Infamous Bill Stepp dies at 73
He was called a powerful gangster but he avoided prison and died of natural causes.
Photos: Area gangster Stepp dies at 73
By Martha Hardcastle
Contributing Writer
Friday, December 12, 2008
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William Elias 'Bill' SteppClick to enlargeHARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — New York had its "Teflon Don" and Dayton had its well-seasoned, fiery figure of similar infamy.
William Elias "Bill" Stepp was the most famous mobster, gangster and notorious hoodlum the Miami Valley has known.
He died Nov. 27 of natural causes at his Harrison Twp. home, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office. Stepp was 73.
"Bill's major call to fame is that he probably lived the most charmed life of any mobster in the history of the United States," said Wes Hills, a former Dayton Daily News staff writer who covered organized crime in the Miami Valley for about 20 years.
"He succeeded in avoiding prison for his entire adult life while being the most powerful gangster in the region," Hills said Thursday, Dec. 11. "Many in law enforcement believe the reason Bill evaded prosecution was because of his long-standing cooperation with the FBI and other law enforcement."
Stepp, the son of an Appalachian lay minister in Highland County, had several siblings, including younger brother Ernest Emoliver Stepp — a member of his gang.
"As a very young boy, his father used to take Bill down to the Cincinnati riverfront docks and bet on him in fights against older adults," Hills said. "Bill was a very, very physically strong man.... He was an outstanding street fighter."
Stepp was also smart.
"Bill ... had a very special knack to ingratiate himself," Hills said. "He was a very polite person and very gracious and well spoken. He knew how to size up people and how to get close to them."
His legend was so enormous that he didn't always have to do much to impress. Many believed he was in the Mafia, Hills said.
"Stepp wasn't La Cosa Nostra — he was Appalachian. He wasn't with a large national organization at all. He was just tough as an individual. He knew his way around — drove a black Mercedes-Benz. He looked the part."
Hills, who lives in Michigan, said, "Bill was a pretty remarkable guy. Just showing how long he survived, that he died of natural causes outside of prison, demonstrates how smart he was."
In his later days, Stepp joined his wife in her Catholic faith. No relatives could be reached for comment.
Baker-Hazel-Snider Funeral Home confirmed that Stepp was cremated.
