A Bad Year For Gangsters

A Bad Year For Gangsters

In the 1920s and 30s crime was keeping all law officers,  including the FBI, busy During Prohibition, bootlegging (illegally supplying alcohol) ran wild. When  the law was repealed, those  most dedicated to a life of crime turned to bank robbing.

lBy 1945  some had become notorious.Two especially bad ones were   BonnieParker and Clyde Barrow. They and their gang operated  mostly in Texas and killed nine  law officers and  a few civilians.  They were killed in Lousianna in 1934. Years after their death, they were romanticized in a ballad sung by British singer George Flake.

Charles (((Pretty Boy) Floyd was another to meet his fate in 1934, He was a back robber and  somewhat  popular with  the public because he often destroyed mortgage papers while committing the robbery.  This relieved many borrowers from further payments. He was killed in  a shootout with the FBI.

John Dillinger was also a bank robber.. His two escapes from jail made him a popular subject  for the media, In 1934 he was killed in Chicago by the FBI  after being identified by his escort who who a red  dress.

Babyface Nelson (((Lester Joseph Gillis also known as George  Nelson) got  the nickname “Babyface” because of  boyish features and small size. He was hunted as both a bank robber and murderer. His main claim to fame was his association with John Dillinger. He died in1934 in a shootout with the FBI. 

With the death of  these five  criminals, the nation felt relief, but the reign of gangsters was not over.  Ma Barker reportedly ruled her sons’ gang ruthlessly and was killed  inn 19935.  Machine Gun Kelly was still alive, but in jail  He and his gang were kidnqpers, among other crimes, and were successful in collecting ransoms from two different kidnappings.  He was captured and jailed .After 21years there, he died of a heart attack.

Congress took action in 1934 and passed the National Firearms  Act   banning machine guns  and  other firearms adapted to automatic fire.

Thanks to the Lloyd Sealy Library for furnishing this information from its records of the Great Depression.