Ma Barker
Encyclopedia
Kate "Ma" Barker was the mother of several criminals who ran the Barker gang from the "public enemy
era", when the exploits of gangs of criminals in the U.S.
Midwest
gripped the American people and press. Others included Bonnie and Clyde
and John Dillinger
.
, near Springfield
, and named Arizona Clark. On September 14, 1892, she married George Elias Barker in Aurora, Lawrence County, Missouri. At that time her age was given as 17. George Barker was the informant on Arizona Barker's amended death certificate. He gave her date of birth as October 8, 1877.
In 1920 "Arrie" appears on the Census of Stone County, Missouri, as age 45. In 1930 Arrie appears on the Census of Tulsa County, Oklahoma
, as the wife of Arthur W. Dunlop. Her age is there given as 53.
Some accounts claim that George Barker was an alcoholic, but it appears from the 1910 to 1930 censuses and the Tulsa City Directories from 1916 to 1928 that he was regularly employed. From 1916 to 1919 he worked for the Crystal Springs Water Co. In the 1920s he was variously employed as a farmer, watchman, station engineer, and clerk. George is last listed with Arrie in the 1928 Tulsa city directory
. Whether he was thrown out by Arrie, as some claim, or he left on his own accord when life with her and the family became intolerable, isn't known, but it is clear that he didn't desert his family when the boys were young.
George and Arrie's son Herman committed suicide on August 29, 1927, in Wichita, Kansas. He shot himself after a shootout with police that lasted hours. In 1928 Lloyd was incarcerated in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas
, Arthur was in the Oklahoma State Prison, and Fred was in the Kansas State Prison. Miriam Allen deFord
, in her 1970 biography titled The Real Ma Barker, wrote, "This was the period when George Barker gave up completely and quietly removed himself from the scene."
named after Ma Barker herself, ( Ma Barker's ). It is a short distance down C-25 from the Barker house where Ma Barker and her son, Fred, were killed by the FBI agents.
Ma Barker certainly knew of the gang's activities, and even helped them before and after they committed their crimes. This would make her an accomplice, but there is no evidence that she was ever an active participant in any of the crimes themselves or involved in planning them. Her role was in taking care of gang members, who often sent her to the movies while they committed crimes.
Alvin Karpis
, the gang's second most notorious member, later said that:
This view of Ma Barker is corroborated by notorious bank robber Harvey Bailey
, who knew the Barkers well. He observed in his autobiography that Ma Barker "couldn't plan breakfast" let alone a criminal enterprise.
Many, including Karpis, have suggested that the myth was encouraged by J. Edgar Hoover
and his fledgling Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) to justify his agency's killing of an old lady. FBI Agents discovered the hideout of Ma Barker and her son, Fred, after Arthur "Doc" Barker was arrested in Chicago on January 8, 1935. A map found in his possession indicated that the other gang members were in Ocklawaha, Florida
. Agents surrounded the house at 13250 East Highway C-25 on the morning of January 16, 1935. Ordered to surrender, Fred opened fire; both he and his mother were killed by federal agents after an intense, hours-long gun-battle. According to the FBI, a Tommy gun
was found lying in the hands of Ma Barker. (It is a common belief that this was a fabrication by the FBI in order to justify her violent death.) Their bodies were put on public display, and then stored unclaimed, until October 1, 1935, when some relatives had them buried in Welch, Oklahoma, next to the body of Herman Barker.
1920–1929
1930–1939
(Of Barker-Karpis gang/associates: 18 arrested; 3 killed by lawmen; 2 killed by gangsters)
1940–1949
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
era", when the exploits of gangs of criminals in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
gripped the American people and press. Others included Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
and John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
.
Date of birth
Ma Barker is believed to have been born October 8, 1873, in Ash Grove, MissouriAsh Grove, Missouri
Ash Grove is a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,532 at the 2009 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ash Grove is located at ....
, near Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, and named Arizona Clark. On September 14, 1892, she married George Elias Barker in Aurora, Lawrence County, Missouri. At that time her age was given as 17. George Barker was the informant on Arizona Barker's amended death certificate. He gave her date of birth as October 8, 1877.
In 1920 "Arrie" appears on the Census of Stone County, Missouri, as age 45. In 1930 Arrie appears on the Census of Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 603,403. Its county seat is Tulsa.-History of Tulsa County:The history of Tulsa County greatly overlaps the history of the city of Tulsa...
, as the wife of Arthur W. Dunlop. Her age is there given as 53.
