Gangland the Early Years

The early criminals were just as violent, dangerous and daring as their more recent relations. After a raid on the American Express in Paris, Eddie Guerin was sent to Devil's Island from which he escaped and survived, probably by eating his fellow escapees. "Gangland: The Early Years" is about criminal society and the characters who brought it about in the 19th and 20th centuries. It concentrates on the aristocrats of crime - men and women who stole and spent fortunes. Whilst a great many ended their lives in prison and poverty, some went on to become millionaires and members of society. One of the lesser known facts of criminal life of 19th century is the ease with which criminals from London and New York moved between the two cities, as well as spreading their enterprises into Europe. After a successful robbery in America or England, members of the team might take an extended "working holiday". The files of the Pinkerton Detective Agency are littered with reports of the Americans who were working in Europe and the English thieves in New York or Chicago.