HENRY “HANK” GANNON   PLAYED BY:  NATHAN PURDEE 1992-PRESENT    Hank Gannon grew up in Chicago.  During his school years he was a very rebellious and wild teenager.  His instructors knew Hank was basically a bright, intelligent boy who could make something of himself if he used his brain.  In his senior year of high school, Hank became a national high school football player, and was given the nickname “The Cannon” by the local papers,  Off to Midwestern University, Hank met and married fellow student Nora Hanen.  While still in college Nora had an affair with Hank’s younger brother, RJ.   Nora and Hank had a baby girl whom they named Rachel.  Having a baby put a terrible strain on their marriage financially, and they never seemed to have enough time for one another.  When Rachel was five, Hank and Nora divorced.  Hank became very bitter when Nora received full custody of their daughter.  Hank went on to become District Attorney for Llantano County PA, and made quite a name for himself.  In 1992, he won a conviction when Sarah Buchanan was charged with killing Carlo Hesser.  In the end, Carlo’s niece confessed to having murdered her uncle.  The real truth later came out that Carlo had staged the whole event and was alive and well.  Hank then tried the rape case in which Marty Saybrooke accused Todd Manning, Kevin Buchanan, and several other fraternity members of raping her at a party.  Hanks next case came in 1994 when he prosecuted Dorian Lord for the murder of her husband, Victor.  He won the case, but later evidence overturned the verdict.

During this time, Hanks brother, RJ became intent on ruining his career.  RJ never followed in his brother’s shadow, instead he became a hustler, making money any way he could, mostly illegally.  RJ decided to use a videotape taken when Hank was still at Midwestern, that allegedly showed him standing by as a murder was being committed.  Hank was forced to resign from office, then Bo Buchanan found the real tape, which exonerated Hank, whose good reputation was restored. 

In 1995, Hank presented state’s evidence against Llanview police officer Andy Harrison, involving possession of a stolen weapon, intent to sell, and the murder of a local teenage gang member.  Charges were later dropped. 

On Valentine’s Day in 1995, Hank married his longtime love, nurse Sheila Price.  Because their marriage was filled with problems they divorced in 1996, after Sheila told Hank she was pregnant.  Hank was not happy about the news, which caused her to miscarry a few days later. 

In 1996, Hank set his sights on finding evidence to put the recently resurrected Carlo Hesser behind bars.  Then Carlo was shot and Hank prosecuted Antonio Vega for the crime.  Later, evidence revealed that Alex Hesser, Carlo’s wife, had murdered him.  The truth was that Carlo had again masterminded his own death to get out of the country. 

Two years later, Todd Manning was accused of murdering Georgie Phillips, and Hank thought he would be prosecuting Todd once again.  However, it turned out that Hank’s daughter, Rachel had killed her.  Rachel went to prison and served her time. 

Hank met Carlotta Vega, Antonio’s mother, who owned a local restaurant.   They dated several times and grew quite fond of one another,  but when Hank proposed to Carlotta she turned him down and that was the end of their relationship.  Shortly after this, he started dating Lisa West, a detective on the LDP. 

Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan became a very close friend of Hank’s and asked Hank to stand as his best man for his wedding to Lindsay Rappaport, which never took place. 

In 1999, Hank prosecuted Will Rappaport for embezzling money from a foundation set up by Asa Buchanan in memory of his great-granddaughter, Megan. Bo showed Hank evidence that pointed to Asa as setting up Will, so Hank offered Will a plea bargain.  Unfortunately, during the trial, the judge threw it out and sent Will to Statesville Prison on a maximum sentence.