Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd

Raised in the Cherokee Indian Territory of Oklahoma, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was probably the last of the great social bandits in America. Unlike other gangsters of the 1920s and the Depression era, Floyd was known as a hard worker, who perhaps would never have led a life of crime had he been able to find legitimate work. In 1924, Floyd married a 16-year-old girl. Times were already tough for sharecroppers in eastern Oklahoma. A year after their marriage, Floyd's wife became pregnant, and he turned to crime. He was caught committing a $5,000 payroll robbery and received a 3-year sentence. After serving half his sentence, Floyd was released, and he continued to commit payroll robberies on his own until he joined forces with a ...