With the Great Depression of the 1930s came a wave of crime. This was not the typical bootlegging of the 1920s and Prohibition era with mobs and mob bosses such as Chicago's Alphonso Capone. It was a new crime wave: notorious bank robbers. We all know the bank robbers of the Wild West, for example the James Younger gang, the Hole in the wall gang led by Butch Cassidy and many others. The difference now is that modern-day bank robbers were not armed with single-action Colt revolvers and they no longer fled on horseback. They were now heavily armed with Colt 1911 automatic pistols, Thompson .45 caliber machine guns, and BARs (browning automatic rifles). In addition to their fully automatic military-grade weapons, they used automobiles as a source of escape. Most of these gangsters struck at the heart of the United States. This is where the Great Depression had a huge impact on people's lives. Civilians viewed the bank robbers as an act of revenge against the banks. The famous bank robbers of the 1930s were not from areas where they were known for their heists. For the most part, some of the bank robbers were John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson. Many of these men and women were involved in criminal activities at younger ages. They came from all over the United States. John Dillinger was from Indianapolis, Indiana. He was known as one of, if not the most famous bank robbers of the 1930s. During his criminal career, he was imprisoned for two separate offenses. When he first went to prison, he reportedly said, "I'll be the baddest bastard you've ever seen when I get out of here" (Johndillinger/quotes). The second time it was sent...... middle of paper ...... different occasions. One story told of gangsters paying off farmers' debt so they could go back to work and return to their bustling neighborhood. He depicts them as Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. People considered banks to be the culprits of the Great Depression. When they heard about bank robberies, they saw it as an act of revenge against the banks for all they had done to the country. In the 1930s, the country was a very unstable place. Many people turned to a life of crime because they saw no other better solution. They couldn't find work and had very few benefits, so they took a path where they saw nothing to lose. When you look at these men and women, see what they did, given the situation they were in, and what people really were was just a product made in the times they were in.