Family life
George and Arizona had four boys named Herman, Lloyd, Arthur, and Fred. Arrie did everything she could to protect her boys and to keep them out of jail.Some accounts claim that George Barker was an alcoholic, but it appears from the 1910 to 1930 censuses and the Tulsa City Directories from 1916 to 1928 that he was regularly employed. From 1916 to 1919 he worked for the Crystal Springs Water Co. In the 1920s he was variously employed as a farmer, watchman, station engineer, and clerk. George is last listed with Arrie in the 1928 Tulsa city directory
City directory
A city directory is a listing of residents, streets, businesses, organizations or institutions, giving their location in a city. Antedating telephone directories, they have been in use for centuries....
. Whether he was thrown out by Arrie, as some claim, or he left on his own accord when life with her and the family became intolerable, isn't known, but it is clear that he didn't desert his family when the boys were young.
George and Arrie's son Herman committed suicide on August 29, 1927, in Wichita, Kansas. He shot himself after a shootout with police that lasted hours. In 1928 Lloyd was incarcerated in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
, Arthur was in the Oklahoma State Prison, and Fred was in the Kansas State Prison. Miriam Allen deFord
Miriam Allen deFord
Miriam Allen DeFord was an American writer.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she worked as a newspaper reporter for a time and, in the early 1900s, was also a campaigner and disseminator of birth control information to women. She spent perhaps the most energy in mystery fiction and science...
, in her 1970 biography titled The Real Ma Barker, wrote, "This was the period when George Barker gave up completely and quietly removed himself from the scene."
Bar
There is a bar in Ocklawaha, FloridaOcklawaha, Florida
Ocklawaha is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ocklawaha is located at ....
named after Ma Barker herself, ( Ma Barker's ). It is a short distance down C-25 from the Barker house where Ma Barker and her son, Fred, were killed by the FBI agents.
Controversy
Though her children were undoubtedly criminals and their Barker-Karpis Gang committed a spree of robberies, kidnappings, and other crimes between 1931 and 1935, the popular image of her as the gang's leader and its criminal mastermind has been found to be fictitious.Ma Barker certainly knew of the gang's activities, and even helped them before and after they committed their crimes. This would make her an accomplice, but there is no evidence that she was ever an active participant in any of the crimes themselves or involved in planning them. Her role was in taking care of gang members, who often sent her to the movies while they committed crimes.
Alvin Karpis
Alvin Karpis
Alvin Francis Karpis , nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile, was an American criminal known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken.-Early life:Karpis was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was raised in Topeka,...
, the gang's second most notorious member, later said that:
This view of Ma Barker is corroborated by notorious bank robber Harvey Bailey
Harvey Bailey
Harvey John Bailey , called "The Dean of American Bank Robbers", had a long criminal career. One of the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s, walking off with over $1 million during that time, Bailey is almost forgotten today.- His career :Born in West Virginia, Bailey robbed his first...
, who knew the Barkers well. He observed in his autobiography that Ma Barker "couldn't plan breakfast" let alone a criminal enterprise.
Many, including Karpis, have suggested that the myth was encouraged by J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
and his fledgling Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) to justify his agency's killing of an old lady. FBI Agents discovered the hideout of Ma Barker and her son, Fred, after Arthur "Doc" Barker was arrested in Chicago on January 8, 1935. A map found in his possession indicated that the other gang members were in Ocklawaha, Florida
Ocklawaha, Florida
Ocklawaha is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ocklawaha is located at ....
. Agents surrounded the house at 13250 East Highway C-25 on the morning of January 16, 1935. Ordered to surrender, Fred opened fire; both he and his mother were killed by federal agents after an intense, hours-long gun-battle. According to the FBI, a Tommy gun
Tommy Gun
Tommy Gun may refer to:*Thompson submachine gun or Tommy gun, a submachine gun*"Tommy Gun" , a song by The Clash...
was found lying in the hands of Ma Barker. (It is a common belief that this was a fabrication by the FBI in order to justify her violent death.) Their bodies were put on public display, and then stored unclaimed, until October 1, 1935, when some relatives had them buried in Welch, Oklahoma, next to the body of Herman Barker.
Summary of Barker sons/gang activities
1900–1920- 1910—Herman Barker arrested for highway robbery in Webb City, Missouri.
- March 5, 1915—Herman Barker arrested for highway robbery in Joplin, Missouri. {Herman and Lloyd Barker reportedly involved with the Central Park Gang of Tulsa, Oklahoma.}
- July 4, 1918—Arthur "Doc" Barker involved in US automobile theft in Tulsa, Oklahoma; arrested {#841} {escaped}.
