Ma Barker Was Not Who the FBI Said She Was

The FBI called her the most dangerous woman in America. But was Ma Barker really the criminal mastermind newspapers made her out to be, or was Kate Barker something harder to explain? In this episode of Eclectic Historical Society, we look at the real story behind Ma Barker, the Barker-Karpis gang, the Depression-era crime wave, and the final shootout at Lake Weir, Florida. Her sons were tied to robbery, kidnapping, prison time, and violence, but the legend that grew around their mother may have been cleaner than the truth. This is not just the story of a gangster mother. It is the story of how a frightened country, hungry newspapers, and a rising FBI helped turn one woman into a public enemy myth.