The FBI's Most Wanted

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a national agency dedicated to investigating federal crimes. Founded as a small team of special agents on July 26, 1908, the Bureau was first charged with enforcing the growing body of federal laws covering the United States as a whole. Almost from the beginning of its 100-year history, the Bureau has been the subject of legend and controversy. It has also evolved into a vast and sophisticated national law-enforcement agency. Whether as a federal crime-fighting force or a source of investigative support to local and state police forces, the modern FBI strives to embody its ideals of fidelity, bravery, and integrity. In 1952, a young man told the police where he thought they could find the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton. Sutton was on the FBI's Ten Most wanted Fugitives list, and the young man had recognized him from an FBI bulletin. This book tells the story of some of the FBI's most dramatic cases-and how ordinary citizens have often helped agents pursue and catch their quarry. From Wanted posters to TV's America's Most Wanted, the FBI has used publicity to make it harder for criminals to hide and easier for authorities to find them.