1920–1929
- February 19, 1920—Arthur Barker arrested in Joplin, Missouri (#1740); returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- 1921—Lloyd "Red" Barker arrested for vagrancy in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- January 15, 1921—Arthur Barker aka "Claude Dade" involved in attempted bank robbery in Muskogee, Oklahoma; arrested {#822}.
- January 30, 1921—Arthur Barker aka "Bob Barker" received at the Oklahoma State Prison (#11059); released June 11, 1921.
- August 16, 1921—Arthur Barker and Volney DavisVolney DavisVolney Curley Davis was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. A longtime Oklahoma bandit, he was the boyfriend of Edna Murray and an associate of both the John Dillinger and Alvin Karpis-Barker gangs during the 1930s.-Biography:Born in Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, Volney Davis's...
involved in killing of night watchman Thomas J. Sherrill in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (According to other sources, Thomas J. Sherrill. was a night watchman at St. John's Hospital in Tulsa.) - January 8, 1922—Central Park Gang involved in attempted burglary in Okmulgee, Oklahoma; shootout results in one burglar dead while police Captain Homer R. Spaulding dies of his wounds on January 19, 1922. One gang member is sentenced to life in prison while another had his sentence overturned.
- January 16, 1922—Lloyd Barker received at Leavenworth Prison {#17243} after arrest for robbing mail at Baxter Springs, Kansas and sentenced to 25 years; released 1938.
- February 10, 1922—Arthur "Doc" Barker received {#11906} at Oklahoma State Prison for the murder of Sherrill.
- 1926—Fred Barker robbed bank in Winfield, Kansas; arrested.
- March 12, 1927—Fred Barker admitted to Kansas State Prison.
- August 1, 1927-Herman Barker cashed stolen bank bonds at the America National Bank in Cheyenne, WY. Sheriff Deputy Arthur Osborn flagged down Barker's car. Barker picked up a gun from the vehicle's seat and shot Osborn. Osborn died as a result.
- August 29, 1927—Herman Barker commits suicide in Wichita, Kansas after being stopped at police roadblock. {Wichita Policeman J.E. Marshall had been killed on August 9, 1927 by the Kimes-Terrill gang that Herman was associated with. Five other policemen were killed by the Kimes gang. See ODMP}.
1930–1939
- March 30, 1931—Fred Barker released from Kansas State Prison after serving time for burglary; met Alvin KarpisAlvin KarpisAlvin Francis Karpis , nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile, was an American criminal known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken.-Early life:Karpis was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was raised in Topeka,...
in prison. - June 10, 1931—Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis {alias George Heller} arrested by Tulsa, Oklahoma Police investigating burglary. Karpis sentenced to 4 years but paroled after restitution made; Fred Barker also avoided jail sentence.
- November 8, 1931—Fred Barker killed an Arkansas police chief Manley Jackson.
- December 19, 1931—Fred Barker and Alvin KarpisAlvin KarpisAlvin Francis Karpis , nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile, was an American criminal known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken.-Early life:Karpis was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was raised in Topeka,...
robbed a store in West Plains, MissouriWest Plains, MissouriWest Plains is a city in Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,866 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howell County. The West Plains Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Howell County.-Geography:...
and involved in the killing of Howell County, Missouri sheriff C. Roy Kelly. - January 18, 1932—Lloyd Barker received at Leavenworth Prison.
- April 26, 1932—Body of A.W. Dunlap found at Lake Franstead, Minnesota; killed by Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis.
- June 17, 1932—Fred Barker, Karpis and five accomplices robbed Fort Scott, Kansas Bank.
- July 26, 1932—Fred Barker, Karpis (with an augmented gang) robbed Cloud County bank at Concordia, KansasConcordia, KansasConcordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
. - August 13, 1932—Attorney J. Earl Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma found killed at Indian Hills Country Club north of Tulsa; he had been retained to defend Harvey Bailey over the Fort Scott bank robbery, but the man was convicted.
- September 10, 1932—Arthur "Doc" Barker released from prison.
- December 16, 1932—Fred and Arthur Barker, Alvin Karpis and gang robbed Third Northwestern National Bank in Minneapolis, killing policemen Ira Leon Evans and Leo Gorski and one civilian. {One gang member Lawrence DeVol in this shooting was also involved in four other police killings-two police officers, Sheriff William Sweet and City Marshal Aaron Bailey, in Washington, IowaWashington, IowaWashington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,047 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Marshall John W. Rose in Kirksville, MO on November 17, 1930 and killing officer Cal Palmer and wounding another officer before being gunned down in Enid, OK in 1936.} - April 4, 1933—Fred and Arthur Barker, Alvin Karpis and gang robbed Fairbury, Nebraska bank.
