James Patrick O'Leary

This article is about the gambler. For the politician, see James A. O'Leary.

James Patrick O'Leary
Born1869
Chicago, Illinois
DiedJanuary 23, 1925(1925-01-23) (aged 56)
Chicago, Illinois
Occupation(s)Gambling czar, amusement park manager
SpouseAnna Ryan
Children2 sons, 3 daughters
Parent(s)Patrick and Catherine O'Leary

James Patrick O'Leary (1869 – January 22, 1925) was a gambling boss and saloon owner in Chicago. His parents were Patrick and Irish-born Catherine O'Leary, in whose barn the Great Chicago Fire is alleged to have begun.[1]

  1. ^ Pierce, Bessie Louise (1957). A History of Chicago: Volume III: The Rise of a Modern City, 1871-1893. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-226-66842-0.