Pretty Boy Floyd was an infamous Depression-era, American bank robber. Born Charles Arthur Floyd in Georgia, he was one of seven children. His parents were farmers, and the family was extremely poor. At first, Floyd attempted to be a farmer as well, but once he failed at this, he turned to a life of crime.
He was arrested at age 18 for a payroll robbery and vowed to never steal again. The allure was too much for him though, and he went on to continue robbing banks.
He began in Ohio with a group of gangsters and was known for being reckless with his machine gun. From there, he moved on to robbing banks in Oklahoma, Kentucky and and Michigan.
During his robbing spree in Oklahoma, it is said that bank insurance rates doubled. Perhaps because of his poor upbringing, Floyd became known for destroying mortgage papers at some of the banks he robbed and ridding many people of debt.
Some dubbed him the "Robin Hood of the Cooksoon Hills." This somewhat endeared himself to the public. It did not save him from the FBI though. In 1934 after robbing a bank, Floyd was shot and killed by FBI agents during a chase.
