A database of FBI files on people with Chicago and Illinois ties

The FBI files obtained by the Sun-Times are filled with well-known people who, for one reason or another, came under scrutiny by the agency, like renowned organizer Saul Alinsky in the file shown here. | FBI

The Sun-Times has compiled a database of FBI records on notable people with ties to Illinois, including politicians, gangsters and religious leaders. Keep checking back for updates.

What do the feds know?

Plenty — especially about Chicago-area political figures, reputed mobsters, union leaders, government officials and others among the famous and the infamous.

The FBI gathers a lot of information on a lot of people. And, when those people die, the FBI’s files on them often become public documents, accessible upon request, though frequently heavily redacted.

Sometimes, it also will release its records on the living and on events and organizations like street gangs.

The Chicago Sun-Times has compiled FBI records on people and groups with ties to, or of particular interest to, the Chicago region and Illinois. They can be viewed through this portal, with new ones to be added regularly.

Beside shining a light on historical events and people and giving a glimpse of how law enforcement operates, some of the files, as you’ll see, are just plain entertaining.