The Crime Fighters

THE CRIMEFIGHTERS America's most famous justice seekers of the past century CE These intrepid few investigated the crimes, shaped the cases and made a splash in the public consciousness. In some cases, they successfully nailed some of the biggest perps in the past century; in others, not so much. Whatever the their most famous cases, they possessed persistence, guts and style, as well as a flair for staying in the public eye outcome of and became as famous as the criminals they were chasing. Role Most Famous Case Case Dates Result Where are they now Thomas E. Dewey Special prosecutor of organized crime and district attorney of Manhattan New York vs. Salvatore "Lucky" Luciano, the first boss of the Genovese crime family, considered the father of modern organized crime 5 1935-41 Luciano was convicted of 62 counts of compulsory prostitution, sentenced to up to 50 years in state prison. Luciano was released from prison during World War Il after agreeing to spy for the U.S. Navy and died in Italy on Jan. 26, 1962. Dewey died March 16, 1971. Robert H. Jackson Chief prosecutor for the United States for the Nuremberg Nazi trials; associate U.S. Supreme Court justice Trial of the major war criminals, including Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess, SS leader Ernst Kaltenbrunner and 21 others 5. 1945-46 Of the 24 defendants, 12 were sentenced to death, three were acquitted, four sentenced to prison terms of between 10 and 20 years, three were sentenced to life in prison, one was considered too frail to stand trial, and one committed suicide before the trial began. Jackson died Oct. 9, 1954. J. Edgar Hoover First director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigation and arrest of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the accused kidnapper and murderer of Charles Lindbergh's infant son. As director of the FBI, his methods included infiltration, burglaries, illegal wiretaps and planted evidence, and his legacy is tainted because of it. 5. 1932-35 Hauptmann was convicted and sentenced to the death penalty. Hoover died May 2, 1972. Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso New York City police detectives Drug bust that inspired the film "The French Connection 5. 1961-62 Seizure of more than 112 pounds of heroin with a street value at the time of more than $32.5 million and breakup of a drug smuggling ring Grosso is a TV and film producer; Egan died Nov. 4, 1995. Vincent Bugliosi Deputy district attorney, Los Angeles County Charles Manson and the Manson family murder trials 1969-71 Manson and his four co-defendants were all convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death; the state of California subsequently outlawed the death penalty, and those sentences were commuted to life in prison. Bugliosi is an attorney and author. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward Washington Post reporters The Watergate burglary, in which the Democratic National Committee offices were broken into, was the tip of the iceberg in a political conspiracy that included President Richard Nixon and his top associates 5. 1972-74 President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, while several aides resigned or were convicted of Watergate-related crimes. Bernstein and Woodward won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the scandal. Both men have gone on to write best-selling books, and Woodward is still working at the Post as an associate editor. Joe Pistone (aka Donnie Brasco) FBI agent in New York U.S. vs. 120 members of New York mafia families, including leaders of the Bonnano family 5. 1976-81 Cases against the Bonnano family resulted in the conviction of 120 mob members to prison for life. Pistone is an author and law enforcement consultant who still lives under an assumed name. Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden Los Angeles deputy district attorneys Murder trial of football star and actor O.J. Simpson, accused of killing his ex-wife and another man 5. 1995 Simpson was acquitted after a trial that lasted 11 months; in 2008, a civil verdict that held him liable for $33.5 million in damages in Goldman's death and his ex-wife's battery was upheld. Simpson was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in Nevada in 2007 and is serving a 33-year sentence. Clark is a columnist and has published two novels; Darden practices law in Los Angeles. Lanny A. Breuer Assistant attorney general for the criminal division, U.S. Department of Justice BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill 5. Ongoing As a result of the 2010 oil drilling platform explosion and spill, which killed 11 oil rig workers and spewed 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP pled guilty to 11 felony manslaughter counts and was ordered to pay $4 billion in damages, the largest judgment in U.S. history. Breuer plans to return to private practice after stepping down from the Justice Department. Sources: The Federal Bureau of Investigation • The Telegraph • New York State • Encyclopedia Britannica • Manhattan District Attomey's Office • roberthjackson.org • Washington University of St. Louis Law School • Time, Newsweek • The Washington Post • bobwoodward.com • carlbernstein.com • National Geographic • People, cnn.com • The Guardian • pbs.org christopherdarden.com. usatoday.com • U.S. Department of Justice, economist.com. criminaljusticedegreehub.com TO