List of the Great Depression-era outlaws

Last updated

This is a list of the Great Depression-era outlaws spanning the years of Prohibition and the Great Depression known as the "Public Enemy" era. Those include high-profile criminals wanted by state and federal law enforcement agencies for armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, and other violent crime. These are not to be confused with organized crime figures of the same period.

Contents

List

NamePortraitLifeComments
Edward J. Adams Edward Adams (mugshot, 1921).jpg 1887–1921Bootlegger, car thief, murderer: After being sentenced to life imprisonment, Adams escaped custody twice. He was killed in a shootout with police. [1] [2] [3]
George "Dutch" Anderson George Dutch Anderson Wanted.jpg 1879–1925Anderson and his associates successfully robbed a US Mail truck in New York City of $2.4 million in cash, bonds, and jewelry. [1] [2]
John Ashley John Ashley.jpg 1895–1924Florida bandit known as the "King of the Everglades": His gang robbed banks and trains, hijacked rumrunners, and feuded with police in southern Florida until Ashley's death in 1924. [1] [2]
Harvey John Bailey Harvey Bailey's mugshot Dallas 1933 2013-08-25 21-10.jpg 1887–1979Considered one of the most successful bank robbers of the 1920s, Bailey stole over a million dollars. Bailey spent 31 years in prison and died at the age 91 in Joplin, Missouri. [1] [2]
Basil "The Owl" Banghart The Owl.png 1900–1982Basil is best remembered for his involvement in the hoax kidnapping of Chicago mobster Jake "the Barber" Factor, a crime for which Roger Touhy and he were eventually proven innocent after nearly 20 years in prison. [1] [2]
Lloyd BarkdollNo image
available
1900–1982Oregon bank robber: Sentenced to life imprisonment, Barkdoll took part in an unsuccessful escape attempt with Sam Shockley, Joseph Cretzer, and Arnold Kyle from Alcatraz in 1941. [1]
Ma Barker 1873–1935Legendary associate of the Barker–Karpis gang [1] [2]
Arthur Barker Arthur Barker.jpg 1901–1939Member of the Barker–Karpis gang, son of Ma Barker [1] [2]
Fred Barker Fred-barker1.jpg 1899–1935Member of the Barker–Karpis gang, son of Ma Barker [1] [2]
Blanche Barrow and
Buck Barrow
Buck and Blanche FOIA FBI.jpg 1911–1988 (Blanche)
1903–1933 (Buck)
Members of the Barrow gang
Clyde Barrow and
Bonnie Parker [1] [2]
Bonnieclyde f.jpg 1909–1934 (Clyde)
1910–1934 (Bonnie)
Albert Bates Albert Bates mugshot 1934.jpg 1891–1948Bates was the longtime partner of George "Machine Gun" Kelly and participated in the kidnapping of oil tycoon Charles Urschel in 1933. [1] [2]
Edward Wilheim Bentz Edward Eddie Bentz mugshot 1936.jpg 1894–1979Bentz was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw associated with several high-profile public enemies during his criminal career. He was eventually captured by the FBI and sentenced to Alcatraz. [1] [2]
Joe Bergl No image
available
1901–1950A mechanic for Al Capone, he supplied Capone with custom-made vehicles. The vehicles were designed for protection and evasion purposes, and included armor plating, smokescreens, and oil slicks. [1] [2]
George Birdwell No image
available
1894–1932George Birdwell was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was one of the closest known associates of Pretty Boy Floyd. [1] [2]
Charles Birger No image
available
1881–1928A bootlegger based in the southern region of Illinois: Birger's gang, along with the Shelton Brothers gang, waged war with each other, and the local Ku Klux Klan throughout the 1920s.
Fred William Bowerman FBI-046-FredWilliamBowerman.jpg 1893–1953Fred William Bowerman was an American criminal, bank robber, and Depression-era outlaw, who was eventually placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list in 1953. He was a party to the disastrous Southwest Bank holdup in St. Louis, Missouri, which was later made into a movie The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery . [2]
Ford Bradshaw No image
available
1908–1934Though Bradshaw never attained the fame of fellow Sooner, Oklahoma, Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, his small-town bank raids far exceeded those of Floyd during his criminal career. He was killed resisting arrest. [1] [2]
Tom "Skeet" Bradshaw No image
available
1911-Brother of Ford Bradshaw and member of the Cookson Hills gang: Suspected in several bank robberies in Oklahoma and Kansas, he was eventually convicted of attempted murder and bootlegging in 1934. [1]
Robert "Big Bob" Brady No image
available
1904–1934A known associate of the Bailey–Underhill gang [1] [2]
Al Brady No image
available
1911–1937Brady was an Indiana-born armed robber and murderer, who became one of the FBI's "Public Enemies" in the 1930s. [1] [2]
