A Public Enemy’s Life in the Fast Lane The National Archives is
known for maintaining and preserving documents like the
Constitution and Declaration of Independence. But among
America’s historic documents, there are also records of bank
robbers, bootleggers, and gangsters. In this week’s “True Crime
at the Archives” spotlight is America’s first public enemy—John
Dillinger. A cunning and sophisticated bank robber, Dillinger
led a string of violent robberies during his short yet infamous
criminal career. So why did auto theft prove to be his most
costly crime? It all began in 1933, when Dillinger was paroled
from the Indiana State Prison after serving eight and a half
years for robbing a grocery store. Within months, Dillinger
organized a group of his closest criminal associates and began a
notorious crime spree. From September 1933 until January 1934,
Dillinger and his fellow outlaws managed to evade law
enforcement. And while Americans struggled during the height of
the Great Depression, the gang stole hundre