A law enforcement officer who breaks up organized crime gangs; someone who aggressively pursues and eliminates gang activity or crime.
Compound from gang + buster (one who breaks up). The term originated in early-20th-century American law enforcement, popularized especially during Prohibition when organized crime was rampant.
The word 'gangbuster' became so iconic it inspired the radio show 'Gangbusters' in the 1930s, which was one of America's first crime dramas and helped shape how people thought about crime-fighting!
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