George Francis Barnes Jr. (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known as
"Machine Gun Kelly", was an American
gangster from
Memphis, Tennessee, during
the prohibition era. He attended
Central High School in Memphis. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a
Thompson submachine gun. His most infamous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman
Charles F. Urschel in July 1933 for which he, and his gang, collected a $200,000 ransom. Their victim had collected and left considerable evidence that assisted the subsequent
FBI investigation that eventually led to Kelly's arrest in
Memphis, Tennessee, on September 26, 1933. His crimes also included
bootlegging and
armed robbery.