I understand people are "angry" about the loss of jobs and what they perceive as a bleak future. But there wasn't this kind of horrible incident during the Great Depression, was there? Criminals had guns, and were labeled as criminals —- I suppose some of them were folk heroes, but ordinary citizens didn't act this…

Setting it in the 1930's is stupid, regardless of whether or not that's when the original was set. Not only will it then compete with the (rumored) Depp "Thin Man", it kills the possibility of using the tv theme music, which is one of the most iconic themes of all time. 
Stupid. Really stupid.