(Editor’s Note: Eliot Ness is well-known for being an integral part of taking down notorious gangster Al Capone back in the Prohibition era, as well as for his work reforming law enforcement and tackling crime while in Cleveland. When his crime fighting days were over, he moved to Coudersport for a business venture and loved the area so much, he decided to make it his home. In lieu of the 2020 Eliot Ness Fest, which was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Era decided to highlight the life of Ness and the rich history of the Prohibition era in a series of stories.)
Eliot Ness is best known for his part in taking down Al Capone in Chicago and his time spent tackling crime and police corruption in Cleveland, though not many know much about what happened after he hung up his badge. Here is the story about how the famous crimefighter ended up spending his final years in the quaint town of Coudersport.
This story is pieced together from resources provided by Steve Green of the Eliot Ness Museum in Coudersport.
After serving as the director for the Social Protection Division during World War II, Ness left government employment altogether and began putting his business administration degree from the University of Chicago to use.
In 1944, he left Washington to work for the Diebold Corporation, a security safe company based out of Canton, Ohio, that was looking to restructure its corporate operations and raise its profile among financial services companies. His friendship with the Rex family, who at that time owned 40 percent of Diebold’s stock, along with his notoriety as crime aficionado, naturally landed him a position as chairman of the board.
Ness’ reputation as a successful businessman grew over the next few years. Articles on his venture into the businessworld were even featured in Fortune and Newsweek. Unfortunately, this all came to a screeching halt after he decided to run for mayor of Cleveland in 1947.
Law and order seemed to run through his veins, though politics just wasn’t in the cards for Ness. While he was running his mayoral campaign, the Rex family sold their shares of Diebold’s stock and he was inevitably voted off the board. Ness’ life in the business world seemed to be deteriorating, as evidenced after several subsequent business failures.
In 1956, Ness believed things were looking up after he became an officer of the Cleveland-based North Ridge Industrial Corporation, which had created an exclusive formula for watermarking documents with a translucent seal. This new technology was believed to be a solution for forgery and counterfeiting problems that ran rampant through the businessworld.
Ness moved his wife Elisabeth and their 10-year-old son Robert to Coudersport, where he set up an office above Halloran’s Hardware Store at the corner of Main and Second Streets.
He and his colleagues met with members of the local business community, and they attempted to secure investment money to build a production plant and marketing. Many community leaders invested in the company, as they believed the North Ridge Industrial Corporation would save the town’s economy, putting Coudersport on the map.
Ness and his family moved into a home on Third Street and quickly began to network with other townsfolk. His wife, who was a sculptor, found others in the community to share her love of art with. Ness enjoyed patronizing the local shops, eateries and taverns and was also often found entertaining friends and colleagues at his home.
In Coudersport, Ness and his colleagues struggled to keep the business afloat, while CEO and majority stockholder, George Shampanore was rarely seen. As the company continued to deteriorate, Shampanore began developing an exit strategy. It would be later discovered that his waterproofing formula had never actually been patented. He skipped town to go to Texas, advising other members of North Ridge to do the same, leaving Coudersport stockholders to deal with the burden.
Ness, along with several of his business associates, refused to abandon investors and eventually turned North Ridge into T-C Specialties, a commercial printing business that’s still in operation to this day.
In 1956, Ness met Oscar Fraley, a sportswriter who was working for United Press International at the time. This chance encounter led to the inspiration for “The Untouchables,” an autobiographical memoir written by Eliot Ness and co-written by Oscar Fraley. Sadly, Ness died due to a heart attack a month before the book was published in 1957, thus he would never know just how famous he’d become and how he’d go down in history as one of the most successful and influential crime fighters in history.
While many years have gone by, the building which once housed Halloran’s Hardware and Ness’ office still stands, though it now has a new occupant. That occupant, Steve Green, has transformed the building into the Eliot Ness Museum, celebrating the life of Coudersport’s most famous lawman, the one and only, Eliot Ness.
Stay tuned for next time, when The Era highlights Coudersport’s exclusive Eliot Ness Fest and gives a sneak peek inside the Eliot Ness Museum.
