william hale thompson was chicago's charismatic removal can mayor. controversial from the beginning of his career, he had risen to power thanks to an uncanny ability to attract votes from a wide range of the city's often antagonistic community. a former athlete and a cowboy, nothing if not colorful. some regarded hit as a corrupt politician, and that he suddenly was. but to many others, especially shikar is black, german, an irish working-class he was a genuine hero. they hailed him as the people's david fighting for the average chicagoan against big business and the wealthy elite to wanted to raise gasoline -- gas rates degrees his opponents also called him big bill the builder, the one man big enough to corral the factions and do something to attend a chicago plant vision into steel and concrete reality. there was another side. egotism and moral laxity that made him susceptible to just the kind of political operatives in chicago was famous for. enter fred lynn dean. a former street peddler who like to call himself the street. worked hard to enginee