America's most notorious bank robber returns to spotlight in gripping new documentary series

Fox News

17-07-2025

One of America's most famous outlaws and folk heroes made his debut on Fox Nation this Wednesday, and Sean Hannity was there to break down his story.
The brand-new four-part original series "Wanted: Dead or Alive" dropped on the streaming platform this week, with its first episode featuring brazen bank robber John Dillinger, whose string of crimes placed him in the crosshairs of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI during the depths of the Great Depression.
The story began in 1930s Indiana, when the decadence of the roaring '20s had become a distant memory, and joblessness, bank foreclosures, soup kitchens and breadlines abounded.
Out of the toxic mix, a new breed of outlaw was born – one who drove a V8 Ford, carried a Tommy gun, wore fine clothes and sealed his fate in American history alongside the bandits of the Old West.
"The story of John Dillinger has really lasted throughout the decades, and he's taken his place along with Jesse James, Billy the Kid – the famous outlaws of American history — and it's interesting to ask, 'Why Dillinger?'" said Ellen Poulsen, author of the true crime biography "Chasing Dillinger."
Few gangsters who belonged to the crime-plagued era would achieve the same celebrity status.
As pop culture historian Andrew Nelson pointed out, Dillinger's "media-savvy" persona was an asset that posited him as a "Robin Hood" figure of sorts.
"Was it true? No. But did people believe it about Dillinger more than any other gangster? Absolutely," he said.
Combining that charisma with the public's distaste for banks at the time only exacerbated the "Robin Hood" connotation.
A wealthy background, the early death of his mother and an estranged relationship with his father all constructed his upbringing and, regardless of how hard his father tried to keep him on the straight and narrow, he had other plans.
As the episode explores, at 21 years old in 1924, an arrest for assault and battery with an attempt to rob and conspiracy to commit a felony earned him a sentence of ten to 20 years.
At the Indiana State Penitentiary, he vowed revenge on the system that put him behind bars and was mentored by fellow inmates who would someday become members of his gang.
When he was released at 30 years old, the world was dramatically different, and the only life available for him was a life of crime — so he put his new robbery skills to the test.
The story of Dillinger goes on to showcase his rendezvous with romance, westward journey, dramatic escape from prison and his greatest heists — including one that led to his first murder and inspired the "terror gang" label.
New episodes of the historical drama series "Wanted: Dead or Alive" are dropping on the Fox Nation platform weekly, featuring more outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker.
To watch the full episode featuring John Dillinger's story or to view more content from the series each week, subscribe to Fox Nation and begin streaming today.