TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Monday marks the 90th anniversary since the Hotel Congress Fire of 1934 — the same one which aided in the capture of infamous gangster John Dillinger.
To commemorate this, the hotel hosted its annual Dillinger Days event, but poor weather conditions nixed a few of the attractions.
“Like 70 different automobiles, classic cars, the whole Model-A team isn’t here, the outside music, bands playing, entertainment,” explained show producer and actor Johnny Hotshot.
These vintage cars and restored firetrucks from the 1930's which usually come to the two-day extravaganza were kept away due to their roofless designs.
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But this didn't stop the entire hotel lobby from filling up with people to watch the Dillinger capture reenactments, with some spectators peering in through the front doors.
Hotshot recalled, “Every show for 30 years. We can never fit enough bleachers outside for the shows.”
In fact, the performance looked just as it did when Dillinger Days started three decades ago.
"For the first seven years of the show, it was...in the hotel lobby," Hotshot noted.
The Hotel Congress fire led Tucson police to eventually capture Dillinger and his gang members — a piece of history the movies don’t even tell.
“This was something that happened right here in the Old Pueblo, and it’s a pretty amazing part of the story," Hotshot said.
The Rex family made sure they didn't miss it. It's almost like a second birthday for four-year-old Dillinger Rex, who was dressed just like the gangster he was named after — in a pinstripe suit, a fedora hat too big for his head and accessorized with two fake guns.
"When we found out we were going to have a boy, we knew the name was going to be Dillinger,” said mom Danielle. “In his baby book, we can have pictures of him growing up with [actor] John Dillinger."
The performers have come to love and know him well, and Danielle says her son is living up to his mischievous name.
"He knows the whole background of...Public Enemy No. 1," she explained. "I mean, at home, he even dresses up like him. They play cops and robbers."
During the interview, KGUN 9 asked if Dillinger is a troublemaker.
"Oh yeah, he gets into it. We might have to save for bail money in the future," Danielle joked.
But they have high hopes for his adult life.
“Maybe even one day, he might even become one of the actors and become the actual John Dillinger in the future. So, that would be kind of cool,” Danielle added.
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
