In 1930s Chicago, Eliot Ness had made a name for himself resisting bribes and taking on organized crime. But when a political associate offered him protection money for an illegal still, Ness reportedly gave no clear rejection and failed to report the approach. Shortly after, he was quietly transferred to Cincinnati.
An overheard phone call and internal reports about the still incident landed on FBI agent Melvin Purvis’ desk. Ness’ prospects with the FBI were over.
Climbing in Cleveland, but Not with Hoover’s Help
By 1935, Ness was public safety director in Cleveland, working to modernize the city’s corrupt police department. J. Edgar Hoover, however, remained cautious.
Though the FBI’s Cleveland office saw Ness as an ally, Hoover kept him at arm’s length. Ness offered to fire any local officer obstructing federal investigations, but Hoover remained unmoved. The FBI later excluded Ness from even receiving its literature at a police chiefs’ convention.
Wartime Accusations and Hoover’s Retaliation
In 1939, Ness proposed a privately funded factory security network to protect Cleveland from sabotage. Hoover considered it interference and potential extortion. After labor leaders mistakenly believed the FBI supported Ness’ plan, Hoover publicly distanced himself.
Ness tried to explain, but Hoover refused his calls. Despite Ness’ cooperation with Naval Intelligence, Hoover warned others to “beware of Ness.”
Aftermath, Fiction, and Hoover’s Final Blow
Ness resigned after a 1942 car crash, then clashed with the FBI again over anti-prostitution policy during WWII. Hoover’s agents undermined him repeatedly. After returning to Ohio, Ness lost a 1947 mayoral election. The FBI’s past memos were used against him. Struggling financially, Ness co-wrote a memoir with Oscar Fraley—who dramatized it heavily. Ness died in 1957.
Two years later, The Untouchables aired, depicting Ness as a heroic FBI agent. Hoover, furious, failed to stop the show. For much of the public, Eliot Ness became forever linked to the FBI—despite Hoover’s long campaign to erase him.
Eliot Ness, famed for battling Al Capone, tried to join the FBI in 1933.
But after expressing interest in a top role, he was quietly blocked by J. Edgar Hoover.
What followed was a decades-long effort to discredit him, both in life and after his death…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/fT4IW10sHb
— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TigerDetective) July 23, 2025