Harold Brest No image
available
1912–1979A Pennsylvania bank robber, he was sent to Alcatraz, and was a participant in Floyd Hamilton's 1943 escape attempt. [1]
Lester Brockelhurst LesterBrockelhurstBerniceFelton.jpg 1914–1938In 1937, "25 year-old" Bible student Lester Brockelhurst and 18-year-old Bernice Felton were arrested after three murders and multiple robberies in 18 states. Brockelhurst was sentenced to death; Felton was acquitted.
Harry Brunette No image
available
1911–1972He was declared a national "public enemy" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation when partner Merle Vandenbush and he robbed a series of banks in the New York City area and kidnapped New Jersey state trooper William A. Turnbull during 1936. [1] [2]
Fred "Killer" Burke No image
available
1885–1940Burke was an armed robber, contract killer, and primary suspect in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Burke was named America's most wanted man. Eventually imprisoned, he died there of heart disease. [1] [2] [4]
John Callahan No image
available
1866–1936Callahan was an American outlaw and bank robber during the closing days of the Old West. He eventually became the leading underworld figure in Wichita, Kansas, during Prohibition, specifically becoming involved in bootlegging and narcotics. [2]
Robert Carey No image
available
1894–1932An armed robber and contract killer, he was considered as a suspect in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. [5]
Tommy Carroll Tommy Carroll Photo.jpg 1901–1934A boxer-turned-criminal, Carroll committed numerous robberies during the 1920s and 1930s, and was a longtime member of the John Dillinger gang. [2] [5]
Gerald Chapman No image
available
1888–1926Chapman was known as the "Count of Gramercy Park", and was convicted of several robberies and murders. Eventually considered one of America's top-10 criminals, Chapman was convicted of the murder of police officer James Skelly. He was sentenced to hang and was executed on April 6, 1926. [2] [5] [6]
John Paul Chase Chasemug.jpg 1901–1973He was a longtime criminal associate of the Barker–Karpis gang and Baby Face Nelson, who later brought him into the John Dillinger gang. Chase was eventually caught and sent to Alcatraz, where he became one of the longest-serving inmates. [2] [5]
Vivian Chase Vivian Chase Wichita KS mug shot.JPG 1902–1935Chase was an associate of several robbers, including her husband, George Chase, and Charlie Mayes. However, she is best known for her role in the kidnapping of banker August Luer. Because Luer was not in good health, Chase and her partner O'Malley released him not long after his capture. O'Malley was eventually arrested, while Chase escaped. She was later found dead in her car outside St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. [2] [5]
James "Oklahoma Jack" Clark No image
available
1902–1974Clark was a bank robber who stole more than $15,000 from a bank in Clinton, Indiana. Held in an Indiana state prison, he met John Dillinger, Harry Pierpont, and others. He escaped using pistols smuggled in by a visitor, but was recaptured shortly thereafter. He died in prison. [2] [5]
Jim Clark No image
available
1902–1974Clark was associated with Wilbur Underhill, Harvey Bailey, and Robert "Big Bob" Brady, and remained a public enemy in Kansas until his capture and imprisonment in 1934. [2] [5]
Russell "Boobie" Clark No image
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1898–1968He is best known as the "good natured" member of the John Dillinger gang, and participated in armed holdups with them in a three-month crime spree across the Midwestern United States until his capture in January 1934. [2] [5]
Joseph Cretzer and Arnold Kyle No image
available
1911–1946
(Cretzer)
1910–1980
(Kyle)
Largely active in the West Coast, they were one of the few groups to gain national attention outside the Midwest, and also one of the last groups to be captured by the FBI at the end of the decade. Cretzer was killed in a failed attempt to escape Alcatraz, resulting in the 1946 prison riot. [2] [5]
Francis "Two Gun" Crowley 1912–1932Crowley was an American murderer and career criminal. His crime spree lasted nearly three months, ending in a two-hour shootout with the New York City Police Department in May 1931 viewed by 15,000 bystanders. He was captured and sent to Sing Sing, where he was executed in the electric chair. [2] [5]
James "Killer" Cunniffe No image
available
1896–1926Cunniffe was an American bank robber who planned and successfully carried out the 1926 New Jersey mail robbery, one of the most well-publicized thefts during the 1920s. [2]
Ed Davis No image
