MOST WANTED
Do You Recognize These 10 Outlaws Who Captured the Nation's Attention?
In the annals of history , some people have dominated the skill of breaking and evading the law. Immortalized in numerous stories both written and oral, and depicted in movies and other forms of art, these American outlaws-–like Billy the Kid or Bonnie and Clyde— have earned a questionable fame that kept them alive long after they left this world. Follow us as we tour the names and lives of these 10 infamous American outlaws!
1
Jesse James
Image: Jaye Haych
Born in 1847 and raised in western Missouri , Jesse James and his brother Frank earned a reputation robbing banks, trains, and stagecoaches, and committing other offenses throughout the Midwest .
After gaining national fame as an elusive criminal, Jesse James's illegal career came to an end in 1882 . He was betrayed by one of his own, Robert Ford , who had met with the governor of Missouri to make a deal and bring James down.
Jesse James lived only 34 years, but the wild story of his life is full of infamous acts that seem like something out of a movie. And here's a fun fact: his son, Jesse James Jr., starred in two silent films playing his father!
2
Billy the Kid
Image: rod m
Ever heard the name Henry McCarty ? Maybe the alias William H. Bonney? If the answer is "no," you probably recognize him by his nickname: Billy the Kid .
In addition to committing robberies and assaults, this 19th-century outlaw gained notoriety for his role in New Mexico's Lincoln County War. Billy, born in 1859 , was arrested several times throughout his life but consistently managed to escape. However, his luck ended in the 1880s.
In the year 1881 , to be exact, Billy the Kid was caught by Sheriff Pat Garrett. That same year, a few months after his last escape, he was struck down at the young age of 21 by Garrett.
3
Butch Cassidy
Image: The National Library of Norway
You've probably heard of the Wild Bunch , a gang that intimidated the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries . Often considered the most successful train robbery gang in history, its members were feared guys, but the most notorious was its leader: Butch Cassidy.
Cassidy, born in 1866 , started his criminal career very early. Many historical sources state that he committed his first minor crime—store robbery—when he was only 14 years old !
However, as with most outlaws, his luck ran out. Escaping the law, he traveled to Latin America. The tales say he was in Argentina and then Bolivia , where he met his end in a shootout in 1908 .
4
Sundance Kid
Image: Ady TeenagerInRO
Another iconic figure in Cassidy's gang was Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, more famously known as the Sundance Kid .
Born in 1867 , his distinctive nickname originated during his time in the Sundance, Wyoming, jail, where he landed for one of his early crimes, horse theft. Legend has it that the Sundance Kid was a man of many skills, known particularly for his talent for poker and his ability to escape the law.
The tales suggest that Longabaugh traveled with Cassidy to Bolivia, where he met the same fate as the gang leader. Another theory says that the Sundance Kid returned to the U.S. under another name and lived in a small town in Utah.
5
Black Bart
Image: Joanna Kosinska
While crime and poetry might seem like an unlikely pairing, the outlaw known as Black Bart managed to blend these two things very well.
Probably less famed than the other names on this list, Black Bart was born Charles E. Boles (or Bolton) in England in 1829 . However, he relocated to New York with his family when he was just a toddler.
Between 1875 and 1883, Boles is believed to have robbed about 28 stagecoaches in Northern California and southern Oregon. But one thing distinguished this outlaw: on several occasions, he left behind poems at the robbery sites!
6
Al Capone
Image: Ashim D’Silva
It might be hard to believe, but before Al Capone became synonymous with organized crime, he actually worked at a candy store ! Can you picture him among candies and lollipops?
Definitely one of the best-known gangsters of the Prohibition era , Al Capone was born in New York as Alphonse Gabriel Capone in 1899 . Born to Italian immigrants, Capone moved to Chicago at a young age. By the 1920s , he had already made a name for himself among the city's criminals, smuggling and selling alcohol.
In 1931, his luck ran out, as he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for tax evasion. He was released in 1939 and passed away 8 years later.
7
Bonnie and Clyde
Image: Tengyart
Some say love's power knows no bounds, and the story of this couple seems to prove this.
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut "Champion" Barrow, known worldwide as Bonnie and Clyde , were two outlaws who committed a wide range of crimes across states such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri during the Great Depression era . Literally partners in crime, they became popular icons over the years.
These two were recurring names in the headlines of their times, gaining notoriety for their robberies, both to banks and small stores. Together until the end, Bonnie and Clyde were fatally wounded in a police ambush in 1934 , when they were still very young. At the time, she was 23 and he was 25.
8
John Dillinger
Image: Tim Evans
John Dillinger , a mobster born in 1903 , led what was known as "the Dillinger Gang." During the Great Depression , Dillinger and his crew demonstrated their criminal prowess, accused of robbing more than 24 banks !
In 1934, John Dillinger became the first person to be declared "Public Enemy Number One" by the FBI. He was imprisoned multiple times throughout his life and, as the stories go, managed to escape jail twice using fake weapons made out of wood!
After a final attempt to escape, the criminal was gunned down by the authorities at the age of 31 as he exited the Biograph Theater in Chicago.
9
Pretty Boy Floyd
Image: Pepi Stojanovski
During the turbulent Great Depression era, a couple of outlaws were not only robbing banks and trains but also the national spotlight. Among them was Pretty Boy Floyd , born Charles Arthur Floyd in 1904 .
Floyd, who operated in the Western and Central U.S. , wasn't seen as a villain by many. Why? Besides robbing banks , he also used to destroy mortgage documents , something that helped many people, relieving them of their debts. Far from the sloppy appearance of many criminals, Floyd had a clean-cut and youthful look, which earned him his characteristic nickname .
His life met an end in his 30s in a shootout with the Bureau of Investigation's agents in Ohio.
10
John Gotti
Image: Jacob Spence
Known as " Teflon Don " for his slippery ability to evade justice, John Gotti was born on October 27, 1940 , in The Bronx, New York. He's widely considered one of the most dangerous crime bosses in U.S. history.
Known for his charisma and trademark hairspray look , Gotti began his life of crime when he was still a teenager. By the mid-1980s, he had become the head of the Gambino Crime Family, and throughout his life, he was accused of multiple crimes of varying severity.
Despite evading convictions many times, he was finally convicted in 1992 . He passed away ten years later while still in prison.
