Hidden Secrets: Gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s
Pretty Boy Floyd. Born in 1904, Charles Arthur Floyd, an American robber, was raised in his father's dust fields. He was just 21 when he robbed a bank for the first time.
The reason he chose this life was his bitterness and frustration of living a low class life. After a meeting with local gangsters in Kansas City, he was given the nickname of "Pretty Boy", which he hated to be called.
He had a positive reputation in public, and was known as the "Robin Hood of the Cookson Hills", despite being hunted down by the cops for several robberies. He was finally gunned down in a corn field by local officers and FBI agents.
Machine Gun Kelly. A famous bootlegger, Machine Gun Kelly, was born in 1897. He was known to be a harmless gangster until he married Kathryn Thorne. She encouraged him to rob banks and commit crimes and later on, Kathryn convinced him to kidnap a millionaire oilman, Charles F. Urschel. This turned out to be his last criminal activity because he was caught and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1933. He died behind the bars 21 years later.
Legs Diamond and Dutch Schultz. Raised in tough streets of Philadelphia, Legs Diamond was born in 1896. Shortly after his teenage years, he served in the U.S. Army during the First World War. By 1927, he was known as a powerful figure in the underworld along with Dutch Schultz. In 1929, Legs and Schultz conflict was too much for either of them to bear and in no time Legs was shot down. Dutch Schultz was suspected of ordering the murder of Legs for which few years later he himself was brutally gunned down in New Jersey.
John Dillinger. He spent most of his adult life in prison for robbing 4 police stations and 2 dozen of banks. Just 11 days after the East Chicago bank robbery, he was captured and sent to Crown Point Jail. The jail was acknowledged to be escape-proof, but a month later he escaped. He was killed by FBI agents outside a theatre.
Bonnie and Clyde. The most wanted crime figures of 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde, were recognized as 'public enemies'. These American robbers had killed several civilians along with a number of police officers. After the killing of police officers, the police were left with no other choice than fighting them with stronger firepower. They were attacked by five policemen and were slain as the bullets went through their bodies.
Al Capone. The first mobster to be featured on the cover of Times Magazine was a Chicago gangster, Al Capone. Nicknamed Scar Face for his scars on his left cheek, he was known for his brilliant mind that distinguished him as a force to be reckoned with in the criminal underworld.
“This is the bees knees” Joe Mama
This is the bees knees.
Die the way you live all of a sudden.
That's the way to do it
Nice info.
Al Capone was honestly the Original mob/crime boss of this decade.
al capone was the OG of this whole thing
gangsters are pretty kewl :)) ngl
I liked that era. The gangsters
In those days were no joke
Even the bootlegging days
i heard bonnie parker was kind of a pussy
The good old days. I liked those
Days
no citations, just like every other url areas, not even an access date.
Bonnie Parker- never killed anyone!!!!!
I'm doing an academic fair project
I bet most of the people are here because they are doing a project for school
Anyone else come here for a research paper but stayed for the comments?
Honestly @crazydewey, are you perfect or are you mad because you won't be in history.. they may have done but they also done good to.. your seeing the bad see the good to .. stop try to erase history because if that the case what about the people that died for this country or the soldier that have killed innocent because they had no choice . So let history be
I mean, a lot of people find history interesting and im just here to do a project, so I don't think we should be burrying it, because if people find out we were hiding it it'd be a bigger deal than it would if it was just out there. Thats my idea of it all. Later
This is crazy
@crazydewey, so what should society see as a criminal, under your opinion what is the "model" criminal? sure aint these jokes nowadays, at least the criminals back then had class and honor to they`re own.
I have read alot of these books of these gansters life's plus most of. Them
Had poor life's living in. The. Cold dust days the banks were robbin the poor
Some of these Gangsters were just Victims of circumstance. "Pretty boy" for instance, was a simple farm boy, grew up knowing hard back breaking work, saw his family and neighbors alike, busting their ass just trying to stay afloat, make ends meat, just to be ran over and dismissed by the banks..Floyd simply chose not to take it. I believe Floyd to be a good man, never murdered anyone. Did the things he did, out of resistance..not bitterness. He just wasn't gonna take it. I applaud, admire, and respect him for the road he chose. Dont even get me started on Dillinger! Lol. He was a good man, and he didn't kill that cop.. Pierpont did. Witnesses identified Pierpont as the shooter. But some how Dillinger got the charge, which he was never convincted of I mind you. Dillinger was a role a modle, he committed crimes but he never shot anyone. The life story of John H. Dillinger is incredible, outstanding, an very impressive. I suggest reading his wiki bio as well as wiki bios of others from the Dillinger gang. Their story is like something Hollywood wish they had thought of. Anyhow, Dillinger like Floyd just chose not to take it lying down. The world could use more people like the two.
dosent work
I Remember those days. When I was a kid I use to read about them, plus many of the gangster's lived on the Lower Eastside, there were lots of them back there then even those who were part of Murder Inc, I kinda miss those Days, they were interresting
You cant just bury history and forget about it because they robbed and killed many people, its apart of history and today will be in 50 years. forget isis because they killed the innocent, its history and if you cant take it you lose
no one cares kys