[citation needed] Ancestors of the Shelton Brothers Gang trace their roots back to Ireland, under the surname "Hunter".
They eventually dominated both gambling and liquor distribution in Little Egypt until 1926, when a former ally, gangster Charles Birger, attempted to take over the Sheltons' bootlegging operations.
This began a violent gang war, which saw both sides use homemade armored trucks and included an aerial bombing raid by the Sheltons on Birger's Shady Rest headquarters.
Based on the testimony of Birger and Art Newman, the Shelton Brothers were convicted of an unsolved 1925 mail carrier robbery of $15,000 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
[citation needed] After their eventual release from prison, the Shelton brothers moved in to control gambling in Peoria, Illinois.