Murray The Camel collapses at Marina City

It was a sad day for the Chicago crime syndicate when Murray “The Camel” Humphreys (1899-1965) was found dead of a heart attack in his 51st floor apartment at Marina City. It could have been from the stress of being arrested, just hours earlier, on charges of lying to a federal grand jury.

Following the indictment on November 23, 1965, three FBI agents arrived at Marina City and knocked on the door of Humphreys’ apartment. When Humphreys answered with a 38-caliber revolver in his hand, one of the agents said, “Murray, for Christ’s sake, you know we’re FBI agents. Put down the gun.”

They quickly overpowered the 66-year-old mobster, handcuffed him, and forcibly took from Humphreys the key to his safe. He was taken into custody and then released around 5:00 p.m. after a friend posted ten percent of a $4,500 bond.

At about 8:30 p.m., back at his Marina City apartment, Murray was found lying face down on the floor by his brother, Ernest, who called the fire department at 8:59 p.m. Firefighters arrived and tried to revive Humphreys, but he was pronounced dead at 9:31 p.m. by Dr. R. B. Robbins, who lived in the building.

Murray had apparently been vacuuming the room at the time of his death. The Cook County coroner said it was a heart attack. This inspired newspaper columnist Mike Royko to quip the mobster had “died of unnatural causes.”

At one time, the chief investigator for the State Attorney’s office had described Humphreys as “public enemy number one.” Al Capone said of him, “The Hump can shoot if he has to but he likes to negotiate with cash when he can.” Sam Giancana called Humphreys “the nicest guy in the mob.”

The nice guy is said to have been one of the lead gunmen in the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” of 1929.

Humphreys discretely moved to Marina City on Memorial Day, May 30, 1963. Knowing that Humphreys was moving but not knowing exactly where he was moving to, FBI agent Bill Roemer correctly guessed Marina City. In his 2002 book about the Chicago underworld, The Outfit, Gus Russo says Roemer guessed Marina City because it was “much in demand with the city’s high-rolling apartment dwellers.”

Roemer moved quickly to develop an informant, identified by Russo only as “a secretary inside the complex.”

Humphreys moved into unit 5131, a one-bedroom apartment in the east tower that was rented to Eddie Ryan, described as a “longtime gofer” of Humphreys. Shortly before Humphreys moved in, FBI agents had gained access to the apartment and hid a microphone.

The FBI described the apartment as “elegant, if not spacious,” with views of Lake Michigan, Tribune Tower, and State Street. They noted expensive-looking furniture, paintings, and a player piano. Humphreys had a burglar alarm, tear gas, and bars on the windows of his 51st floor apartment.

(Above) Murray “The Camel” at various ages.