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1900–1937Davis was an American burglar, bank robber, and Depression-era outlaw. He was especially active in Oklahoma, referred to by authorities as "the Fox", and frequently teamed with Jim Clark and Frank Sawyer during the early 1930s. [2]
Volney "Curley" Davis No image
available
1902–1978Davis was a longtime Oklahoma bandit, and was the boyfriend of Edna Murray and an associate of both John Dillinger and the Barker–Karpis gang during the 1930s. [2] [5]
DeAutremont brothers No image
available
1905–1959 (Hugh)
1900–1983
(Roy)
1900–1984
(Ray)
Their unsuccessful robbery of Southern Pacific Railroad express train and the murder of all three crew members, known as the Siskiyou massacre, was subject to one of the largest and most extensive investigations in the region. The brothers were eventually identified with the assistance of Dr. Edward Heinrich, and were captured after a nationwide manhunt that lasted four years. [2] [5]
Lawrence De Vol No image
available
1895–1936De Vol was an American criminal, bank robber, prison escapee, and Depression-era outlaw. He was connected to several Midwestern gangs during the 1920s and 1930s, most often with the Barker–Karpis gang and Holden–Keating gang, and was also a former partner of Harvey Bailey's early in his criminal career. [2] [5]
Benny and Stella Dickson No image
available
1911–1939
(Benny)
1922–1995
(Stella)
The Dicksons, husband and wife, turned to crime shortly after their marriage. Shortly after Stella's 16th birthday, they robbed a bank in Elkton, South Dakota, taking more than $2000. Stella earned the nickname "Sure Shot" by shooting out the tires of a police patrol car after a heist in Michigan. Benny was killed by FBI agents in St. Louis. Stella was captured, convicted, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. [2] [5]
John Herbert Dillinger John Dillinger mug shot.jpg 1903–1934One of the most famous outlaws of the 20th century, he was known to have offered cab fare to his hostages, many of whom liked him in spite of themselves. [2] [5]
Frederick Grant Dunn Frederick Grant Dunn headshot.jpg 1905–"1958"Dunn was an American criminal, burglar, and bank robber whose career spanned from 1919 until his mysterious death in 1959. He led a small gang during the 1940s and 1950s, ans was referred to by the press as "the modern John Dillinger", and whose activities eventually resulted in his being listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted in 1958. [2]
Martin James Durkin No image
available
1900–1981Durkin was convicted of shooting the first FBI special agent killed in the line of duty, Edwin C. Shanahan. [2] [5] [7]
Aussie Elliott No image
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1914–1934An associate of George Birdwell and Pretty Boy Floyd, Elliott was convicted of bank robbery in 1932 and was sent to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, where he escaped that same year. In 1934, Elliott died in a gun battle with police near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. [2] [5]
Elmer Farmer No image
available
1893–1966A member of the Barker–Karpis gang, he was later sent to Alcatraz. [5]
Herbert Allen "Deafy" Farmer Herbert Allan Farmer.png 1890–1948Farmer was an American criminal, who with his wife Esther, operated a safe house for underworld fugitives from the mid-1920s to 1933. On June 16, 1933, Herbert and Esther Farmer were involved in the plan that set into motion the Kansas City massacre, "a pivotal event in Depression-era crimes". With five others, they were convicted of conspiracy to free a federal prisoner, Frank "Jelly" Nash, in January 1935. [2] [5]
Charles Fitzgerald No image
available
1877–1945A member of Barker–Karpis Gang and later sent to Alcatraz, Fitzgerald was one of its oldest inmates. [5]
Jake Fleagle No image
available
1890–1930Fleagle was a member of the Fleagle gang, who achieved notoriety by being the first case that was solved in which a single fingerprint was part of the evidence that led to a conviction. [2] [5]
Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd PrettyBoyFloyd01.jpg 1904–1934Floyd was an American bank robber and killer, romanticized by the press and by folk singer Woody Guthrie in his song "Pretty Boy Floyd". Time listed his first robbery as $3.50 in pennies from a local post office at the age of 18. He was arrested and convicted of payroll robbery three years later. [2] [5] [8]
Ralph Fults No image
available
1911–1993Fults was a Depression-era outlaw and escape artist associated with Raymond Hamilton, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde Barrow of the Barrow gang. [2] [5]
Richard Galatas No image
available
1890–1974A known associate of Frank Nash, he was involved in the scheme to free Nash from the FBI's custody in what became known as the Kansas City massacre; he was later sent to Alcatraz. [9]
