When he was only 15 years old, he was already conning people with fake checks. The family was the largest organized crime organization in Rhode Island. He wrote of his life as a criminal. He is a convicted felon who started his criminal career at a young age. This couldve been rooted in his father (who was also a criminal) leaving him and his family to fend for themselves. While in police custody, Oswald was shot dead by Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner. Search; Famous People. Smith initially claimed the children had been abducted by a strange man. Eventually, the truth came out. Harvey claimed to have murdered 87 people all told. He robbed celebrities like Armand Hammer, Bob Hope, and Truman Capote. Show All [Total 12 People] 1 Ed Gein. List of the most famous and important gangsters in history hand-picked by our team of expert editors and ranked by their popularity on On This Day. Popularly known as the Butcher of Plainfield, Ed Gein was a murderer and body snatcher. Silverman was a New York socialite. He also played a key role in the rise of the National Crime Syndicate. He also targeted private homes. Birthdate: 1960s Birthdate: February 5, 1848 And here are more history myths you might have been taught. Deathdate: 1970s. Woodfield is currently serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of a woman from Salem, Oregon, but hes linked to nearly 20 other murders and suspected of murdering nearly 50 during his late-1970s spree. Killer's Books Some people might think that famous thieves have no other interests aside from jewels and money. She had power, money, and a $7 million townhouse. Alphonse Gabriel Capone, or simply Al Capone, isnt just one of the most famous thieves in history. Rhodes turned Blumberg in exchange for a large sum of money. Jeffrey Dahmer (1960-1994) 2. Browse famous birthdays sorted by profession, birth place and birth region. Florida-based Pamela Smart made headlines when she was charged with plotting the murder of her husband, Greggory Smart, with her 15-year-old boyfriend, William "Billy" Flynn, and three of his friends. February 2023 Age 66 years old. Their story has been referenced in numerous movies, books, and songsmost notably in the film Badlands and the song Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen. Although they were captured in Wyoming, it was in Nebraska that 20-year-old Charlie Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Fugate, began a murder spree in 1958. August 2019 Nationality: American He began his life of crime long before he met the Sundance Kid, and there is speculation he survived the shootout that killed Sundance, returning to the States where he died of cancer in 1937. She ran a boarding house where she may have poisoned as many as 22 of her guests before she was shot by a friend of one of her victims. Deathdate: N/A. May 2019 Nationality: American Serial Killers Next, learn the spookiest urban legends from every state. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for killing Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit. The leader of the Wild Bunch gang and partner-in-crime with the Sundance Kid, Butch Cassidy was born Robert Leroy Parker in 1866 in Beaver, UT. They often robbed trains and banks. read more about thisin my blog on. Soho Murders Thriving on attention, Knowles idolized the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, and like them, was shot to death by law enforcement. Profession Birth Region Birth Place Worldwide Celebrity Birthdays Today. He was charged, convicted and sentenced to eight concurrent life sentences in 1973 for murdering ten people, including his paternal grandparents and mother. He was popularized by the media under the name Son of Sam.. Wuornos was a tragic case: She was abused as a child, abandoned, and later made a living as a sex worker along Floridas highways. The crime that made them two of the most famous thieves in the US was the murder of Irene Silverman. They robbed the French bank for $10 million in cash, gold, and jewelry. Select Month. Abagnale has long since turned away from a life of crime. Birthdate: April 27, 1948 August 2020 Natwarlal is Indias biggest conman. Following these stunts, he left for New York, where he founded a gang of pickpockets. Criminals. Throughout history, all kinds of notorious people made a name for themselves as art, jewel, or bank thieves. September 2019 Nationality: Italian Alias/es: N/A Birthdate: March 8, 1697 His crimes and the subsequent execution by electric chair were dramatized in the film The Gray Man. He remains one of the most notorious personalities of the American Old West, whose life has been often dramatized in popular culture. Handsome and charming, Bundy admitted to killing 36 women in the 1970sacross a number of states but mostly in Florida; law enforcement estimates the number of victims higheras many as 100. Robberies - March 2020 Accused of crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death in 2006. Nationality: American Booth, an actor, didnt act alone, but it was his bullet that ended Lincolns life as he yelled out, Sic semper tyrannis! 