The safe and sedate Fox Cities have seen their share of horrible crimes. Coldblooded murder, kidnapping, prostitution, organized crime and other misdeeds shocked and appalled not just the community but the entire state. Murderer Porter Ross tried to commit suicide by eating bedsprings. Wenzel Kabat mutilated and burned a man in order to take over his farm. The "Appleton Butcher" left dismembered human remains on a playground for children to find. In this volume, crime writer and leading expert on the Milwaukee Mafia Gavin Schmitt turns his magnifying glass on small-town America.
Gavin Schmitt was born, raised and resides in the Fox Cities. He has written seven books on local history and the history of crime in Wisconsin. Regarded as the foremost expert on organized crime in Wisconsin, Schmitt has been interviewed by various newspapers, as well as local, state and national radio programs. When not actively researching (which is rare), he enjoys a strong cup of coffee and watching obscure horror films.