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The Reign of “Dapper Dan” Hogan, the Irish Godfather of St. Paul, Minnesota
With Enormous Political and Police Protection, “Dapper” Danny Hogan Was A Force to be Reckoned With in the Criminal Underworld of the Twin Cities
This article originally appeared on the true crime newsletter Tales From the Underworld. Subscribe for new and exclusive historical true crime content.
Danny “Dapper Dan” Hogan was a powerhouse in the St. Paul Minnesota area from 1910 until his death in 1928. Born in 1880, and raised by Irish Catholic parents in California, he would serve time in San Quentin Prison for petty crimes before relocating to St. Paul, Minnesota around 1909.
What differentiated Danny Hogan from his criminal peers was his knack for building relationships. His penchant for networking allowed him to expand his criminal contacts, which was advantageous for him since he was the largest fence for stolen goods in the city.
Hogan would plan various crimes and select the personnel to be involved. His planned robberies would then be committed outside of St. Paul. The main reason for his success and protection to operate was due to his…