- June 1933—William Hamm of the Hamm's BreweryHamm's BreweryHamm's is the name of a former American brewery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hamm's breweries were also found in other cities, such as San Francisco.-History:...
family kidnapped by Barker-Karpis gang; Hamm released June 19, 1933 after ransom paid. It is believed by some that the gang turned over half of the Hamm ransom money to the Chicago Mob under Frank NittiFrank NittiFrancesco Raffaele Nitto , also known as Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti, was an Italian American gangster. One of Al Capone's top henchmen, Nitti was in charge of all strong-arm and 'muscle' operations...
after Nitti discovered that they were hiding Hamm in suburban Chicago and demanded half the ransom as "rent". - August 30, 1933—Barker-Karpis Gang robs a payroll at Stockyards National Bank of South St Paul, Minnesota in which one policeman Leo Pavlak is coldly executed and one disabled for life.
- September 22, 1933—Two bank messengers held up by five men identified as Barker-Karpis gang; Chicago policeman Miles A Cunningham is killed by gang while investigating a nearby traffic accident. {Barker-Karpis gang associate Vernon Miller was allegedly involved in the killing, and reportedly also involved in the Kansas City MassacreKansas City MassacreThe Kansas City massacre was the shootout and murder of four law enforcement officers and a criminal fugitive at the Union Station railroad depot in Kansas City, Missouri, on the morning of June 17, 1933. It occurred as part of the attempt by a gang led by Vernon Miller to free Frank "Jelly" Nash,...
in which four lawmen were killed}. - January 17, 1934—Gang kidnaps Edward George Bremer; Bremer released on February 7, 1934 after ransom paid.
- January 19, 1934—Gang wounds M.C. McCord of Northwest Airways Company, thinking he was a policeman.
- March 10, 1934—Barker gang member Fred Goetz (also known as "Shotgun George" Ziegler, a participant in the Bremer kidnapping) killed by fellow gangsters in Cicero, Illinois.
- July 1934—Underworld doctor Joseph Moran last seen alive.
- January 6, 1935—Barker gang member William B. Harrison killed by fellow gangsters at Ontarioville, Illinois.
- January 8, 1935—Arthur "Doc" Barker arrested in Chicago; Barker gang member Russell GibsonRussell GibsonRussell "Slim Gray" Gibson was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw associated with Alvin Karpis and the Barker Gang during the late 1920s and 1930s. Gibson spent much of his early criminal career with the Central Park Gang based in Tulsa, Oklahoma which included the Barkers, Volney...
killed and his colleague Byron Bolton captured at another address. - January 16, 1935—Fred and Ma Barker killed by FBI at Lake WeirLake Weir-External links:* *...
, Florida. Ma Barker was discovered by the FBI tracking her letters sent to her other son. She was writing to him to tell him about a large gator that everyone had called "Gator Joe", which led to the name of the on-shore restaurant known as "Gator Joe's." - September 26, 1935—The supposed body of underworld doctor Joseph Moran found in Lake ErieLake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
; believed killed by Fred Barker and Alvin KarpisAlvin KarpisAlvin Francis Karpis , nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile, was an American criminal known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken.-Early life:Karpis was born to Lithuanian immigrants in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and was raised in Topeka,...
. (However, Karpis himself said that Moran had been buried.) - November 7, 1935—Karpis and five accomplices robbed a Erie Railroad mail train at Garrittsville, Ohio.
- May 1, 1936—Karpis and accomplice Fred Hunter arrested in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- January 13, 1939—Arthur Barker killed trying to escape from Alcatraz Prison.
(Of Barker-Karpis gang/associates: 18 arrested; 3 killed by lawmen; 2 killed by gangsters)
1940–1949
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
—Lloyd Barker is US Army cook, ironically at POW camp Fort Custer, Michigan; receives US Army Good Conduct MedalGood Conduct MedalThe Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
and Honorable Discharge. - March 18, 1949—Lloyd Barker killed by his wife; he is manager of Denargo Market in Denver Colorado; she is sent to Colorado State Insane Asylum.
Popular culture
- Lurene TuttleLurene TuttleLurene Tuttle was a character actress, who made transitions from vaudeville to radio, to films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's most versatile actresses...
portrayed Ma Barker in the low-budget feature film Ma Barker's Killer BroodMa Barker's Killer BroodMa Barker's Killer Brood is a crime film, released in 1960. The low budget film was directed by Bill Karn and starred Lurene Tuttle as the title character, Ma Barker, and Tristam Coffin as Arthur Dunlop....
