While parts of the movie Public Enemies were filmed in Wisconsin, Shawano became the real-life home to one of the main characters in the movie. John Dillinger's girlfriend, Evelyn “Billie” Frechette moved to Shawano after spending two years in federal prison. She's portrayed in the film by Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard.
“Billie was born on the Menominee Reservation,” says Patti Peterson, the tourism manager for the Shawano County Chamber of Commerce. “She did leave for awhile and came back as an adult.”
Frechette married Shawano barber Art Tic and lived along Shawano Lake before dying of cancer in 1969. She was buried in Neopit on the Menominee reservation. Until he died, Tic would buy a rose from Ollie's Flowers in downtown Shawano at least every Friday, and place it at Frechette's grave. Public Enemies opened around the country this week.
