Shelton's Assets

SHELTON’S ASSETS


Bernie Shelton…the man with all the money and gangster power was basically a myth perpetrated by grandfather’s and gangster fans. Oh he lived here…no doubt about that, coming to Peoria in early 1941.and died by a shot to the back here on July 28 1948 he was born in 1913.

He was supposed to control Peoria gambling which was a joke. Gambling got its start here way back before the Civil war and just slowly grew, expanding during Prohibition. Gambling reached its peak during WW 11, and died an abrupt death on 9-6-1946. When Shelton was here…especially beginning in 1942 we had 242 taverns and most of them had gambling of one sort or the other we had 9 places that were flat out casinos. Now many of these tavern owners were wealthy and if they wanted to get rid of Bernie and his brother Carl they would have done so either violently or by sheer pressure. Believe me, in those early years a hundred dollar bill could buy you just about anything…if you get my meaning.

Now I realize that the assets I am listing here after Bernie’s will was probated will mean nothing to your grandfather and the other gangster fans. I can just hear them say…”Well, hell, he probably had a couple of million dollars stashed somewhere.” What a joke.

Bernie’s Assets:

$56,199.00 This included his real estate holdings
which were evaluated at : $33,022.18 CASH $14,892.22
Chattel ( Personal property) $5,532.85 other holdings $20,000.00
Total Claims Against the Estate: $16,442.32 I’ll let you do the math.
Bernie Shelton was a pug, an uneducated thug. He was an ex-convict and could not even hold a liquor License in a city of Peoria tavern. He had a ‘legit’ business in Shelton’s Amusement Company, but he sure as hell knew little about properly running it. That was left up to brother Carl. They rented and sold gambling paraphernalia…pretty dice girls and dealers. They also had juke boxes and they made money at this. Sure he had a dive or two in town…one was the Red Onion and one across from HUNTS in the county called Parkway. He did not own them and his name was not on the license…but of course he ruled them and people did work for him. His house was out off Farmington Road and is still there. He called it “The Golden Rule” The street was and is called Shelton Lane...He did not own them and his name was not on the license. I would love to tell you some really lurid…wild stories about his murders and violence in Peoria…sorry they did not exist.

He was arrested in May of 1948, and he was killed in July of 1948. He had a wonderful girlfriend named ‘Ginny’ and he had a horse named major. He raised and showed show cattle and existed here as a gambler and a hustler…was he violent? I bet he was but his reputation as a gangster was pretty much what he lived off of…Sorry…but the people I talked to over the years liked him.

Everyone liked his wife…she was Genevieve ‘Ginny’ Paulsgrove…( Bernie’s First wife was Bonnie Shelton..

I found that they were living early 40’s at 707 Monson Apartment 9 under Genevieve and Bernie Pauslgrove….

She was a beauty salon Operator in the Jefferson Building or there where the Rialto Theater was…It was called the Jefferson Beauty Salon…operated by Mrs. Genevieve Paulsgrove…

Bernie’s wife bought a double plot at the Parkview Cemetery I saw the cars and the big funeral…I think it was July 31, since he died on the 28th…people mostly women took the flowers from the grave…it was a big deal.

He is buried in LOT 437 Section B in Parkview
His grave says S H E L T O N the stone says BERNIE B 1899 1948 the other grave stones is marked GENEVIEVE 1913 but she is not buried there.