J. Edgar Hoover was the face of the FBI. But the federal agents in the field, relentlessly chasing the most notorious gangsters of the 1930s with their own lives on the line, truly transformed the Bureau.
In 1932, the FBI lacked jurisdiction over murder cases. It also couldn't pursue bank robberies, kidnapping, or tax evasion, and it had no power of arrest. Hopelessly relegated to the sidelines, the Bureau's stated purpose was limited to investigating corporate wrongdoing and fraudulent government land deals. Agents spent their days at their desks. But by 1933, the War on Crime had begun. Hunting down infamous public enemies in tense, frequently blood-soaked shootouts, the Bureau was thrust into the front pages for the first time.
Young agents, fresh out of law school and anticipating a quiet, white-collar job, faced off with murderous felons who were heavily armed, clad in bulletproof vests, and owned cars that drove faster than the best vehicles the Bureau had. But they were fiercely devoted-to the Bureau, to each other, and to bringing America's most wanted criminals to justice.
The agents traveled across the United States in an attempt to capture the likes of the Barker-Karpis gang, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. But they were always one step behind and a moment too late, the criminals slipping between their fingers and leaving bodies in their wake. Facing mounting criticism, the agents had to learn to adapt. After all, more than their reputations were at stake.
