Within the space of 12 years, Al Capone (1899-1947) rose from obscure hoodlum to being the absolute ruler of Chicago's criminal empire during the heyday of Prohibition. Lucky Luciano (1897-1962) dominated the drug trade in America after World War II. Even more importantly to the history of the underworld, Luciano revolutionized the way crime was committed in America, as he streamlined a national organization commonly known as the Syndicate or the Mob. This new order joined crime figures from all over the country into a far-reaching, tightly organized network of criminal activity. Meyer Lansky (1902-1983) was the most famous of the many Jewish gangsters who flourished during Prohibition and the years after. A major reason for Lansky's success was his shrewd intelligence and gift for numbers. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-1947) became famous for his flamboyant lifestyle and commitment to building a lavish casino in the Nevada desert. Although Siegel did not originate Los Vegas as a gambling mecca (it was there before him), he did have a vision of its potential glamour and greatness. Sam Giancana (1908-1975) was for many years the crime boss of Chicago, but his career reached deep into organized crime around the world; he had connections with a wide variety of figures, including Hollywood celebrities, the CIA, and possibly President John F. Kennedy. John J. Gotti (1940- ) was the world's best-known gangster in the 1980's. Until 1992, Gotti was the so-called boss of bosses of the Gambino family, one of the most important Mafia-related crime families of New York. Taken together, these men represent the rise and fall of the American underworld and provide a prelude to the current crop of crime lords who come from more recently arrived immigrant groups. 46 references and a subject index