Famous Crimes #11

Joe Masseria claws his way up from the streets of early 1900s New York, building the Union of Blood into a ruthless criminal empire through intimidation, murder, and an iron grip on every racket from dope to protection. As he consolidates power and dodges rival bullets, an opportunity for peace with a competing gang leader leads to a fateful meeting—one that will determine who truly rules New York's underworld. This hard-boiled tale from Famous Crimes #11 tracks the rise of the mob's most feared kingpin, charting his ascent through blood and betrayal.

Baby Face Nelson starts as a young thug playing at crime with his friend Smitty, but a railroad heist goes tragically wrong when Smitty is hit by a train—a near-fatal accident that Nelson ignores his friend's pleas to go straight. Drawn deeper into a life of robbery and violence, Nelson graduates from car thefts to bank jobs, all while trying to fund a life with the woman he loves, until federal heat forces him to go into hiding near Chicago. This hard-boiled tale from the police files shows how one criminal's early choices harden into a descent that puts him in the sights of the F.B.I.