There were a few episodes available online so I checked it out - awfully talky for my taste. Yes, I did see the similarity to Gangs but never developed any connection to any of the characters.
“Tis all a matter of taste...”
Scorsese is supposed to be developing his own Gangs of New York series. If he gets HBO money it's bound to be more convincing than Copper (on the other hand, it could just be a 19th century rip off of Boardwalk Empire, which Scorsese also worked on).
Ripper (London, 1889) is another good series on BBC America. I wish they'd put their brains together and come up with one excellent series rather than two so-so ones, but I guess it's to be expected from television.
Justified is the kind of show where you need to invest time in getting to know the characters and the writing. The dialog is sharp and witty, and characters all have a depth that you don't see in ordinary shows. I agree it isn't for everyone, but like The Sopranos it has characters that you just hate to love. Raylan Givens is not my favorite character, I'm a Boyd Crowder fan. I loved the Mag Bennett and Mykelti Williamson as Elstin Limehouse was great. There are gems in just about every episode.