In the 1920s and 1930s, the United States confronted a crime rate never seen before. American Puritanism had long fought the evils of drinking when the first attempts at prohibition took place in the 1850s. The movement increased significantly during WWI and finally an outright ban for alcoholic drinks was issued in 1920. This circumstance boosted the eruption of a wave of underworld organized crime eager to meet the unattended – and overwhelming – demand for spirited beverages. The unprecedented crime wave culminated in the famous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago, in February 1929.

To make the dramatic situation worse, in October of that year, the stock market crashed, which led to a worldwide economic depression and massive unemployment. Soon a new breed of outlaw arrived that, unlike the romanticized outlaws of the Old West, drove fast cars instead of riding horses and exchanged the old single-action revolvers and lever rifles with automatic pistols and submachine guns.

It was a time of violence and disorder that would produce a colorful gallery of rogues ranging from the kingpins of Chicago’s organized crime to restless, lonely characters that lived by the gun on the road, many of whom met a tragic and often bloody end.

Black Hawk’s representation of this frantic, wild era is primarily based on just a few of the most important criminals from “Gangland America,” if only because their lives have been recreated by Hollywood in some unforgettable films. So we have Al Capone (1899-1947), who reigned over Chicago for seven years and will always be thought of as the epitome of a ruthless, organized crime leader. Then there were Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) and Clyde Barrow (1904-1934), who began their crime spree in Dallas and traveled the central United States, captivating the attention of the American public between 1931 and 1934, before being riddled with bullets in a police ambush on a rural Louisiana road.

Last, but not least, is John Dillinger (1903-1934), who robbed 24 banks and four police stations, and escaped from jail twice. Dillinger arguably cast the most complete version of the Depression-era outlaw, due to his colorful personality and bravado. He was killed by federal agents as he exited a movie theater.

But this miniature mosaic of Gangland America would certainly be incomplete without some characters from the other side: the law. Besides some anonymous policemen and citizens, the series includes a striking rendition of Eliot Ness (1903-1957). The agent famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago and the leader of “The Untouchables” has been recreated in full action, in a piece titled “Do Not Disturb”. The series also includes Melvin Purvis (1903-1960), the noted FBI agent that hunted Dillinger (and other famous outlaws like Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd), who appears in this series as “G-Man”.

Finally, to complete the whole picture, there are several cars (Bonnie and Clyde’s included) and a typical period gas station.