9 historic stories of heroism to inspire you right about now, first and worst serial killer in Wyoming history, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Bulger's life and work inspired the 2015 film Black Mass. They finally arrested him in 2002. Birth Sign Aries. November 2020 Hes currently serving a life sentence. This film features interviews with her family and other officials involved in her case. But were going with Robert Chambers, the handsome, private-school-educated preppie, who murdered 18-year-old Jennifer Levin behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, he went back to his criminal ways not long after. She is better known as Sonia the Golden Hand. His life has inspired several video games, TV miniseries, and films. Described below is a sample of individuals whose extreme transgressions have brought the ire or admiration of their communities and the attention of society as famous criminals. Murder A crime generally can be said to be an activity that causes harm to an individual, the community or the state. Founded in 1916 by Gaspare Messinabut renamed in the 1950s for boss Raymond Patriarcamembers of this criminal enterprise have been indicted time and again on numerous racketeering charges. 1893-10-12 Velvalee Dickinson, American spy, convicted of espionage against the United States on behalf of Japan during World War II, born in Sacramento, California (d. 1980); 1894-03-09 Frank Arnau [Heinrich Schmitt], German crime fiction writer, born in Vienna (d. 1976); 1894-10-04 Cliff Hall [Robert Clifford Hall], American actor (At This Moment, Dutch Treat, Crime Photographer), born in . Killers By Nickname For him, Pipino chose to never use violence or blackmail. What started off as a car chase on Highway 12 ended with three deaths, namely of two agents and Gillis himself. Killer's Religion At least 650 other people were wounded. Nationality: American The. Whenever the elite had dinner, they did not often excuse themselves. Known as Americas first serial killer, Holmes may have killed as many as 200 people, many of them in a house he built for precisely that purposeknown as the Murder Castle. What a relief. He started off selling autographs of celebrities. October 2020 He robbed a chapel in Paris. George Kelly Barnes was born in Memphis in 1895. No one is sure whether Ridgway was telling the truth or merely seeking media attention. Born in 1903 in Indianapolis, Dillinger terrorized the Midwest, including killing a member of law enforcement before he went down in a hail of bullets on July 22, 1934. He managed to keep his crimes hidden for nearly two decades before finally being arrested and convicted in 1987. March 2017 Nationality: American Thus, the rest of the house was free for them to rob. Killers By Weight October 2021 On November 27, 1934, a gunfight between the police and Gillis broke out. Further investigation suggested that he had murdered US President John F. Kennedy about 45 minutes before murdering Tippit. James Moriarty is the fictional villain from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous book series, Sherlock Holmes. Nothing has been found about him since then. Birthdate: October 8, 1881 Albert DeSalvo (aka the boston strangler who lured his way into his victim's apartments by measuring them for the latest fashions, hence he was dubbed "The Measuring Man") andMyra Hindley (who coerced young children into her car - for her and her boyfriend Ian Brady to kill - with the promise of sweets if they'd help her with a little task), Cynthia Coffman,Beverly "The Angel of Death" Allitt and Britain's most notorious serial-killer, Dennis Nilsen, whose murderous killing spree of 15+ victims and 9+ attempted murders was sparked when "Twinkle" his boyfriend left him. Another is The Highwaymen, a Netflix film released in 2019. His gang was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. The bankruptcy filing was the biggest in U.S. history at the time, cost 20,000 employees their jobs and their life savings, and losing billions of investor dollars. Gypsy Rose Blanchard (23) American criminal. Born in South Korea in 1984, Seung-Hui Cho was the shooter who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech University in 2007. Edmund Kemper is a serial killer, rapist and a necrophile. history myths you might have been taught. In 1949, British director Norman Lee released The Case of Charles Peace. Most of his victims were female college students and hitchhikers, whom he lured into his vehicle and then killed them. However, there was no evidence that showed them donating their stolen goods outside of their gang. August 2018 He eventually confessed to murdering five others. The most notorious crime committed by Bruno Richard Hauptmann may be more notorious than the criminal, himself. But by his own account, he couldnt get over his breakup with his high school girlfriend and had been punishing women by raping and murdering them starting in 1992, at the age of 17. They both noticed a pattern in how rich people lived. Birthday March 24, 1909. The media and police called her the Starlet Bandit. At least one-third of those murders were tribal women. He targeted young men and boys, who he would lure to his house on some pretext before torturing and killing them. The