Bandits and Gangsters

Crime Wave.

The 1930s are regarded as an era of widespread lawlessness and violence. The great "midwestern" crime wave lasted but for a brief time during the early part of the decade and captured the imagination of the public like little else could. Between "Baby Face" Nelson, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and "Creepy" Karpis on the one hand, and the ruthlessness of urban criminal gangs and the frequent revelations of police and political corruption on the other, the 1930s have earned a reputation for lawlessness that tends to obscure other more significant developments in the history of law and order.

Crime Pays.

These same outlaws inspired a new war on crime. In the 1920s Americans had displayed a rather surprising tolerance for criminals, particularly those involved in the bootlegger's trade. In an age when the consumption of alcohol had become a symbol of independence and sophistication, the escapades of the...

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