that he claimed the marshals had stolen; neither the government's charges nor the lawsuit came to anything. Chicago journalist James O'Donnell Bennett is reputed to have called Weiss “the brainiest leader that North Side boozedom ever had.” North Side Gang Leader Dean O'Banion was killed at his headquarters flower shop on November 10, 1924. Weiss succeeded his friend as North Side gang leader and embarked on a campaign of revenge against the Torrio-Capone Gang and the Genna Brothers. Weiss was terminally ill with cancer, which made him heedless of his own safety when conducting bold attacks on Torrio’s gang. In January 1925, the North Siders shot up Al Capone's car on 55th and State St., missing Capone but wounding members of his entourage. Later that month, Weiss, Moran, and Drucci ambushed Torrio outside his southside home. Torrio was shot several times and left for dead. Torrio survived and recovered in a local hospital. Shortly after this incident, Torrio relinquished control of his gang to Al Capone. After Torrio's flight to New York City, Chicago broke out into a city-wide gang war. Weiss allied his North Side Gang with the Westside O’Donnells, the Saltis-McErlane mob, and the GKW gang. In August 1926, Weiss and Drucci (with their entourage) were attacked by a contingent of Capone gunmen, including Paul Ricca, who was arrested at the scene. The gun battle took place on South Michigan Avenue, near the Standard Oil Building. The North Side Gang leaders survived the attack, reportedly due in large part to Drucci’s personal efforts in driving off the assailants. Weiss retaliated against Capone on September 20, 1926. A procession of ten vehicles unloaded gunfire into Capone’s Hawthorne Hotel, on 22nd St. in Cicero. Over 1000 rounds were fired. Police at the time believed Weiss, Drucci, Moran, the Gusenburg brothers, and other North Siders were the gunmen in the attack. Capone was on the premises at the time of the shooting, but was able to flee out of the back of the building during the ambush. Paul Ricca, who was wounded in this attack, reportedly warned Capone and others as the North Side convoy came down the street. Murder Jury selection for a murder trial of Joe Saltis, with whom Weiss sought an alliance, began on October 11, 1926 and Weiss and four of his men were sighted there. With him that day were his bodyguard Sam Pellar, gangster Paddy