The territory or world controlled by criminal gangs, or the activities and lifestyle associated with organized crime.
A modern English compound from 'gang' (from Scandinavian languages, originally meaning 'going' or 'passage') and 'land.' This term emerged in the early 20th century during Prohibition when organized crime became a distinct social structure in major American cities.
The word 'gangland' became common during Prohibition (1920-1933) when crime syndicates literally carved up American cities into territories, each with a different gang boss—newspapers invented this term to describe the phenomenon.
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