(1960). - In the 1966 BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
series, one of the villains in series one was Ma Parker (played by Shelley WintersShelley WintersShelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
), a villainous mob boss based on Ma Barker. Ma Parker along with her three sons and one daughter almost managed to defeat the Dynamic Duo in the series. - Barker's story was also adapted in the low budget film Bloody MamaBloody MamaBloody Mama is a 1970 low budget film very loosely based on the story of Ma Barker. It was directed by Roger Corman and starred Shelley Winters in the title role, depicted as a corrupt mother who encourages and organizes her children's criminality. The film featured an early appearance by a young...
(1970). - In 1977, German disco band Boney M. released a hit single titled Ma BakerMa Baker"Ma Baker" is a 1977 disco hit single by German disco band Boney M. It was the first single of their second album Love for Sale and their third consecutive chart-topper in Germany and their best yet placing in the UK, peaking at #2 although only a minor single in the US .-The song:Frank Farian's...
. The song's title and lyrics clearly reference Ma Barker. - Another retelling of the legend occurred in the 1996 movie Public EnemiesPublic Enemies (1996 film)Public Enemies is a 1996 film directed by Mark L. Lester. The movie centers on the 1930s figure Ma Barker and her criminal sons.-Cast:*Theresa Russell - Ma Barker*Eric Roberts - Arthur Dunlop*Alyssa Milano - Amaryllis*James Marsden - Doc Barker...
starring Theresa RussellTheresa RussellTheresa Russell is an American actress.-Biography:Russell was born Theresa Paup in San Diego, California, the daughter of Carole Platt and Jerry Russell Paup. She attended Burbank High School, but did not graduate. She married English film director Nicolas Roeg , in 1982...
. - "Ma Barker and Her Boys", an episode of The UntouchablesThe Untouchables (1959 TV series)The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
, pits FederalFederal government of the United StatesThe federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
Agent Eliot NessEliot NessEliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :...
against the Barker clan, and depicts Ness as leading the assault on Ma Barker and her sons at their Florida hide-out. In real life Ness was not a member of the FBI at the time of the shoot-out, and had nothing to do with the Barker/Karpis case. - The DuckTalesDuckTalesDuckTales is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book series, it premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990 with a total of four seasons and 100 episodes...
version of DisneyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's Beagle BoysBeagle BoysThe Beagle Boys are a group of fictional characters from the Scrooge McDuck universe. Created by Carl Barks, they are a gang of criminals who constantly try to rob Scrooge McDuck. Their introduction and first appearance was in Terror of the Beagle Boys, in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #134,...
, a gang of criminals, is led by their mother Ma Beagle, who is based on Ma Barker. She is absent from the original comics by Carl BarksCarl BarksCarl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
. - The band Maylene And The Sons Of DisasterMaylene and the Sons of DisasterMaylene and the Sons of Disaster is an American, Southern metalcore band formed in 2004 in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster signed to Mono Vs Stereo and released their self-titled debut album...
are named after the group of criminals and their songs are based on the gang's history. - While The DaltonsThe Daltons (Lucky Luke)The Daltons are fictional outlaws who regularly appear in the Lucky Luke comic book series and are recurrent villains. They were created by Morris and writer René Goscinny...
of the Lucky LukeLucky LukeLucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series, were originally based on the real Dalton GangDalton GangThe Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
, their mother Ma DaltonMa Dalton (Lucky Luke)Ma Dalton is a Lucky Luke comic written by Goscinny and illustrated by Morris. It was first published in French in the year 1971 by Dargaud. English editions of this French series have been published by Cinebooks and Tara Press....
is clearly inspired by Ma Barker. Coincidentally, their gang consists of four instead of three Dalton brothers. - Crime author James Hadley ChaseJames Hadley ChaseJames Hadley Chase is the best-known pseudonym of the British writer Rene Brabazon Raymond who also wrote under the names James L. Docherty, Ambrose Grant, and Raymond Marshall. Chase is one of the best known thriller writers of all time...
based some of the characters in his first novel, No Orchids for Miss BlandishNo Orchids for Miss BlandishNo Orchids for Miss Blandish is a 1948 British gangster film adapted and directed by St. John Leigh Clowes from a novel by James Hadley Chase...
, on Ma Barker and her sons. - John EatonJohn Eaton (composer)John Charles Eaton is an American composer , MacArthur Fellow, is professor emeritus of composition at the University of Chicago John Charles Eaton (born 30 March 1935 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American composer (Anon. [n.d.]; Morgan 2001), MacArthur Fellow, is professor emeritus of...
composed an operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, Ma Barker, in 1955.