by M. W. Byrne Oct 5, 2021
A look into the murky waters of human nature
15 Infamous Gangsters Who Hit the Big Time
Al Capone
1
He was called ‘Snorky’ while he was growing up thanks to his tendency to boil over into violence with little provocation, and evident lack of a conscience.
Pablo Escobar
2
The cocaine kingpin, Escobar single-handedly raised the crime rate in Colombia and into the United States due to his empire of blow.
John Dillinger
3
A charming rogue who was probably the first real celebrity criminal, Dillinger was primarily a bank robber. He was famous during the Great Depression.
Bonnie Parker
4
The smart, interesting, attractive half of Bonnie and Clyde, Parker’s turn-ons included bank robbery, shooting, and pistol battles with police officers ending in death.
Ellsworth Johnson
5
Known as ‘Bumpy,’ Ellsworth is in competition with Capone for badass gangsters given both terrible birth names and ridiculous nicknames.
James Bulger
6
Bulger was not only a Bostonian mob boss, but an FBI informant who spent much of his time on the run from the feds.
Jesse James
7
Bulger was not only a Bostonian mob boss, but an FBI informant who spent much of his time on the run from the feds.
Stephanie St. Clair
8
“Queenie” to many on the wonderful isle of Manhattan, this classy lady brought a sense of French refinement and African savvy to the underworld.
John Joseph Gotti, Jr.
9
The “Dapper Don” or the “Teflon Don,” Gotti killed his way into being head of the Gambino crime family when he offed Paul Castellano.
Griselda Blanco
10
From the humble beginnings of prostitution and pickpocketing, Blanco eventually plied her wickedly sharp mind to creating a booming cocaine trade in Miami.
Carlo Gambino
11
A child crime prodigy from Sicily, Gambino could handle firearms before he could walk. His skill as a pistolero put multiple kills under his belt while still in his teens.
Charles Luciano
12
The father of organized crime in the United States, Luciano was a Sicilian who grew up with some of the most famous criminals on this list as his pals.
George Clarence Moran
13
Capone’s primary rival, and a sadistic monster, he’s one of a pair of crime lords nicknamed ‘Bugsy’ thanks to his unpredict-able, fearsome behavior.
Helen Wawrzyniak
14
A smart and cunning accomplice, rather than commiting her crimes in the open, she would help facilitate the damage wreaked by her trigger-happy husband.
Benjamin Siegel
15
The second ‘Bugsy’ on this list, Bugsy Siegel loved illegal gambling so much, he managed to legitimize it in the form of Sin City, Las Vegas.