Roy Gardner No image
available
1884–1940Gardner was once America's most infamous prison escapee and the most celebrated outlaw and escaped convict during the Roaring '20s. [2] [9]
Russell "Slim Gray" Gibson No image
available
1903–1935Gibson was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw associated with Alvin Karpis and the Barker gang during the late 1920s and '30s. [2] [9]
Helen Wawzynak Gillis No image
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1908–1987Gillis was the wife of mobster Baby Face Nelson, and assisted with many of his crimes. Alongside her husband, she was labeled public enemy number one. She was caught by the police soon after evading them while fleeing the scene of her husband's death. [2] [9]
Fred "Shotgun" George Ziegler Goetz No image
available
1896–1934Goetz, who was also known as "Shotgun" George Ziegler, George B. Seibert, and George Zeigler, was a Chicago outfit mobster and a suspected participant in the Valentine's Day massacre, in 1929, and Kansas City massacre. [2] [9]
Eddie Green Eddie Green.jpg 1898–1934Green was best known as a member of the John Dillinger gang. He was also associated with Frank "Jelly" Nash, Volney Davis, and the Barker–Karpis gang in his early career. [2] [9]
Floyd Garland Hamilton No image
available
1908–1984Brother of Raymond Hamilton, he was the driver for the Barrow gang during the early 1930s. He was the mastermind in the attempted escape from Alcatraz in 1943. [2] [9]
John "Red" Hamilton John Hamilton.jpg 1899–1934?Hamilton was a Canadian criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger's. [2] [9]
Raymond Hamilton No image
available
1913–1935Brother of Floyd Hamilton, he was a member of the notorious Barrow gang during the early 1930s. By the time he was 21 years old, he had accumulated a prison sentence of 362 years. He was executed by electric chair in 1935. [2] [9]
Thomas J. Holden and Francis L. Keating No image
available
1896–1953
(Holden)
1899–1978
(Keating)
Led by Thomas James Holden (1896–1953) and Francis Keating (1899–July 25, 1978), the gang was active in the Midwestern United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Holden was described by a spokesman for the FBI as "a menace to every man, woman, and child in America", and was the first fugitive to be officially listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List in 1950. [2]
Alva-Dewey Hunt and Hugh Gant No image
available
1897–1978 (Hunt)
1899–1984 (Gant)
A Depression-era outlaw group led by Alva-Dewey Hunt and Hugh Gant, the gang was active during the mid-to late 1930s. Although largely unknown on a national scale, their Midwest counterparts receiving the focus of the media, they were the only gang to operate south of the Mason–Dixon line, and robbed countless banks throughout the Southeastern United States [2] [9]
Elmer H. Inman No image
available
1880–1939He was an American criminal, bank robber, jewel thief, and Depression-era outlaw. At one time considered Oklahoma's "Public Enemy No. 1", he was a member of the Kimes–Terrill Gang and associated with Herman Barker and Wilbur Underhill, Jr., throughout the early 1930s. [2]
Eleanor "The Blonde Tigress" Jarman No image
available
1904–????Jarman was involved in a robbery with George Dale and Leo Minneci, in which Dale shot the shop owner. They were all captured, and Jarman and Minneci were sentenced to jail, but Jarman escaped custody and her whereabouts remained unknown. [2]
Charles E. Johnson FBI-061-CharlesEJohnson.jpg 1907-Johnson was a New York burglar who was listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted during 1953 for his robbery of a bank robber, who implicated him when he was captured. [2] [9]
William Daniel Jones WDJones1933.jpg 1915–1974Jones ran with Bonnie and Clyde from Christmas Eve 1932 to early September 1933. He was one of two gang members who were consolidated into the "C. W. Moss" character in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde . [2] [9]
Alvin "Creepy" Karpis Alvin Karpis.jpg 1908–1979Nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile and called "Ray" by his gang members, he was an American criminal known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken, and served the longest sentence of any prisoner at Alcatraz (26 years). [2] [9]
George "Machine Gun" Kelly MachineGunKelly.jpg 1895–1954Kelly was an American gangster during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His most famous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman Charles Urschel in July 1933, for which he and his gang earned $200,000 ransom. [1] [2]
