This was really about how a cop by the name of Thomas Byrne in the 1870s began keeping track and recording the different criminals in New York City. He would notice or begin noticing that many would be the same over time but no one had any record of them. He began keeping descriptions, later photos, and fingerprints. Later in the book you are introduced to a woman Marm Mandelbaum was one of the first who had an organization of criminals that she financed to do different jobs, robbery, also a bank, forgery, and others. He needed help and not having anything he came up with his plan to begin taking down the criminal organizations. A very good book and I found it to be very fascinating as well.

This was an entertaining and informative read. I found myself sharing what I learned from this book with those around me. I recommend it to fans of good and highly readable non-fiction.

Great book. Love the mix of narrative and history. Oller struck a perfect balance. This is exactly the kind of history I like to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this history book.

John Oller in his book Rogues' Gallery: The Birth of Modern Policing and Organized Crime in Gilded Age New York writes of the origins of the New York Police Department from its earliest days to about the second decade of the twentieth century. The era was one of glitzy murders that made the media go crazy, corruption, racism, brutality, cronyism, nepotism and police reform. The more things change the more things stay the same.

Mr. Oller tells the story by focusing on some of the key players and how they developed the force, or in some cases gave the force a black eye. Some of the key people, Theodore Roosevelt being the most famous, buy also Thomas Byrnes who brought in new techniques such as photograghy and the Bertillon system, and Joseph Petrosino, the first Italian detective who helped to break up early mafia and other criminal gangs. The book is very well written, illustrated and sourced with a readability that never bogs that narrative down. Sort of combination of true crime, history, and sociological study, with a lot of early New York politics. A study of a city finding itself and who different groups fought for both freedom and control.

What I found most interesting was both the influence politicians played on both the police and the criminals they were supposed to be catching. To advance in the department, even to get a good job candidates had to bribe their way in, in hopes of making more money later on bribes that criminals were paying to the police for the politicians who allowed them to do their illegal enterprises.

The story is sometimes not a pretty one. Corruption was everywhere balanced by an equal amount of incompetence and political and personal jealousy. However this is a very interesting and in many ways timely book, as some of the problems of today's police have their origins in their earliest day, unfortunately we keep making the same mistakes. This is a very interesting book and I hope that Mr. Oller continues, as I would like to read about the history of the NYPD. A great book for fans of New York, true crime buffs, criminology fans or people who enjoy well written history books.

An extremely interesting novel regarding the early days of the New York City police. I found the stories and political intrigue that occurred to be especially riveting. It was truly an eye-opening experience. I fully recommend this book to all true crime and historical fans!

Thank you to #NetGalley and the Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.