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Famous people from Indiana

John Dillinger

The public enemy era of the early 30s gave us Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, and Indiana's own John Dillinger. Bank robber extraordinaire Dillinger was nicknamed "the Jackrabbit." He spent ten years in prison in the 20s and 30s. He escaped in 1934, but was gunned down in July of that year, just two months after Bonnie and Clyde met the same fate.



Lowell Amos

In 2006, Anderson, Indiana born Lowell Amos became one of only a handful of men to have a Lifetime Network movie made about him, titled "The Black Widower." He was convicted in 1996 of drugging his wife and killing her. That his two previous wives and his mother had died under equally suspicious circumstances might have tipped them off.

Tony Kiritsis

Indy resident Kiritsis took his mortgage broker hostage in 1977, paranoid that he was planning on taking his property. As part of the hostage taking, Kiritsis had rigged a shotgun to blast his broker, Richard O. Hall, in the head, if police shot Kiritsis, or if Hall tried to escape. Hall was a hostage for 63 hours. The fun was captured, in part, on both live radio and television. Finally, without incident, Kiritsis was arrested and found not guilty by reason of insanity. He left the loony bin in 1988, and died in 2005.



Jimmy Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa was a labor union leader and convicted criminal. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1964 for attempting to bribe a juror. But Richard Nixon, the old softy, commuted his sentence in 1971 as long as he pinky swore to not be involved with union business for 10 years. The ungrateful Hoffa was planning on fighting that restriction, but then disappear in the parking lot of a restaurant where he was due to meet with two gangsters. To this day, no one knows what became of ole Hoffy.



Michael Alig

South Bend's Mikey is a strange sort. He was the founding member of the Club Kids, a group that was apparently famous for their excessive drug use and crazy outfits. In 1996, Alig was kind enough to take in Angel Melendez after he was fired from one of the nightclubs Alig frequented. Then Alig murdered Melendez. He has since hopped from prison to prison, like the old nightclub days. He was denied parole in July 2008.



Jim Jones

The founder of the Peoples Temple, Jonestown, and the mass suicide of over 900 people from cyanide poisoning in 1978 in Guyana. When people like Bill O'Reilly refer to blind followers as those "drinking the Kool-Aid," they're referring to Jonestown; however, the actual drink that the cyanide was put in was called Flavor-Aid, making people like O'Reilly look absolutely silly.



Dan Quayle

Former state senator from Indiana and Vice President under George H.W. Bush, Quayle is famous for apparently not knowing how to spell potato. He kind of became a symbol for nitwittedness until George W. Bush came along.

Learn more about this author, Michael Frissore.
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Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Famous people from Indiana

  • 1 of 5

    by Carol H. Morgan

    It almost seems as if you have to be a part of Hollywood or the New York City scene to be material for fame or celebrity,

    read more

  • 2 of 5

    by Margaret Merrill

    Indiana has quite a few famous people that hail from the land of the Hoosiers. And by famous, I don't mean the shoot em up,

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  • 3 of 5

    by Hamlet Pericles

    The state of Indiana has produced many famous people, from politicians to activists, from musicians to athletes, and more.

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  • 4 of 5

    by Lacey Simmons

    Indiana , Known as the crossroads of America, was established as a state on December 11,1816. It is the home to many race

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  • 5 of 5

    by Michael Frissore

    John Dillinger

    The public enemy era of the early 30s gave us Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, and Indiana's own John Dillinger.

    read more

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