The Gangs of Chicago by Herbert Asbury

The Gangs of Chicago by Herbert Asbury

This classic history of crime tells how Chicago's underworld earnedand keptits reputation. Recounting the lives of such notorious denizens as the original Mickey Finn, the mass murderer H. H. Holmes, and the three Car Barn Bandits, Asbury reveals life as it was lived in the criminal districts of the Levee, Hell's Half-Acre, the Bad Lands, Little Cheyenne, Custom House Place, and the Black Hole. His description of Chicago's infamous red light districtwhere the brothels boasted opulence unheard of before or sincevividly captures the wicked splendor that was Chicago. The Gangs of Chicago spans from the time Slab Town was settled to Prohibition days. The story of Chicago's golden age of crime climaxes with a dramatic account of the careers of the biggest of the Big Shots: Big Jim Colosimo, Terrible Johnny Torrio, and the elusive Al Capone. Photographs and illustrations round out this telling of Chicago's early underworld. Still the most detailed, reliable, and readable account of the nether side of Chicago's first century, deserves reading and rereading.Perry R. Duis, Chicago historian

Herbert Asbury, a writer in the early twentieth century, created a name for himself by photographing the underbelly of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans, where gangs, pimps, prostitutes, and thieves thrived. His paintings are frequently recognized as the best photographs of his time period, despite the fact that they are still in print after seventy-five years. Martin Scorcese's 2003 film The Gangs of New York was based on the book.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781560254546
ISBN 10	1560254548
Title	The Gangs of Chicago
Author	Herbert Asbury
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Thunder's Mouth Press
Year published	2002-09-25
Number of pages	448
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.