[1] The series depicts the activities of real-life police detective Barney Ruditsky as he fights organized crime in New York City.
[4] The series began with no sponsor because the premiere episode had one gangster killing another criminal "by plunging an ice pick into a vital spot.
"[6] Before that development, the trade publication Variety reported that Philip Morris was the "hottest prospect" to take on the series to advertise its Parliament and Marlboro cigarette brands.
A week after that article appeared, Variety reported that NBC was offering sponsorship of The Lawless Years for a "special introductory price".
[9] Critic John Crosby praised the look of the program: "the series is beautifully filmed and the settings and costumes and all the outer trimmings are marvelously authentic .
[10] Newspaper journalist Hal Humphrey wrote, "The opening chapters in Ruditsky's hoodlum-infested underworld made gripping drama.