Synopsis

Before May of 1934, robbing state banks remained largely outside the purview of federal law. Bank robbers faced only local police forces, often hampered by understaffing, inefficiency, or corruption. This environment fostered a series of audacious, though poorly planned, heists. In Chicago alone, the previous year had witnessed 422 robberies, resulting in 221 injuries. It was in March of that year that Eliot Ness consulted with his friend, District Attorney D. Beecher Asbury. Ness explained that