Petty Crime

In today's edition of USA today there is an article about a guy named Jeff Scalf. His grandmother was John Dillinger's half sister. He seems to be trying to extort money from a little town in Iowa based on an Indiana law which allows "family" members to exploit the name of Dillinger (and other remote family members to exploint the name of their famous "ancestors") for 100 years after their (the famous person's death).

Mason City Iowa was the site of one of Mr. Dillinger's bank robberies in 1934, where the petty thug who was gunned down later that year at Chicago's Biograph theater, and so they, by any rights, should have an equal claim to use Dillinger's name in commemorating the robbery as the grandson of a half sister who never met Mr. Dillinger - at least Mason City met the guy. The law has also been responsible for closing down a small museum in Hammond, Indiana about Dillinger. Since when should this kind of law be applicable to a museum? This is just nonsense. Dillinger's entire career lasted about two years and this low life wants to try to exploit it until 2034.

Dillinger was a minor footnote to history. His semi-relatives should not have a claim on his name. Were there real justice here the law would stay on the books but Mr. Scalf would be required to pay restitution to all the places that Dillinger terrorized. That sounds like a fair trade.