Life in mid-19 century New York was tough, and violence and corruption were rife. Two gangs, the Dead Rabbits and the Native Americans, were locked in an endless battle for supremacy. Amsterdam Vallon, son of the Rabbits' murdered leader, is seeking vengeance for his father's death at the hands of Bill 'The Butcher'.

The New Orleans underworld consisted of much more than the local bordellos. It was also well known as the early gambling capital of the United States, and sported one of the most violent records of street crime in the country. This title chronicles the immense underbelly of 'The Big Easy'.

Tells how the Chicago underworld earned its notorious reputation, from the time it was settled to the Prohibition days of the 1920s. With photographs, this history of crime climaxes with the city's golden age of crime and an account of the careers of the Big Shots - Big Jim Colosimo, Terrible Johnny Torrio, and the elusive Al Capone.

The author of 'the Gangs of New York' turns his attention to the seedy underworld of San Francisco, from its gold-rush glories to its subterranean opium dens. Houses of ill-repute play host to shanghaied sailors and the Chinese tong wars rage around the city.