Dillinger, Capone memorabilia in auction

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CHICAGO, March 1 (UPI) -- A Chicago auctioneer said it is selling off John Dillinger and Al Capone memorabilia that once belonged to a famous local collector.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers said bidding will open March 16 for part of the collection amassed by Harold Rubin, a collector who died in 2007 and was once known as the "king of Chicago pornography," the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

The items include a bulletproof vest purported to have been worn or stolen by Dillinger, a plaster mold of the gangster's death mask and Al Capone memorabilia including prohibition documents, room keys, poker chips and photographs.

Mary Williams, head of Leslie Hindman's rare books and manuscripts department, said Rubin admired Dillinger as a "Robin Hood" figure and was fascinated by Capone's power.

Rubin was famous for running Weird Harold's adult bookstore, massage parlor and nude modeling studio, a business that frequently landed him in court, Williams said.