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In the early 20th century, Chicago was one of the most crime-ridden places in America. After the passage of Prohibition, in 1920, powerful gangs of bootleggers, gangsters, and smugglers formed to profit from illegal alcohol trafficking. Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and John Dillinger and their gangs became household names that were equal parts criminals and celebrities.

The Chicago Tribune, one of the preeminent newspapers at the time, was there to photograph it all, including the ruthless criminals who ruled the Chicago underworld and the hero policemen who brought them down. The Tribune recently opened its archives for a new book, "Gangsters & Grifters: Classic Crime Photos from the Chicago Tribune," which shows the paper's photos from the era. Agate Publishing has agreed to share some of those photos with us here, and you can check out the rest in the book.