Hunt-Gant Gang
Encyclopedia
The Hunt-Gant Gang was a Depression-era outlaw group led by Alva-Dewey Hunt and Hugh Gant which was active during the mid-to late 1930s. Although largely unknown on a national scale, their Midwest counterparts receiving the focus of the media, they were the only gang to operate south of the Mason-Dixon Line
and robbed countless banks throughout the Southeastern United States
.
. They soon hit another Florida bank in Mulberry
on August 1, 1935, and in one of their biggest heist, scored $30,459 from a bank in Ybor City on March 3, 1936. Their last major robbery in Foley, Alabama
netted only $7,242 as, by that time, they were being pursued by the FBI. With the vast majority of Midwestern "public enemies
" having been killed or imprisoned, federal agents turned their attentions towards other parts of the country. The gang managed to evade capture for three and a half years until Hunt and Gant were arrested by authorities in Houston, Texas
, convicted on federal bank robbery charges and given long prison sentences.
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
and robbed countless banks throughout the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
History
The gang's first known robbery took place on February 28, 1935, when they stole $4,000 from a bank in Haines City, FloridaHaines City, Florida
Haines City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 13,174 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population estimated by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida is 18,762. Haines City is the third most populous city in Polk County, Florida...
. They soon hit another Florida bank in Mulberry
Mulberry, Florida
Mulberry is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,228 . Mulberry is home to Badcock Home Furniture. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical...
on August 1, 1935, and in one of their biggest heist, scored $30,459 from a bank in Ybor City on March 3, 1936. Their last major robbery in Foley, Alabama
Foley, Alabama
Foley is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States.The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 7,590.Foley is a principal city of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baldwin County....
netted only $7,242 as, by that time, they were being pursued by the FBI. With the vast majority of Midwestern "public enemies
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
" having been killed or imprisoned, federal agents turned their attentions towards other parts of the country. The gang managed to evade capture for three and a half years until Hunt and Gant were arrested by authorities in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, convicted on federal bank robbery charges and given long prison sentences.
Further reading
- Parish, Samuel. Central Florida's Most Notorious Gangsters: Alva Hunt and Hugh Gant. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2008. ISBN 1-59629-414-0