John Allen Kendrick FBI-092-JohnAllenKendrick.jpg 1897–1960He was an American criminal, escape artist, bank robber, and member of the Tri-State gang, whose career spanned four decades. He was listed on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted in late 1955, and was apprehended by the FBI that same year. [2]
Matthew Kimes and Ray Terrill No image
available
1906–1945
(Kimes)
1900–?
(Terrill)
A bank robbing gang, led by Matthew Kimes and Ray Terrill, it was active in the Midwestern United States during the 1920s. The gang was known not only for their high-profile robberies, but also for their frequent escapes from prison. The members were alleged to have sworn a blood oath to free each other from jail, should they ever be captured, or die in the attempt. [2] [9]
Jean LaBanta No image
available
1879–????LaBanta was an American criminal, forger, and train robber. Partly due to his robberies, the Southern Pacific Railroad company first began arming its guards. [2]
Herman K. "Baron" Lamm 1890–1930Also known as Baron Lamm, he was a German-American bank robber. He is widely considered one of the most brilliant and efficient bank robbers to have ever lived, and has been described as "the father of modern bank robbery". [2] [9]
Hyman S. Lehman No image
available
1903–1990Lehman was an American gunsmith and armorer. He provided specialized and custom-made weaponry to countless bank robbers and outlaws during the Great Depression. In 1941, Lehman retired from gunsmithing and remained in San Antonio designing custom boots and saddles until his death. [2]
Clarence Lieder No image
available
1906–1969He was a mechanic and armorer for Chicago's underworld and Depression-era criminals, as well as the primary competitor to Joe Bergl in supplying both mobsters and other criminals with customized automobiles throughout Prohibition and during the early 1930s. [2] [9]
Wilhelm Loeser No image
available
1876–1935Loeser was an American physician and pharmacist, who provided medical care to underworld figures during the public enemy era of the 1930s. His most famous clients were John Dillinger and Homer Van Meter, who hired him to perform plastic surgery on them. [2] [9]
Henry Loftus and Harry Donaldson No image
available
1915- (Loftus)
1910- (Donaldson)
Two young men who made national headlines for their unsuccessful attempt to rob the Southern Pacific Railroad's Apache Limited in 1937. The last major train robbery in the United States, the two have been referred to as "the last of America's classic train robbers". [2]
James C. "Tex" Lucas Lucas NARA Photo.jpg 1912–1963A Texas bank robber and car thief, he was later sent to Alcatraz, where he attempted to escape from the island in 1938. [9]
Charles Makley Makley mug.jpg 1889–1934 [2] [10]
Ben Golden McCollum No image
available
1909–1963McCollum was an outlaw in Oklahoma during the 1920s, who was nicknamed the "Shiek of Boynton". McCollum robbed banks in both Prague (where he got away with $3400) and Checotah, Oklahoma ($4700), in 1929. He was captured on the streets of Boynton, Oklahoma, shortly after the Checotah heist. [2] [10]
Henry Methvin HenryMethvinMugshot1931.jpg 1912–1948He was an American criminal, bank robber, and Depression-era outlaw. He is best remembered as the final member of the Barrow gang] and whose father, Ivan Methvin, helped arrange their deaths at the hands of a posse headed by Texas lawman Frank Hamer in 1934. [2] [10]
Vernon C. Miller Vernon Miller FBI mugshot.jpg 1896–1933Miller was a freelance Prohibition gunman, bootlegger, bank robber, and former sheriff in South Dakota, who as the only identified member of the Kansas City massacre, was found beaten and strangled to death shortly after the incident. [2] [10]
William "Billy the Killer" Miller No image
available
1906–1931As an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw, he committed numerous bank heists in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, and teamed up with George Birdwell and Pretty Boy Floyd during the early 1930s. [2]
George Clarence "Bugs" Moran 1893–1957"Bugs" Moran was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster. He was incarcerated three times before his 21st birthday. Seven members of his gang were gunned down in a warehouse in the Saint Valentine's Day massacre of February 14, 1929, supposedly on the orders of his rival Al Capone.
Joseph P. Moran No image
available
1905–1934Moran was a doctor known for catering to the Depression-era criminal underworld in the early 20th century. He was also a peripheral member of the Barker–Karpis gang, and this association Karpis later stated had led to Moran's murder by Fred and Arthur "Doc" Barker. [2] [10]
Frank Mulloy No image
available
1888–1963Convicted for his alleged role in the Kansas City massacre, he spent time in Alcatraz. [10]
