Gentlemen Thieves (1 Viewer)

[Optimus Prime]

I was watching the Pink Panther last night and it got me thinking about gentlemen thieves

Thieves who leave calling cards

Impeccably dressed and mannered dapper fellows who hobnob and mingle around the very wealthy people they will steal from both before and after the robbery

People like the Phantom from Pink Panther or Thomas Crown

What I was wondering about is this:

Did gentlemen thieves ever exist in real life or are they simply a Hollywood creation?

 

[Brad Mojo]

 

[The Moose]

I was watching the Pink Panther last night and it got me thinking about gentlemen thieves

Thieves who leave calling cards

Impeccably dressed and mannered dapper fellows who hobnob and mingle around the very wealthy people they will steal from both before and after the robbery

People like the Phantom from Pink Panther or Thomas Crown

What I was wondering about is this:

Did gentlemen thieves ever exist in real life or are they simply a Hollywood creation?

I watched the pink panther last night also. Great movie

The gentleman thief in that context is Hollywood thing.

The everyday rich guy that screws people the rips poorer people off that can get away with it are everywhere.

Now a rich guy that holds up banks and steals art for sheets and giggles does not exist. Madoff and the Trump's of the world do.

 

[tomwaits]

 

[mjcouvi]

When I think of a gentleman thief I think of Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, which is based on a true story. If the real Frank Abagnale was anything like Leonardo DiCaprio in that movie then, yeah, gentleman thieves exist in real life for sure, but probably not as clever, nor as handsomely, as Leonardo DiCaprio.

 

[mjcouvi]

Also, you could definitely say that Bernie Madoff was a "gentleman" thief. He wasn't breaking into bank vaults or anything like that, but he was certainly a thief. Gentleman thieves are more con-man-types than they are break-in types.

 

[gavinj]

Am I the only one who remembers this guy?

'Gentleman Bandit' Turns Self in After 100 Robberies : Crime: Man with courtly manners took up gun after losing job. He surrenders to save an innocent person.

The thing about the "Gentleman Bandit" was his courtliness, his Cary Grant manners as he stole and stole and stole some more.

www.latimes.com