Mobster Modes
"Clothes make the man", wrote Mark Twain. Whether they be politicians, corporate executives, movie stars or even gangsters, one sure-fire way to impress is simply to dress. Custom made suits, shirts, shoes, even cars (fitted with bullet-proof windows) declare "I've arrived". In the underworld of organized crime, those who arrive and make it to the top often have a very short stay, and the departed are bid farewell with a funeral fit for a king, or "capo". With money flooding in from bootlegging, gambling, racketeering and other forms of vice, mobsters spent lavishly on their lifestyles, which included the silk, serge and cashmere weaves that made a small frame tall, and a tall frame tower. The following pictures, taken by Herald Express photographers, seem to delight in the glamour of the gangster, and the paper even went so far as to include detailed descriptions of their ensembles as they arrived at the Hall of Justice or were released from jail, as they would with celebrities at a Hollywood premiere. These images and more can be found on the LAPL Photo Collection database at http://tessa.lapl.org
