In the past, the black gangsters had bought their drugs from a middleman, the Mafia-which, as it happened, was then being pummeled by the federal government's new anti-racketeering laws.

Critics have said that meant that black and Hispanic gangsters faced the death penalty in disproportionate numbers.

More and more of Chicago's black gangsters were getting sent to federal prisons.

But by the time crack came to Chicago, the black gangsters had made the connections to buy their cocaine directly from Colombian dealers.

He talked tough to gangsters white and black.

In a Newsnight discussion on 12 August, historian David Starkey blamed black gangster and rap culture, saying that it had influenced youths of all races.

As a kidnapping unfolds involving high-level white politicians and a black gangster, the music blares.

He seemed to think it was for security reasons, many of the other patients being either black or Hispanic gangsters.

"A black gangster musical."

To deal more efficiently with other black gangsters, he created The Council, a seven man organization modeled after the Italian mob families.