Defending murderers and professional jail-breakers isn't for the faint of heart, but thankfully, 1930s defense lawyer Jessie Levy was anything but fainthearted. In a world where women were almost never seen in criminal defense, Jessie and her fabulous shoes stepped up to the plate to represent some of the most notorious gangsters of the day: John Dillinger's men. Denise M. Testa, author of Defending the Dillinger Gang: Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins in the Courtroom, comes on the podcast to walk us through the story.

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Sources:

Interview with Denise M. Testa, 16 Jan 2021

Defending the Dillinger Gang: Jessie Levy and Bess Robbins in the Courtroom, by Denise M, Testa

Music:

Intro and conclusion: “Guilty” by Richard A. Whiting, Harry Akst, and Gus Kahn, sung by Anna Telfer

 Ad break:  “The Great One Step” by Victor Dance Orchestra, via Free Music Archive, licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0

Narration music: Stereodog Productions (Dan Pierson & Peter Manheim)