NYC gang's heavy artillery

For all the scare talk about how well armed present day criminals are, the old-timers were no slouches. The gangsters in the era of Prohibition used Tommy guns and BARs, and on at least one occasion resorted to aerial bombardment. And going back to the Draft Riots of 1863, one of the Irish gangs depicted in the film "Gangs of New York" had artillery -- a short barreled naval gun, now on display at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.

Artillery pieces also figured in the Vigilance Committee's takeover of San Francisco in 1856.

Posted by David on December 31, 2002 3:59 PM