The American Gangster of alcohol that empowered the gangsters. The documentary shows actual film footage and photographs of gangsters like Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, Al Capone, and Bugsy Siegel. "The American Gangster" was released on VHS on July 1, 1992. The documentary was later part of a box set of DVDs, "The Mob Box Set", released on January 3, 2006. The documentary accompanied films like "Bugsy" (1991), "Donnie Brasco" (1997), and "Snatch" (2000). The American Gangster The American Gangster is a 1992 American crime documentary film directed by Ben Burtt and written and produced by Ray Herbeck Jr. The documentary is narrated
American Gangster (album) its own "mini-film". The album cover and music videos were costume designed by June Ambrose. According to "Yahoo! Music" journalist Angus Batey, "American Gangster" used "a selection of beats built from '70s soul and funk" to reflects "the period setting; lyrically, its primary theme is an investigation of the evolution of the gangsta archetype, looking at how the drug dealer became a semi-sympathetic outlaw figure, examining the contradictions inherent in those who chase the American Dream on the far side of legality, and ruminating on what this period of US history might yet come to mean". Jay-Z stated that almost