scientist was an army doctor called Cesare Lombroso, who had begun his career working in lunatic asylums and had then become interested in crime and criminals while studying Italian soldiers. The police often caught him, so he spent several years going in and out of prison. Profession Birth Region Birth Place Worldwide Celebrity Birthdays Today. Bonnie Parker 6. He sold ivory worth around $2.6 million illegally. To this day, police have not identified who the Starlet Bandit is. One of the most famous thieves today is Frank Abagnale, Jr. (U.S. Marine Veteran Who Assassinated John F. Kennedy), (Father of the Modern Organized Crime in the United States), (Former Criminal known for Hijacking a Boeing 727 and parachuting from the plane mid-flight before disappearing), (American Outlaw, Bank and Train Robber and Leader of the 'JamesYounger Gang'), Jesse James was an outlaw from Missouri, who robbed trains, stagecoaches, and banks. Golder became a full-time robber when he was 21 years old. US criminal [Total 26 People] Adam Worth is one of the most famous thieves in history. A closer look at his background would reveal a lifetime of strange behavior, including an indecent exposure arrest during high school, but not before Woodfield would go on to become the I-5 Killer for the robberies, sexual assaults, and murders he committed along the Interstate 5, which runs through Oregon as well as Washington and California. Gillis died young at the age of 25 during the Battle of Barrington. December 2020 They spent the entire weekend emptying safety deposit boxes and cash. Their motive was revenge on people they accused of bullying them. He later decapitated and violated them. Her story eventually became quite famous in popular culture. Together, they robbed and killed several people. Peter "The Vampire of Dusseldorf"Kurten, Jeffrey "The Killer Cannibal" Dahmer, John "The Acid Bath Murderer" George Haigh, John Reginald Christie (the friendly neighbourhood abortionist, strangler and necrophile) andVelma Barfield (who murdered six residents in the old people's home that she ran). Offences that cause harm to a person such as assault, murder, sexual offences, etc. Deathdate: February 25, 1879. In another tale of young girls inexplicably turning on a friend, 12-year-olds Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser tried to murder their same-age friend Payton Leutner. March 2016, All Nationality: English Authorities believe the Council Bluffs native may have been responsible for the rape and murder of more than 50 women, though theyve only confirmed three victims. Mary Frith is one of the most famous thieves from London. Read more about Manson in the true crime book, Helter Skelterhere are some other amazing true crime books to check out. He died of cancer in January 1967 in a hospital just after The Texas Court of Appeals had reversed his death sentence and was slated to grant him a new trial. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment for 15 murders but later committed suicide in prison. February 2017 He claims to have killed up to 35 people; authorities have tied him to at least 18 murders. The South is avenged.. He wrote about their meeting in his book, Sakhalin Island. Alias/es: Book Bandit His horrific upbringing included sexual abuse by a neighbor, neglect by his mentally ill mother, and being treated as a misfit by everyone. Would be interesting to compare natal charts in depth beyond sun signs. He moved to the state in the early 1970s and lead a remote, survivalist lifestyle while developing his anti-government ethos. He detailed his robberies in his memoir and named the celebrities he stole from. This is because he tried to sell it for profit instead of simply donating it. While the name might suggest that they had 40 members, this is not the case. Deathdate: N/A. Often high profile criminals are given wide coverage in mass media which accords to them a sort of celebrity status. His conviction resulted in a 40-year sentence, which hes still serving today. Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett in 1861 to an affluent New Hampshire family. But due to law enforcement error in eliciting Carignans confession, Carignans sentence was reversed. Birthdate: 1940 Birthdate: 1682 or 1683 Here are the secrets the FBI doesnt want you to know. The South African sprinter also became the first amputee runner to compete at the Olympics Games. An example is the TV series, Sonka Golden-Hands. They apparently murdered several policemen, too. His story has inspired over 50 films, including Billy the Kid, and The Outlaw. Tim Powers' novel On Stranger Tides houses a fictionalized version of Blackbeard; the novel was later adapted into a film titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It translated to, Without Guns, Without Violence, Without Hate., Read also: 50 Inspiring Florence Nightingale Facts About The Lady With The Lamp, Alias/es: Scarface, Big Al, Big Boy, Public Enemy No. They considered leaving any time during the meal as a rude gesture. January 2019 Birthdate: August 9, 1955 To this day, people continue to speculate about his death. Later, the life of one of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century