The O’Hare Legacy: From Mob Lawyer to Medal of Honor Hero
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 14 November 2025
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, Edward “Easy” O’Hare built his fortune inside Al Capone’s empire. His legal skill kept Capone free and made Eddie one of the most powerful men in Chicago. He gave his son, Butch, every advantage money could buy, but knew that his name carried a stain he could not wash away.
When the weight of it became too heavy, Eddie turned against Capone. He worked with federal agents, revealing what he knew about the mob’s inner circle. A year later, he was shot to death on a Chicago street. His choice had cost him everything but left his son with the one thing he had never been able to give before: honor.
Years later, Butch O’Hare became a Navy pilot during World War II. When Japanese bombers closed in on the American fleet in 1942, he was the only one in range to fight them off. His courage earned him the Medal of Honor and a place in history.
The name O’Hare now belongs to both men: a father who chose conscience over comfort and a son who proved that courage can redeem almost anything.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:14.0 | This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories. |
| 0:18.4 | And today's story comes to us from a great friend of the show, Bob |
| 0:21.9 | Croather, bringing us an illustrious American tale that begins with the Chicago mob in the 1920s |
| 0:28.1 | and ends with a heroic feat by a man who was born in 1914. Take it away, Bob. |
| 0:34.0 | Let me tell you two stories about two men who come from my town, Chicago. |
| 0:42.1 | Story number one. |
| 0:44.3 | Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. |
| 0:49.1 | Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. |
| 0:51.8 | He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city and everything from |
| 0:56.0 | bootleg booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer named Easy Eddie. He was |
| 1:03.0 | his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good. In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. |
| 1:13.6 | To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. |
| 1:18.6 | Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends. |
| 1:22.6 | For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with living help and all the conveniences of the day. |
| 1:31.3 | The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. |
| 1:36.3 | Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. |
| 1:45.0 | Eddie did have one soft spot, however. |
| 1:48.0 | He had a son that he loved dearly. |
| 1:50.0 | Eddie saw to it that his young son had the best of everything, |
| 1:55.0 | clothes, cars, and a good education. |
... |
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