The Man Who Impersonated His Friend And Went To Prison For Him So He Could Get Married
An Illinois bootlegger found a sucker in a friend to help him evade justice in the 1920s
There’s nothing like a good friend where two people are so close that they will do just about anything for each other. That all goes out the window when a betrayal happens and such selflessness is not reciprocated. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to a man named Thomas Novilla in 1928, after he agreed to pretend to be his friend, John Rinilli, and take his place in starting a prison sentence so Rinilli could get married before returning to switch places and serve the remainder of his punishment.
In Wheaton, Illinois, Rinilli was arrested for bootlegging. Facing some serious time behind bars, he approached his buddy, Novilla, and asked if he would help him out since his trial for his legal trouble supposedly coincided with the day that he had planned on getting married. He allegedly said:
“You go to court and plead guilty. Say you’re me. Then stay in jail until I return from my honeymoon, at which time I’mm come over and take your place.”
Incredibly, Novilla agreed to the hair-brained plot. After submitting a guilty plea, he was sentenced to 180 days in prison in lieu of a…
