Tom Norton

Piss Ant Tom Norton

This story begins in the year 1923 and is about an orphan boy, who through no fault of his own becomes involved with criminal gangs. The large cities in the northeast United States always had a large criminal element involving prostitution, extortion and the numbers racket. It was no until prohibition in 1921 that bootlegging originated and became unbelievably profitable and in a matter of months organized gangs were formed that dominated different areas of the cities. These bootlegging gangs had bosses who by violent means earned that position in every gang. These bosses predominantly were the least educated and most violent members of society and were usually recent immigrants from Europe. Their lust for money and power created violent confrontations within each gang and between the different gangs all over the northeast. This period of time, known as the roaring twenties, was when the wealthy were filthy rich and with a new improving middle class. There was plenty of money for what some saw as the good life, which for the most part was one big party and opulent behavior. To support these people were the throngs of poor and struggling people providing services. Our young orphan went from the lower class of people to the upper class in a remarkably short time because of his involvement with the bootlegger gangs, but by character he was not inclined to be a gangster. He had to contend with the inherent danger of being involved with ruthless gangsters and killers as well as avoiding being arrested by federal agents. It was a life between two threats.