The Lawless Years is the first television crime drama set during the Roaring 20s, having predated ABC's far more successful The Untouchables with Robert Stack by six months. The 47-episode half-hour series aired nonconsecutively on NBC from April 16 to August 27, 1959, from October 1, 1959, to January 19, 1960, and, finally, from May 12 to September 22, 1961. It starred James Gregory as real-life NYPD Detective Barney Ruditsky, with Robert Karnes as Max, his associate. Ruditsky, who had become a private investigator in Hollywood after retiring from law enforcement, served as the show's technical advisor. Jack Chertok was the producer.

From May 26 to June 23, 1961, The Lawless Years ran a five-part episode entitled "Louie K" with guest star Paul Richards in the role of Louis "Louie" Kassoff. John Dennis appeared as Dutch Schultz and John Vivyan as Lepke. Dennis also appeared in "The Dutch Schultz Story" on May 14, 1959.

episode 4 The Cutie Jaffe Story
Cutie Jaffe is a small time Lower East Side hood with an outsized sense of importance. He and his flunkies hijack one of his brother-in-law's bootlegging trucks that's loaded down with good imported booze. Cutie sells it to Mannie, a club owner, then tells his brother-in-law Mannie was behind the truck theft. All of his double-crossing soon catches up with him.

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