28 Retro Gangster Finds

The past has inspired a cornucopia of art, fashion and design, but as these retro gangster finds show, not all of those creations harken back to a golden era of ice-cream sundaes and white picket fences.

Before the days of gangster rap and Guy Ritchie movies there were people like Al Capone, Mickey Spillane and Arnold Rothstein. Suffice to say, they were not very nice people. Running some of the largest criminal enterprises in American history, they ruthlessly cut down anyone who got in their way.

The intrigue and drama of the old time criminal world together with the admittedly dapper aesthetic of suits and fedoras has served as source material for a wide range of artists and designers. From serious art to kitschy doodads, old-school gangsters have been immortalized.