In this article, Gangster Squad (LAPD) will be approached from different perspectives with the aim of delving into its importance and relevance today. Throughout the reading, key aspects related to Gangster Squad (LAPD) will be analyzed, from its origin and evolution to its impact on current society. Different points of view and opinions of experts on the subject will be examined, in order to offer a comprehensive and enriching vision of Gangster Squad (LAPD). Likewise, concrete examples and case studies will be presented that will allow the reader to better understand the relevance and application of Gangster Squad (LAPD) in everyday life. This article seeks to provide a global and complete vision of Gangster Squad (LAPD), with the purpose of contributing to the knowledge and understanding of this broad and significant topic.
The Gangster Squad, later known as the Organized Crime Intelligence Division (OCID), was a special unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) formed in 1946 to keep the East Coast Mafia and organized crime elements out of Los Angeles.
The squad was created by then Chief of Police Clemence B. Horrall in 1946. Initially organized as an eight-man intelligence detail, it became popularly known as the Gangster Squad. It was given the tasks of fighting organized crime and spying on corrupt cops. Criminals it targeted included Mickey Cohen, Jack Dragna, Bugsy Siegel, Jack Whalen and Jimmy Fratianno.
Much like the events in the 2013 film Gangster Squad, the real-life squad waged war on crime and did things that would be considered illegal by today's standards. As the real-life Sgt. Jack O'Mara later told the Los Angeles Times in 2008: "We did a lot of things that we'd get indicted for today". In 1949, interim LAPD Chief William Worton increased the team's size and renamed it the Intelligence Division. William Parker became chief in 1950 and expanded the team even more, including the addition of a female field team.