Preview update: New 1/35th scale American Gangsters from MiniArt

MiniArt goes the "Chicago Way" with this latest innovative set, "American Gangsters." Four figures in sharp suits, some cash & armed to the teeth. We look at them in our preview...

Preview update: New 1/35th scale American Gangsters from MiniArt

American Gangsters

From MiniArt

Kit No. 38108

1/35th scale

The kit contains four figures, weapons & equipment

Product Link on the MiniArt Website

The subject: American gangsters from the 1930's

The 1930s in America were an era of sharp suits and sharper danger, dominated by notorious gangsters who carved their legend into the streets of Chicago, New York, and beyond. These men—often glamorised despite their brutal crimes—epitomised a gritty, law-defying swagger. They dressed to impress with double-breasted suits, wide lapels, fedora hats, silk ties, and polished wingtip shoes. Their style wasn’t just vanity; it was a statement of power, money, and rebellion in a country grappling with the Great Depression.

Gangsters like Al Capone, John Dillinger, and Bonnie and Clyde relied on an arsenal of firepower that far outgunned local law enforcement. The Thompson submachine gun—nicknamed the “Tommy Gun”—became ”a symbol of gangster firepower, with its rapid-fire capabilities and sleek drum magazine. Shotguns, pistols, and even stolen military-grade weapons supplemented their firepower. They didn’t just stash weapons in hideouts; they carried them in custom-made violin cases, beneath coats, or inside modified cars, ready for a shootout at any moment.

The crimes they committed were brazen and often violent. Prohibition-era smuggling had evolved into bank robberies, kidnappings, extortion, and racketeering. Dillinger was infamous for robbing over a dozen banks and escaping jail multiple times. Meanwhile, organised crime syndicates ran illegal gambling rings, speakeasies, and bootlegging networks. They corrupted city officials, intimidated rivals, and embedded themselves into the fabric of urban America. For many, fear and fascination coexisted in equal measure when it came to these figures.

Despite their criminal ways, many gangsters became twisted cultural icons. Newspapers romanticised them, movie studios dramatised them, and the public—weary from poverty and economic despair—sometimes viewed them as rebellious antiheroes. The FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, worked aggressively to bring these criminals to justice, leading to dramatic shootouts and infamous arrests. Yet the legacy of 1930s gangsters lives on in pop culture, where style, violence, and notoriety combine in a uniquely American mythology.

Chicago police even armed themselves with guns to prepare for war with gangsters, 1930.

The kit: American Gangsters in 35th scale from Miniart.

Legends from the 1930s, these gangsters recreate some of the famous characters we have seen in stories and movies. This kit contains four figures with not only their own gear but also extra weapons and equipment on the extra sprues of the kit.

The four figures of American gangsters each come on their own sprue, dressed in sharp suits and nice hats. Money bags are included of course!

In the case of "self-defence," Tommy guns, both early and late, plus grease guns, map packs, and ammo are also included on these three sprues. Pistols & a BAR for that heavier and more discreet artillery are included.

The completed figures look pretty good (including the faces) when they are built up...

This kit will be available from Miniart's distributors worldwide next month. See more about all of MiniArt's kits on their website...