Mob FilesPublic-domain archive of American organized crime
Alcatraz warden's notebook page for Basil Hugh Banghart, No. 595, with his identification photograph.
Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz warden's notebook, No. 595; National Archives (NAID 236735894). Public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105.

Basil Hugh Banghart

Received at Alcatraz from Joliet in January 1943 for mail robbery and conspiracy; named by the FBI and the National Archives as a member of the Touhy gang captured in Chicago on 29 December 1942.

Born
1901-09-11
Died
1982-04-05
Aliases
The Owl
Source
National Archives, Alcatraz warden's notebook, No. 595 (NAID 236735894)
Rights
Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state. The photograph is a United States government work, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105.

On the record

  • 11 September 1901 — The National Archives catalog's data block gives his birth as 09/11/1901 at Berville, Berlin Township, St. Clair County, Michigan. That is the catalog's compiled entry.
  • 29 December 1942 — The FBI's caption on his Alcatraz booking photograph: "Banghart, Touhy, and Ed Darlak were all captured by the FBI in Chicago on December 29, 1942."
  • 7 January 1943 — His notebook page records receipt at Alcatraz on 1-7-43 from Joliet, Illinois, for mail robbery and conspiracy. The catalog's remark reads "MEMBER OF TOUHY GANG."
  • 4 December 1954 — The catalog records his transfer to the state prison at Joliet on 12/04/1954.
  • 5 April 1982 — The catalog's data block gives his death on 04/05/1982 in Los Angeles County, California. That is the catalog's compiled entry.

Filed in the Public Enemies side section. This is not an organized-crime family page: the records here are federal fugitive, court and prison records.

“The Owl” is from the catalog’s title for his notebook page. His birth and death dates are the catalog’s compiled entries, not readings of the page.

Records

itemAlcatraz warden's notebook page for Basil Hugh Banghart, No. 595Bureau of Prisons notebook page with the identification photograph of Basil Hugh Banghart, received at Alcatraz from Joliet, Illinois, on 7 January 1943. A copy is stored here.itemBasil Banghart, Alcatraz booking photograph (FBI)Alcatraz booking photograph of Basil Hugh Banghart, published by the FBI, which describes him as a member of the Roger Touhy gang. A copy is stored here.itemRoger Touhy, Edward Darlak, and Basil Banghart (FBI)FBI image of Roger Touhy, Edward Darlak and Basil Banghart, captioned with their capture on December 29, 1942. A copy is stored here.itemUnited States vs. Roger Touhy (Selective Service case, Chicago)Federal criminal case file at Chicago against Roger Touhy for failing to register for the draft under the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. Nine digitized pages.