Michael "The Pike"Heitler (1876 – April 30, 1931) was aProhibition gangster involved inprostitution for theChicago Outfit. A Jewish mob boss born in what is today Ukraine, Heitler is buried at Waldheim Cemetery Co. in Forest Park, Illinois.

Heitler began operatingbrothels inChicago during the early 1900s based out of westMadison Street. By 1911, he had become a leading crime figure and a top lieutenant to Chicago racketeer Jacob "Mont" Tennes, later driving rivalJack Zuta out of business, with then allyJake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik. Although arrested briefly forwhite slavery, Heitler continued to run independently ofJames "Big Jim" Colosimo and later independently ofJohnny "The Fox" Torrio, until the early 1920s, after the formation of theChicago Outfit.

Reluctantly joining Capone's organization, Heitler began informing Chicago police of criminal activities after rival Guzik gained control of the organization's prostitution operations, informing Judge John H. Lyle of extortion and other illegal activities in the Four Deuces nightclub. Heitler was soon found out and fired by Capone after he received a letter to the state's attorney office detailing his prostitution operations. Heitler continued to send information to police later claiming Capone's involvement in the death ofChicago Tribune reporterJake Lingle, which, the letter was received by Capone.^{[citation needed]} Heitler may have also been involved in the conviction of Guzik andRalph "Bottles" Capone fortax evasion, in 1930. Heitler was last seen with Capone associateLawrence "Dago" Mangano and was later found dead in a burned ice house on the Spencer Otis Farm at Baker Lake April 29, 1931.^[1]

• Kelly, Robert J.Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000.ISBN 0-313-30653-2
• Sifakis, Carl.The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005.ISBN 0-8160-5694-3
• Sifakis, Carl.The Encyclopedia of American Crime. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2001.ISBN 0-8160-4040-0

• Binda, Lawrence.The Big, Bad Book of Mike: Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions Named Michael, Mike and Mickey. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, 2003.ISBN 0-595-28772-7
• Schoenberg, Robert J.Mr. Capone. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992.ISBN 0-688-12838-6

• 1931 deaths
• American brothel owners and madams
• American pimps
• 1876 births
• Deaths from fire in the United States
• American gangsters of the interwar period
• Chicago Outfit mobsters

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from July 2022
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from November 2009