Edna "Rabbits" Murray No image
available
1898–1966She was a Depression-era outlaw and partner of Volney Davis' during the early 1930s. Although popularly known to the press as the "Kissing Bandit" for her habit of kissing male robbery victims, she was known in the underworld as "Rabbits" for her skill as an escape artist. [2] [10]
Frank "Jelly" Nash No image
available
1887–1933Nash has been called "the most successful bank robber in U.S. history", but he is most noted for his violent death in what has become known as the Kansas City massacre in 1933. [2] [10]
George "Baby Face" Nelson BabyFaceNelson01.jpg 1908–1934Lester Joseph Gillis, known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Nelson was responsible for the murder of several people, and has the dubious distinction of having killed more FBI agents in the line of duty than any other person. He was shot by FBI agents and died after a shootout often termed the "Battle of Barrington". [2] [10]
Phoenix Donald No image
available
1895–1944A member of the Barker–Karpis gang, Phoenix later died in Alcatraz. [10]
Harry "Pete" Pierpont 1902–1934Pierpont was a Prohibition-era gangster, and friend and mentor to John Dillinger. [2] [10]
Adam "Eddie" Richetti Adam Richetti FBI mugshot.jpg 1909–1938Richetti was an American criminal and Depression-era bank robber. He was associated with Aussie Elliott and later Pretty Boy Floyd in the early 1930s, and both Floyd and he were later implicated in the Kansas City massacre. Richetti was executed on October 7, 1938. [2] [10]
Verne Sankey and Gordon Alcorn No image
available
1890–1934 (Sankey)
1905–1982 (Alcorn)
Sankey and Gordon Alcorn were Depression-era outlaws whose successful kidnappings of Haskell Bohn and Charles Boettcher II in 1932 made them two of the most wanted criminals in the United States. Sankey was initially a suspect in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, but was cleared after an investigation by the FBI. [2] [11]
Harry Sawyer No image
available
1890–1955A member of the Barker–Karpis gang, he was later sent to Alcatraz. [11]
James Franklin Sawyer No image
available
1899–1979Sawyer was a Depression-era bank robber and prison escapee. Although he was responsible for several bank robberies in Kansas and Oklahoma, he was wrongfully imprisoned for a 1932 bank robbery in Fort Scott, Kansas, and spent almost 40 years in prison before he was pardoned by Governor Robert Docking in 1969. [2]
Walton Spark No image
available
1906–1983An accomplice in John Dillinger's escape from an Indiana jail in 1934, Spark was imprisoned and sent to Alcatraz. [11]
William Francis Sutton Willie Sutton.jpg 1901–1980Sutton was a prolific U.S. bank robber. During his 40-year criminal career, he stole an estimated $2 million, and eventually spent more than half of his adult life in prison. After his release, he spoke about prison reform and consulted with banks on antirobbery techniques. [2] [11]
Nicholas "Chaw Jimmie" Trainor No image
available
1886–1922On the afternoon of December 18, 1922, five men hijacked a Federal Reserve Bank delivery truck outside the U.S. Mint in Denver, Colorado. Four escaped unidentified, but 36-year-old Nicholas "Chaw Jimmie" Trainor was killed during the shootout with the U.S Mint Police. The remaining men successfully escaped with $200,000. [2]
Wilbur "Mad Dog" Underhill, Jr. No image
available
1901–1934Often called "Mad Dog" or the "Tri-State Terror", he was an American criminal, burglar, bank robber, and Depression-era outlaw. He was one of the most wanted bandits in Oklahoma during the 1920s and 1930s and co-led a gang with Harvey Bailey that included many fellow Cookson Hills outlaws, including Jim Clark, Ed Davis, and Robert "Big Bob" Brady. [2] [11]
Homer "Wayne" Van Meter Homer Van Meter.jpg 1906–1934He was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson's. [2] [11]
Huron "Terrible Ted" Walters No image
available
1913–1971An Arkansas bank robber and one time associate of Floyd Hamilton, Walters was sent to Alcatraz and attempted to escape in 1943. He was killed by a Texas Ranger during a hostage situation in 1971. [11]
Otto Wood No image
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1894–1930A Depression-era desperado, he was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in 1894.
Richard Whittemore No image
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1898–1926Led by Richard Reese Whittemore, the gang went on a year-long crime spree committing payroll, bank, and jewelry robberies in Maryland and New York before their capture in 1926. [2] [11]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machine Gun Kelly (gangster)</span> American gangster (1900–1954)

