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Charles Birger | |
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| Born | Shachnai Itzik Birger February 5, 1881 |
| Died | April 19, 1928 (aged 47) Benton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Other names | Shachna Birger |
| Occupation(s) | Soldier, cowboy, miner, saloon keeper, bootlegger, criminal gang leader |
| Known for | Bootlegging and leading the Birger Gang, who fought a bloody war with the Ku Klux Klan and the Shelton Brothers Gang over the domination of southern Illinois. Birger was the second to last person to be publicly hanged in Illinois. |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Founder | Charles "Charlie" Birger |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Crab Orchard, Williamson County, Illinois |
| Years active | 1920-1928 |
| Territory | Southern Illinois |
| Ethnicity | Jewish |
| Membership (est.) | 16 |
| Criminal activities | Bootlegging, murder, proprietor of gambling houses |
| Rivals | Shelton Brothers Gang |
Charles "Charlie" Birger (born Shachna Itzak Birger, February 5, 1881 – April 19, 1928) was an American bootlegger during the Prohibition period in southern Illinois.