Right before the John Dillinger biopic Public Enemies opened, we noted that without Kansas City and the Union Station Massacre, things would've gone a lot differently for the charismatic bank robber. For all the poorly attended museums we have around here celebrating the city's history, we don't know why there isn't an organized crime museum. Seriously, that seems like it'd be an earner. Way cooler than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Oooo, you just saw Slash's guitar? Well I got to play with Pretty Boy Floyd's tommy gun.
Our dreams were given hope when we got the latest release from the National Archives at Kansas City. Hoping to latch on to some of that sweet Johnny Depp love, the Archives wants you to know that you can get a better appreciation for Public Enemies if you step through its doors. Their people have found pages of files on Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Frechette (played in the movie by Marion Cotillard). Apparently, Frechette was a member of the Menominee tribe and grew up on a reservation near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Her father died when she was young, and she became one of the reservation's poorest members. Which for a reservation is pretty damn poor.
If you want to know more, maybe you should go visit the Archives at 400 West Pershing Road. They're not holding an exhibit or anything, they just wanted you to know.
See, we've got cool stuff like this lying around all over and we do nothing with it. We're telling you - gangster museum. You're welcome Kansas City.
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