George Kelly Barnes, better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. He is best known for the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman Charles F. Urschel in July 1933, from which he and his gang collected a $200,000 ransom. Urschel had collected and left considerable evidence that assisted the subsequent FBI investigation, which eventually led to Kelly's arrest in Memphis on September 26, 1933. His crimes also included bootlegging and armed robbery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owney Madden</span> American mobster (1891–1965)

Owen Vincent "Owney" Madden was a British-born gangster of Irish ancestry who became a leading underworld figure in New York during Prohibition. Nicknamed "The Killer", he garnered a brutal reputation within street gangs and organized crime. He ran the Cotton Club in Manhattan and was a leading boxing promoter. After increased attention from law enforcement in New York, Madden moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1935, where he remained until his death from natural causes in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard James Hart</span> American sharpshooter and prohibition agent

Richard James "Two-Gun" Hart was an Italian-American sharpshooter and prohibition agent, who was noted for his cowboy style and for being the elder brother of gangsters Al, Frank, and Ralph Capone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public enemy</span> Person who endangers society as a whole

"Public enemy" is a term which describes individuals whose activities are seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, including pirates, highwaymen, bandits, mobsters, and similar outlaws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish-American organized crime</span> Jewish Mob or the Jewish Mafia

Jewish-American organized crime initially emerged within the American Jewish community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In media and popular culture, it has variously been referred to as the Jewish Mob, the Jewish Mafia, the Kosher Mob, the Kosher Mafia, the Yiddish Connection, and Kosher Nostra or Undzer Shtik. The last two of these terms are direct references to the Italian cosa nostra; the former is a play on the word for kosher, referring to Jewish dietary laws, while the latter is a calque of the Italian phrase 'cosa nostra' into Yiddish, which was at the time the predominant language of the Jewish diaspora in the United States.

