Al Brady was born in Indiana in 1910. Both his parents died while he was still young. At age 18, he committed his first robbery in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was shot and wounded. After getting out of jail, he got together with a gang. Using guns, they stole cars and robbed places in Indiana; mostly grocery stores. They murdered a 23-year-old Indianapolis store clerk. Then they killed an Indianapolis policeman. After probably killing another police officer, the gang was put in jail in 1936. Brady and some of the gang escaped from jail and robbed a bank in Goodland, Indiana. While running away, they killed one policeman and injured another.