The Stealing of the Mona Lisa

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mona lisa There are some 20th century crimes that are so exotic and amazing that they seem to be scripts for a fantastic movie even more than a real crime.  The robbing of Fort Knox or the escape from Alcatraz would fit in that description.  And certainly, when it comes to a story of a fantastic crime that baffled authorities and that remains one of the most astounding feats of criminal genius, the stealing of the Mona Lisa has to rank as one of the best.

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The Rein of Terror of Charles Manson

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charles mansonCharles Manson wanted to be as famous as the Beatles.  And while his attempts to achieve legendary status through his music failed utterly, in the end, his fame in many ways accomplished that goal.  But instead of being famous for great music as the Beatles are and were, Manson has become a byword for a crazed, cult like figure who directed his followers to perform acts of inhumanity so terrible that they exceeded anything we had seen before in the history of 20th century crime.

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The Power of Organized Crime in America

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There is something about the American mindset that occasionally makes heroes out of criminals.  From Jessie James to Al Capone, as much as our law enforcement no doubt wishes it would not happen, infamous criminals fascinates the public.  That quirk of the American psychology is one reason that organized crime is mixed into our culture … Read more

The Legendary of Bonnie and Clyde

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It possible that in the history of 20th century crime, there may be no two bank robbers that achieved such a tremendous fan club as Bonnie and Clyde.  These two criminals have been able to touch that place in the public imagination that adores notorious criminals in the same way that we have made heroes … Read more

Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre – The Bloodiest Valentine Day 1929

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Many prohibition era criminals have become folk heroes and topics of popular movies such as Pretty Boy Floyd and Al Capone.  But the rule of organized crime particularly in large urban cities like Chicago is well known.  And the viciousness of the battles between warring factions of prohibition gangs was just as real and bloody … Read more

Cybercrime and How to Stop It.

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crimeThe internet has been one of the most important technical innovations in history.  The way we all have access to an entire world of information and entertainment right through our computers is nothing short of phenomenal.  But as it often happens, anytime something that creates as much opportunity as the internet does comes along, so do the criminal element to exploit it for wrongdoing.  “Cybercrime” is the buzzword that has been created to describe crimes that happen to good people through the internet.  And while most cybercrime occurs quietly in an unnoticed way, it is one of the fastest growing kinds of criminal activity in the entire history of 20th century crime.

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Crimes at the Highest Level of Government

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Unfortunately, criminal activity is not just limited to what we commonly think of as the “criminal element”.  Many times, people who are at high levels of power and trust take advantage of the authority they have and commit crimes that can be every bit as destructive as any bank robber or car thief.  In the early part of the 1970s, crime at high levels reached its zenith when the it was uncovered that criminal activity had been conducted by the President of the United States, Richard Nixon and his staff and action would have to be taken to bring to justice those involved.

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