Co-Starring Stanley Adams. Racketeer Ray Baker stands accused of killing a young girl during a wild party but the confession of a dying racketeer exonerates him and implicates another mobster. .br br The Lawless Years is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, having pre-dated ABC's far more successful The Untouchables by six months. James Gregory stars as real-life NYPD Detective Barney Ruditsky, with Robert Karnes as Max, his associate. Ruditsky, who had become a private investigator in Hollywood after retiring from law enforcement, served as the show's technical advisor. Jack Chertok was the producer. br br Directed by Allen H.