From Chicago's original
gangsters to the Outfit's decline in recent years, Dr. Wayne Johnson is
well-versed in the organized crime that long ensnared the city.
After 25 years with the Chicago
Police Department - his last assignment supervising a unit within the Organized
Crime Division - Johnson was appointed Chief Investigator for the renowned
Chicago Crime Commission.
Now coordinator of Harper
College's law enforcement programs and widely considered a top authority on
organized crime, Johnson has written "A History of Violence: An
Encyclopedia of 1,400 Chicago Mob Murders." The 300-plus page tome is the
product of painstaking research into newspaper articles, police reports,
coroners' reports and other archives over a 14-year period.
"Coming from someone who
has fought in the trenches against Chicago's wise guys, Johnson's new
contribution will be the go-to reference on Outfit violence for years to
come," said Gus Russo, author of "The Outfit" and
"Supermob."
Harper will host a public
reception celebrating Johnson's book launch at noon Tuesday, April 15, in the
lower level of the library on the College's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin
Road, Palatine. Johnson will give a presentation on the state of organized
crime in Chicago followed by a brief question-and-answer session and book
signing.
Johnson, who also served as the
only Superintendent of Police/Inspector General for the town of Cicero before
entering academic fulltime, credited two Harper students for their
contributions. Daniella Boyd designed the cover art for "A History of
Violence" by reproducing in charcoal a real morgue photo of Sam Giancana,
one of the most notorious mob bosses in history. Jackie Cooney wrote a research
paper that led Johnson to discover a group of killings that fit the criteria
for the book.
"I really wanted to dig in
on this because every one of these cases deserves to be investigated and
solved," Johnson said. "To let them just disappear into history would
be a disservice to everyone involved."
Cover art: Harper student
Daniella Boyd designed the graphite drawing cover art for "A History of
Violence" by reproducing a real morgue photo of Sam Giancana, one of the
most notorious mob bosses in history.
ABOUT WAYNE JOHNSON: Wayne A.
Johnson served on the Chicago Police Department for 25 years and in his last
assignment, supervised the Analytical Unit of the Intelligence Section,
Organized Crime Division. He was then appointed Chief Investigator for the
legendary Chicago Crime Commission, holding the position originally created by
celebrated criminal investigator Virgil Peterson.
Johnson investigated and
monitored the Chicago Mob during his five years at the Commission. The national
recognition he received led to his recruitment as the only Superintendent of
Police/Inspector General for Cicero.
Johnson earned his Doctor of
Education degree from Northern Illinois University and Master of Science degree
in Criminal-Social Justice from Lewis University in Romeoville. He is as an
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Law Enforcement Programs at
Harper College.
Johnson is a nationally
recognized investigative and educational consultant for law enforcement and the
security industry and has lectured extensively on organized crime, homicide
investigations, criminal profiling, violence in the workplace and gang crimes.