Jerry Horan

Jerry Horan
Born(1886-05-00)May , 1886
Died(1937-04-27)April 27, 1937
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation(s)Labor leader
President, Building Service Employees International Union
SpouseNonie Corbett
ChildrenHelen Horan Curran

Jeremiah J. Horan[1] (aka Jerry Horan) (May 1886-April 28, 1937)[2] was an organized crime figure and President of the Building Service Employees International Union from 1927 until his death in 1937.[3] Although praised by newspapers for reducing the level of overt violence and graft which plagued the union under his predecessor, William Quesse,[2] Horan nonetheless still engaged in bribery, extortion, physical intimidation, and other crimes, and permitted George Scalise (his successor) to enter and rise within the organization.[3] Horan established the kickback scheme whereby Scalise would eventually loot the union treasury of millions of dollars in member dues.[4]

  1. ^ "Obituary," Chicago Daily Tribune, April 30, 1937.
  2. ^ a b "Jerry J. Horan, Flat Janitors' Leader, Is Dead," Chicago Daily Tribune, April 28, 1937.
  3. ^ a b Witwer, "The Scandal of George Scalise: A Case Study in the Rise of Labor Racketeering in the 1930s," Journal of Social History, Summer 2003.
  4. ^ "Scalise Jury Gets 2 Success Stories," New York Times, August 16, 1940.