Aldermen's wars
The Alderman's wars was a series of murders and violent rioting between warring Alderman Johnny "de Pow" Powers and Anthony D'Andrea from 1916 until 1921. Over a period of five years, over 30 deaths were reported during the struggle for control over the "Bloody" 19th Ward of Little Italy in Chicago, US. == Background == Johnny Powers, a local Irish-American saloonkeeper and longtime political boss of the predominantly Irish 19th Ward, had been in power since the 1880s and despite the large influx of Italian immigrants over the decades managed to retain power among the area despite his reputation for corruption and offering political protection to criminal elements in Chicago's underworld.