Eliot Ness – The Lindsay Lohan Of Cleveland
While most of us think of Eliot Ness as the Robert Stack character portrayed in the television series The Untouchables or the more mild mannered but clueless character played by Kevin Costner and overshadowed by Sean Connery in the movie of the same name, in real life, Eliot Ness was more like the Lindsay Lohan of Cleveland, particularly during the later part of the 1930s and early 1940s. His behavior, especially when it came to drinking and how he treated women, is brought out in the latest book about him, Chasing Eliot Ness by Michelle Regan.
The true side of Ness emerged to the public in 1938. It was at this time that his married to his first wife, Edna Staley, broke up and he began to exhibit behavior that was not in conformity with social standards of the day. Particularly for a prominent public official who was more popular than the mayor, Howard Burton.
At a time when divorce was almost unheard of, especially when it came to public officials, Ness separated from his wife. According to two biographical accounts, he was concerned about his image more than the actual break up of his marriage. His concern did not last long as he began to haunt two of the hottest night spots in Cleveland at the time with a string of women, dancing and drinking until the wee hours of the morning.
Because he had connections with the press, his behavior was not noted right away in the papers, although it did bring him plenty of attention. When married to Edna, Ness spent most of his days drinking and socializing with the press, picking up the tab for lunch. Biographical accounts say that his close friends in the press warned him to cut down on his dating and night life, but Eliot Ness ignored these warnings. Editorials began emerging chiding Ness, who held the prominent job of Public Safety Director, for his social habits. Finally, Ness announced that he and his wife were getting a divorce. His brief quip on the matter, that he had made a mistake, was considering shocking in itself as he expressed no remorse on the end of his marriage and instead, continued to make the rounds of the night spots with pretty women.
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Other scandalous behavior from Ness emerged. He played practical jokes on people, including prominent public officials, that were considered offensive. Such as tape recording their conversations at parties and then playing them. Most people were not amused at the jokes that they considered bizarre. In what one biographer refers to as a mischievous side of Eliot Ness, would be considered to be malicious by standards of today. Inviting a very tall woman to a party to fix her up with a very short man might be considered funny by some, unless of course, you were the woman or man in question.
In the book Chasing Eliot Ness, which has now been turned into a screenplay, Ness is portrayed as an ambitious and ruthless antagonist as well as a womanizer. According to two biographies that try to accurately depict Ness, his love life was possibly one of the most interesting aspects of his personality. No sooner did he divorce wife number one did he marry wife number two, some of whom say was waiting in the wings. His second marital union with Evaline McAndrews, a former model who today would be labeled a trophy wife, lasted only a few years. One month after that divorce, he married his third and final wife, Elisabeth Seavers.
While his first wife stayed at home and waited for him, his second wife accompanied him on drinking and socializing throughout Cleveland. On one occasion, he hit a motorist at 4:30 in the morning after an all night binge and then left the scene of the crime. Although not prosecuted for this crime, he was forced to resign from his job in Cleveland. Not long after this incident, his second wife left him and he filed for divorce, although according to his biography, the supporting documents of his divorce, save his petition, are missing.
Ness and his third wife adopted a three year old son two years after they were married, although this did not stop him from his daily routine, that included spending most of his late afternoons and evenings drinking and socializing with other women. He was picked up on at least one occasion for driving while intoxicated at a time when laws against this crime were lax and just ended in small fines.
In the book, Chasing Eliot Ness, the latest fictionalized account of the Chicago events that also touches on Eliot Ness during his first divorce, the prohibition agent is shown as being a flirtatious ladies man thirsting for publicity, sex, and, after repeal, scotch after scotch. Although this is a work of fiction, the characterization of Ness portrayed in this book is far more accurate than any other work of fiction. Although he was, by all accounts, dedicated to law enforcement, particularly ending corruption in cities such as Chicago and Cleveland, he was also flawed, particularly when he had a few drinks and was tempted by the many women who tossed themselves at him throughout his entire adult life.
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