Gillis became involved with a gang shortly after escaping from a prison in Illinois in 1932. There, he developed a close relationship with a man named John Paul Chase, a higher-up in the gang. The two got involved in routine bar raids and other local crimes in 1933, instigating Gillis’ life as a hardened criminal. The Chicago-based gang’s headquarters were discovered in April 1934, where special agents raided the location. Gillis and other associates managed to escape with hostages, avoiding confrontation with the law. He left his wife behind, who was taken and questioned by the authorities. However, this didn’t last long, as their new hideout was discovered later that day, and the FBI raided the building. A shootout ensued and Gillis shot at three special agents on site, killing one. The gangsters managed to get away and once again Gillis escaped with his life. However, Gillis’ life of crime continued as he participated in a bank robbery in October of the same year in Chicago. There, he shot and killed a police officer on the scene and, for the third time, he escaped the authorities. His reign of terror would soon come to an end, though, as in November, he would commit his final crime. After stealing a car, police chased him throughout Chicago, where he shot and killed another special agent on the job. The man’s death was quickly avenged, however, when an officer finally got a shot on Gillis, critically injuring him. He was taken to a hospital under police custody, where his condition greatly worsened. The FBI’s interrogation didn’t work, as Gillis didn’t snitch on his partners in crime, and they weren’t discovered until each one’s individual arrest. At 8:00 the next morning, he died under custody of the police, putting the case of the “Baby Face Killer” to rest.
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