s. His power was arguably unmatched by any criminal to date. Capone's influence was so amazingly strong that Frank Loesch, the president of the Chicago Crime Commission literally had to ask Capone's help in securing an honest election in Cook County. Considering the level of corruption spread from mere patrolmen all the way up to the Illinois Governor, Loesch was forced to turn to the most powerful man in the city. In the spring Republican primary earlier that year candidates and party members were openly murdered and voters scared away. Hence Loesch needed Capone to prevent violence. Loesch later admitted "It turned out to be the squarest and most successful election day in forty years. There was not one complaint, not one election fraud and no threat of trouble all day." Even with his team of specialists Ness was not without human fears. It was well known that Al Capone was the greatest criminal ever to walk the earth and every honest cop who ever went after him wound up dead. Not only cops for that matter but rivaling gangsters, such as Bugs Moran who was executed in the famous St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Despite the obvious danger Ness ripped into Capone's illegal activities with unmatched zeal. The first skirmish Ness had with Capone was an unparalleled success. He split his team so that each would make two raids that night for a total of eighteen stills. It was a complete success, fifty-two men were jailed and thousands of dollars in equipment was confiscated, and the product of this equipment poured down the sewers. In the months that followed Ness led raid after raid, and although Capone adapted his defenses, Ness adapted his attacks as well. Wire tapping was their most useful ally and helped them meet success time after time. At first Capone thought against assassinating Ness, seeing as the death of a prominent federal agent would only worsen his troubles. However Capone truly believed that every man had his price and trie...
