Wartime Crime

In pre-war America, street gangs were on the rise. The California media stirred up panic about young Mexicans and Latinos. When WWII began, racial tensions increased, and they were quickly portrayed as a significant threat, leading to a racial boiling point.

In Nazi Germany and Britain, the blackouts were a necessity for defending lives and property from enemy bombing but proved a useful tool for predatory criminals, allowing two serial killers who used the absolute darkness to prey upon victims. Paul Ogorzow was the S-Bahn Murderer in Berlin, Germany in 1941-1942. Gordon Cummins was the Blackout Ripper in London, England in 1942.

Incensed by their treatment under Mussolini's regime and anxious to re-establish their European criminal network, Mafiosi including incarcerated kingpin Charles "Lucky" Luciano offered their full support to American intelligence officers.