Folk Heroes: Perri and Starkman

folk heroes: Perri born in 1887 and disappeared in 1944 and his common law wife Bessie Starkman born in 1889 and murdered in 1930 made a fortune in Hamilton through illicit booze, prostitution, narcotics and the enforcement racket, according to Hamilton Spectator. Why was Perri significant Perri and Starkman were treated like folk heroes during prohibition years because curbs against alcohol were generally not popular with the public. Who was Rocco Perri He was known as the King of the Bootleggers and Canada's Al Capone. Their exploits were passionately covered by newspapers in Hamilton and Toronto at the time culminating with two major events On Aug. 13, 1930, Starkman was gunned down in the garage of their house on Bay Street South. Starkman's funeral was one of the biggest in Hamilton history bringing out more than 10,000 people. No one was ever charged in the killing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.