Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid: America's Original Gangster Couple, (Hardcover)

The true Jazz Age tale of America's first gangster couple, Margaret and Richard Whittemore

Before Bonnie and Clyde there were Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid. In the wake of world war, a pandemic, and an economic depression, Margaret and Richard Whittemore, two love-struck working-class kids from Baltimore, reached for the dream of a better life. The couple headed up a gang that in less than a year stole over one million dollars' worth of diamonds and precious gems--over ten million dollars today.

Margaret was a chic flapper, the archetypal gun moll, partner to her husband's crimes. Richard was the quintessential bad boy, whose cunning and violent ambition allowed the Whittemores to live the kind of lives they'd only seen in the movies. Along the way he killed at least three men, until prosecutors managed a conviction. As tabloids across the country exclaimed the details of the couple's star-crossed romance, they became heroes to a new generation of young Americans who sought their own version of freedom.

Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties' excesses, acclaimed author Glenn Stout takes us from the jailhouse to the speakeasy, from the cabarets where the couple celebrated good times to the gallows where their story finally came to an end--leaving Tiger Girl pining for a final kiss. Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid is a thrilling tale of rags to riches, tragedy and infamy.

This meticulously researched true crime biography brings America's original gangster couple to vivid life, exploring:

• Jazz Age True Crime: The thrilling story of Margaret and Richard Whittemore, the love-struck, working-class kids who became America's first celebrity gangster couple--before Bonnie and Clyde.
• An Iconic Flapper Gun Moll: Meet Margaret, the chic and daring partner in her husband's crimes who became the archetypal gun moll for a generation obsessed with freedom and excess.
• The Roaring Twenties Underworld: Journey from Baltimore to the speakeasies and cabarets of New York, where the Whittemores celebrated stealing over a million dollars in diamonds and became tabloid heroes.
• Meticulously Researched History: Acclaimed author Glenn Stout uses extensive historical records to paint a vivid picture of post-war America and the social forces that created outlaws out of dreamers.