Gang Busters: The Crime Fighters of American Broadcasting

From 1935 to 1958, GANG BUSTERS established a reputation for presenting authentic case histories from the files of law enforcement, re-enactments of the criminal underworld including "Baby-Face" Nelson, Ma Barker and her boys, John Dillinger, and Willie "The Actor" Sutton. Thrilling escapades such as the Alcatraz Prison Riot and million dollar bank robberies were the subject of GANG BUSTERS broadcasts. Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf (father of the same Gulf-War Schwarzkopf) and New York's Lewis J. Valentine were two of the many weekly hosts who introduced each broadcast. Like AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, GANG BUSTERS presented weekly "clues" describing convicts at large, assailants wanted by the F.B.I., and listeners paid close attention to the details, giving local law enforcement the "edge" over evading criminals. Within the program's first eight years, the program was responsible for the apprehension of 277 criminals! This book documents the history of the radio and television series, including documentation covering the 1942 Matinee Serial, two 1956 movies, the comic books, and a detailed broadcast log and episode guide for all 1,008 radio broadcasts and 50+ television broadcasts. Lawsuits from listeners, background production, a biography about the creator, Phillips H. Lord, and much more can be found within these pages.