Hell's Half-Acre: The Most Notorious Spot of St. Louis County - Paperback

There was a street on the edge of a big city that no one wanted. The city didn't want it. The suburb to the north didn't want it. The suburb to the south didn't want it. It was as if it were cursed, untouchable. It was the 6100 to 6400 blocks of Bartmer Avenue-and the blocks all around. This little strip of land was called by authorities Hell's Half-Acre. Since no one wanted it, no one cared what happened there. No law. No order. Some folks had the time of their lives there! Other folks lost their lives there. All the cardinal sins were present: saloons on every block, backroom gambling halls, a gangster or two, murder in the street, robberies, bank heists, adultery, an abortion clinic, suicide, negligence. It was all there. Even a little boy could wind up in jail. This enthralling book gives two dozen thoughtful vignettes, all based on true stories, that shed light on the lived experiences of people in the most notorious part of St. Louis County-Hell's Half-Acre.