inspired a number of books and movies. Many fictional TV and film characters have also been inspired by Whitey Bulger. The book quickly gained popularity. October 2022 Read on if you want to learn more! The gunfight that ended their Depression-era reign of terror lasted a mere 12 seconds, but the nations romanticizing of them has never really ended. They went to trial, but the police never found the victims body. Famous people's biographies and today's birthdays at a glance. In 2000, ITV aired a crime drama miniseries based on Peter Sutcliffe's murders titled This Is Personal. Alias/es: Dick Turpin, John Palmer He died in prison in 2017. While on a death row, he died of cancer. Mexican drug kingpin named Joaqun Guzmn Loera but best known as El Chapo. Jesse James 4. Clyde Barrow (1909 - 1934) American criminal . Born to working-class parents, Marguerite Alibert initially sang at local bars and worked as a prostitute. Benjamin Bugsy Siegel was born in New York (in 1906) and died in California (in 1947), but he rose to infamy in Las Vegas. You can read more about the Holmes story in the excellent book, Devil in the White City, which is in plans to be made into a feature-length film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite being thieves, many of them live by some moral code. A notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar was the founder and leader of the infamous Medelln Cartel. However, later, he was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend and is currently imprisoned. July 2020 Birthdate: 1912 Some even believe he might have survived. He wasnt tried and convicted until 2005. However, most people will answer Natwarlals con. In the 1780s, Remy forged the signature of Queen Marie Antoinette for the purchase of an expensive diamond necklace. She was a crewmate on Captain John Rackams ship, and the captain himself was her lover. This book thief stole over 23,600 books. Alias/es: N/A Steven Brian Pennell, also known as the Route 40 Killer, is the only documented serial killer in Delaware history. They managed to get closer to her when Kenny pretended to be a tenant at the townhouse. Nationality: American He was a. He thought the owner would thank him. Killers By Motive He got his first machine gunand his nicknamefrom his wife, who became his accomplice. Born in 1960, he committed his first murder in 1978 and continued until he was caught in 1991. Out of all the famous thieves, the Starlet Bandit remains the most mysterious. July 2017 They traveled from Florida to New England just to rob the elite. Here are 9 historic stories of heroism to inspire you right about now. He assumed the identities of an airline pilot, a physician and a lawyer, among others. Together with his organization, Al Capone committed a series of crimes, including robberies, gambling, prostitution, and murder. Nationality: American The novel led to her popularity, and she quickly became one of the most famous thieves ever. July 2022 From a brilliant mathematician and an assistant professor at University of California, Theodore Kaczynski became the notorious American criminalUnabomberwho was responsible for mail bombs that killed three people and injured 23 in eighteen years. Arias spent a shocking 18 consecutive days testifying on her own behalf, attempting to resolve several years worth of conflicting stories shed told about what really happened to Alexander and ultimately claiming she killed him in self-defenseunsuccessfully. Keyes took his own life in a jail cell while awaiting trial. Canalkillers But their age at the time of their crimes (11 and 13, respectively), and the fact that they are now still alive (a rarity among school shooters) and out of prison having been released on their 21st birthdays makes them Arkansass most notorious criminals. He also stole the Olympic gold medal of swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Sorry, but its a myth. It told a fictional story of how Turpin rode from London all the way to York on his horse, Black Bess. Her son, Kenny Kimes, was her partner in crime. This is why people called him the Thief-Taker General.. May 2016 June 2022 15. Murder Mile They killed 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives. He was a master evader and escaped the polices attempts to capture him many times. February 2021 These books came from libraries and museums of different states. The authorities could only associate a few names with the group. He began his criminal career in bootlegging and then moved up to bank robbery. According to the article, the Starlet Bandit was a team of LA hookers, under the command of Robert St. John. Nationality: English Ned Kelly 9. This is not the only piece of media about Peace. Inside, a handcuffed nude woman was screaming for help. One of historys most infamousserial killers, Harold Shipman was a British GP who is believed to have killed over 200 patients before being nabbed by the police. At 89, he was killed in a West Virginia prison in 2018 while he was serving a life sentence. She is a notorious thief from Russia that the media portrayed as another Robin Hood figure. Nationality: American Despite this, the media was infatuated with him.