RACINE - The submachine gun grabbed by gangster John Dillinger from a Racine police officer during a 1933 robbery has returned to the Racine police station.

The gun, a Thompson, was placed back in its display case in the lobby of the station, 730 Center St., last week. It had been on loan from the department to the Racine Art Museum, but the museum returned it about two years ago because it hadn't been actively displaying it, according to Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen.

In the process, a bracket used to mount and protect the gun was lost. Titan Inc., an industrial machinery manufacturer at 9900 Durand Ave. in Sturtevant, created and donated new brackets to the department so the gun could once again be showcased.

It was a slow process to get the gun back on display in the department, which was its home for many years, said Racine Police Lt. Jim Dobbs.

"It's a piece of history that people are still interested in," Dobbs said.

On Nov. 20, 1933, the famous gangster and his gang robbed $28,000 from the American Bank and Trust, located at Fifth and Main streets, the current location of Racine Art Museum. They shot a bank teller and a police officer during the robbery, but no one was killed. They took some hostages with them as they left, putting them on the running boards of their cars so police would not shoot at them. The hostages were later released.

The gun used in the robbery was recovered by authorities in Arizona on Jan. 17, 1934. Its value was set at $800 in a 1979 appraisal.

The weapon was featured in a 2004 exhibit at the museum celebrating Racine's role in the life of Dillinger, the FBI's first Public Enemy No. 1.

Now the bank robber's story is once again being brought to the forefront, Wahlen said, since it was announced last month that Johnny Depp will be coming to Wisconsin to star as Dillinger in the movie "Public Enemies."

"Dillinger's a very colorful character," Wahlen said. "(The gun has) always been a wonderful display item here."