Prostitutes Dilling

Ana Cumpănaș, better known as Anna Sage, was a Romanian immigrant who ran brothels in Chicago. Facing deportation in 1934, she made a deal with the FBI. She offered information on the notorious bank robber John Dillinger, her occasional customer.

The Biograph Theater Setup

Sage knew Dillinger was seeing her friend, Polly Hamilton. She told the FBI she would identify Dillinger at a movie theater. On July 22, 1934, Sage wore a bright orange-and-white dress – later remembered as red – to the Biograph Theater, signalling Dillinger’s presence. FBI agents ambushed and killed Dillinger as he left the theater.

Aftermath of the Betrayal

For her role, Sage became infamous as “The Woman in Red.” However, her reward was only $5,000, half the promised amount. Deportation proceedings continued, and she was eventually sent back to Romania. Sage’s betrayal remains one of the most famous moments in American crime history.

*TAGS* – brothel owner Chicago, FBI informant 1934, Woman in Red legend