Ford Allen Bradshaw was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was a rival of fellow Sooner, Oklahoma, bandit Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and although never as nationally well known as Floyd, Bradshaw's small town bank raids far exceeded those of Floyd during his criminal career.

Ralph James Capone was an Italian-American mobster and an older brother of Al Capone and Frank Capone. He got the nickname "Bottles" not from involvement in the Capone bootlegging empire, but from his running the legitimate non-alcoholic beverage and bottling operations in Chicago. Further family lore suggests that the nickname was specifically tied to his lobbying the Illinois Legislature to put into law that milk bottling companies had to stamp the date that the milk was bottled on the bottle. He was most famous for being named by the Chicago Crime Commission "Public Enemy Number Three" when his brother Al was "Public Enemy Number One".

The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian-American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohibition in the United States</span> 1920–1933 alcohol ban in United States

The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, and finally ended nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on January 16, 1919. Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 5, 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Bentz</span> American bank robber (1894–1979)

Edward Wilhelm Bentz was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was associated with several high-profile public enemies during his criminal career, including Harvey Bailey, Albert Bates, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Baby Face Nelson. He was eventually captured by the FBI and sentenced to Alcatraz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of vice in Texas</span> Aspect of history

The history of vice in the U.S. state of Texas has been an important part of the state's past and has greatly influenced its development. Vice activities, such as gambling and prostitution, have historically been a significant facet of both the state's culture and its economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-Code crime films</span> Film genre popular before The Hays Code

The era of American film production from the early sound era to the enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934 is denoted as Pre-Code Hollywood. The era contained violence and crime in pictures which would not be seen again until decades later. Although the Hays office had specifically recommended removing profanity, the drug trade, and prostitution from pictures, it had never officially recommended against depictions of violence in any form in the 1920s. State censor boards, however, created their own guidelines, and New York in particular developed a list of violent material which had to be removed for a picture to be shown in the state. Two main types of crime films were released during the period: the gangster picture and the prison film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Purple Gang</span> Criminal mob group of the 1920s

The Purple Gang, also known as the Sugar House Gang, was a criminal mob of bootleggers and hijackers composed predominantly of Jewish gangsters. They operated in Detroit, Michigan, during the 1920s of the Prohibition era and came to be Detroit's dominant criminal gang. Excessive violence and infighting caused the gang to destroy itself in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago in the 1930s</span>

Chicago in the 1930s was one of the major centers of activity in the United States. 1930s Chicago is strongly associated with gangsters and the mafia and speakeasies to provide alcohol following Prohibition. A dark and gloomy time during the Great Depression, many people in the city were unemployed and became dependent on food hand outs in order to get by; many turned to crime as a way to deal with poverty. Many struggling musicians came to the city and found solace in the blues and jazz in the clubs of the city as a way to cope with their grievances. Numerous southern blues and jazz musicians made a name for themselves in the city as they had done in the 1920s. The theater scene in Chicago thrived during this period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangster film</span> Film genre

A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform a certain illegal act. The genre is differentiated from Westerns and the gangs of that genre.

References

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  3. Wellman, Paul (1961). A Dynasty of Western Outlaws. New York: Bonanza Books. ISBN   0-8032-9709-2.
  4. Helmer, William; Bilek, Arthur (2007). The St. Valentine's Day Massacre: The Untold Story Of The Bloodbath That Brought Down Al Capone. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House. ISBN   978-1-58182-549-7.
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  8. King, Jeffrey. The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1999. ISBN   0-87338-650-7
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