Gangbusters is text based strategy game for 2-6 players (the layout of it on screen is very similar to another game by Prickly-Pear Software that came out earlier called Viking!) but with the twist that each player is trying to become the master of the mob, starting in 1920. You have to buy and control criminal enterprises, bribe officials, specify your cut from your enterprises, take loans at exorbitant interest rates, and even take contracts out on each other (which you can protect yourself from if you can afford a bullet proof limo). Just don't take a contract out if you haven't actually gotten a gun yet (which are offered to be sold to you on the side on occasion) or you will end up in prison. But don't worry, you can still make some money while in prison, and if you can bribe the prison you can get out early. You can even bribe to have "your sheet pulled" to make your criminal record "disappear". If you are lucky, you can bet on the horse races and try to gain money even faster than you can from skimming your criminal enterprises.
The game makes use of the slang of the mob from the 1920's-1930's, and each turn lets the player select everything they want to do (well, can afford to do) for a year in their city. The ultimate goal is to build your empire up and take out the other players until you are last mobster left standing. You progress through a ranking system as well, and as your rank goes up you start getting opportunities that you couldn't get before (you start as a PUNK and work your way towards KINGPIN). I remember that it was a fun party game when I was a teenager.
Title: Gangbusters
Author: ???
Publisher: Prickly-Pear Software
Released: August 1982 (1st Rainbow ad)
Requires: Color Computer 1,2 or 3, 16K RAM