History Blog: Pistol Packin' Mama

Reading old newspapers, with their reports of petty crimes or items of note only important to the time, can be rather boring. Occasionally an article, including the title, stands out and is quite entertaining.

An article from the November 7, 1944 issue of the Daily Review is such an example:

Pistol Packin’ Mama was reborn in Alvarado this weekend when Jennie Czupek, brandishing what appeared to be either a .22 caliber or a .32 caliber nickel plated gun, shot up the town in good old fashioned western style. Jennie is the cook for the Railroad section hands in Alvarado.

Picked up by sheriff’s deputies on charges of drunkenness and for carrying a gun, Jennie was sentenced to five days in jail or a $10 fine by Judge Silva on Monday on the drunkenness charge. She pleaded not guilty to carrying the gun and will be tried at a later date.

According to witnesses, Jennie entered the Alvarado Hotel at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday and stayed about half an hour. During that time she drove a Mexican out of the door at the point of her gun. She then went down to the Silver Dollar Saloon and fired a shot out the door. Her brief but eventful evening in town was cut short when deputy sheriff’s arrested her.

The Alvarado Hotel is now the Smith Building at the corner of Smith Street and Union City Blvd. The Silver Dollar Saloon is now closed and is on Horner Street between Vallejo and Watkins Streets.