Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Buckley, Jerry
Gerald Emmett Buckley was born on April 5, 1891 in Detroit, Michigan. After passing the bar, he investigated several court cases for the United States government. In 1921, he served as a private investigator for Henry Ford. He began a career in radio broadcasting in 1928 on Detroit radio station WMBC. The program centered on local government issues and social reform. By 1930, his 6 p.m. nightly program focused more on political corruption and organized crime in Detroit. The actions of Mayor Charles Bowles were of particular concern to Buckley.
At this time, Police Commissioner Harold Emmons received public criticism for not controlling the criminal element in Detroit. While Bowles was out of town in the spring of 1930, knowing the Mayor would not agree, Emmons had 276 persons connected to various illegal activities arrested. When Bowles returned, Emmons was fired. After Emmon’s dismissal, the corruption continued. This led to Buckley’s campaign to recall the Mayor, and on July 22, 1930, Bowles was removed.
About 11:30 PM on the evening of the recall, Buckley was in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel, on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Adelaide Street in Detroit, where his residence and the WMBC studios were located. Three men approached him and fired eleven shots. He died on the way to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Even though there were several arrests, no one was convicted for the murder. Buckley died July 23, 1930 and was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery Detroit, with his burial being attended by thousands of mourners.
RELATED ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION
