up a separate
export-import firm dealing exclusively with China.

An ill-fated attempt to regain his lost fame in 1947 by running for Mayor
of Cleveland began a downward spiral that continued for the final decade of
Ness's life. He drifted from one failing business enterprise to another.
Finally, he accepted an executive position with North Ridge Industrial
Corporation, a Cleveland-based company that relocated to Coudersport (Potter
County), Pa., in 1956.

Dozens of people bought into the dream of a unique method for watermarking
checks and other important documents as protection against counterfeiting.
However, due to market trends and internal strife, North Ridge was teetering
on the brink of bankruptcy when Ness died of a heart attack in his
Coudersport home on May 16, 1957 at the age of 54. At the time of his death,
Eliot Ness was depressed, disillusioned and deeply in debt. Ness never knew
that the book manuscript he and Oscar Fraley had produced would create the
legend that endures even today.

The book itself was a poor seller, but Hollywood was attracted to the
glorified accounts of Ness's Chicago days. "The Untouchables" took on a life
of its own, leading to two television series, made-for-TV movies, and a
blockbuster movie starring Kevin Costner.

All the while, the true story of Eliot Ness's career faded further into
history.

Editor’s Note: Paul W. Heimel is the author of Eliot Ness: The Real Story
(Knox Books), the first and only biography of Ness. His book was the
catalyst behind the Eliot Ness Memorial Service on Sept. 10, 1997. At that
time, the remains of Ness, who was cremated in 1957, were brought to the
historic Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland for a poignant ceremony that
received publicity around the world. Paul Heimel had the honor of presenting
the memorial address.

The book may be ordered online from Amazon.com. Readers can obtain an autographed copy of Eliot Ness: The Real Story for $7.95 ($5.00 off the cover price of $12.95) by calling 1-800-421-1696. The author has established a website (www.eliotness.com), containing a wide variety of information about Eliot Ness and links to other information sources.

Contact: Paul W. Heimel c/o Knox Books, 407 Mill St., Coudersport PA 16915
Phone: 814-274-6329
Fax: 814-274-6372
Email: pheimel@adelphia.net
Website (under construction): www.eliotness.com