This image is the cover for the book Central Florida's Most Notorious Gangsters

Central Florida's Most Notorious Gangsters

Blazing gun battles, bank heists, and high-speed escapes: The true story of two men who terrorized Depression-era Florida and the Deep South.

This is the story of Alva Hunt and Hugh Gant, central Florida’s own Dillinger and Capone. They began their infamous careers fencing automobile parts as the Florida land boom became a bust. After doing hard time in state jails, they emerged as bank robbers and embarked on a crime spree across the Deep South.

In the end they were captured and served time in Leavenworth, Alcatraz, and other penitentiaries. Their reign was one of terror for Florida and many Southern states. Their story reflects an intriguing period in Florida’s own history, and the desperate days when Southern gangsters were armed, notorious and deadly.

Includes photos

Samuel Parish

Samuel Parish taught high school Social Studies and was an Adjunct Professor of History. As a part-time newspaper columnist, he has written hundreds of newspaper articles and editorials for the Sumter County Times. He has also published Sumter County a Chronicle of Change in Settlement and Residential Growth, a grant-funded historical brochure. He has a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and a Master of Arts History.

The History Press