361 Items Tagged

Crime

Al Capone Cherry Tree and “Caponette.”

Baltimore, Maryland

Al Capone Cherry Tree

This lovely tree was a thank you gift from the man known as "Public Enemy No.1."

A 17th-century Swiss etching of Emperor Tiberius on horseback, by Matthäus Merian the Elder.

Tiberius, Imperial Detective

In ancient Rome, murder was a private business, unless the emperor took an interest in the case.

Emma Southon April 21, 2021

Memorial to Tamir Rice

Cleveland, Ohio

Memorial to Tamir Rice

This garden memorial marks the site where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by the Cleveland Police Department.

Former armed bandit Balwant Singh Tomar (nephew of the famed Paan Singh Tomar) now leads a quieter life.

Inside the Deep Gun Culture of Gwalior, India

Relics of outlaws, markers of status, and enforcers of social hierarchy, firearms are woven into rural life.

Neha Mehrotra December 17, 2020

He was frustratingly skilled at slicing up maps.

How German Librarians Finally Caught an Elusive Book Thief

For decades, often using a fake identity, he stole antique maps worth thousands of dollars each.

Jeffrey Arlo Brown November 23, 2020

Giulio Iannarone, of the Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, slides out one of the racks of valuable paintings in the vault.

Inside Rome’s Secure Vault for Stolen Art

Some of the art is real, some fake, but it's all had a brush with the criminal underworld.

Alessio Perrone November 10, 2020

Pishtacos are said to harvest people's vitality through their fat.

In the Andes, the Fear of Oppressors Manifests as the Gruesome Pishtaco

They seem to be a monster that made the leap from legend to the real world.

Athena Frost October 30, 2020

Don't take stuff from Pompeii, or anywhere else. But if you already have, kindly give it back.

How to Give Stolen Artifacts Back to Historic Sites

Penitent pilferers can—and should—return their finds.

Jessica Leigh Hester October 22, 2020

The front of the boathouse today

Whitehead, Northern Ireland

Whitehead Boathouse

The base for the battle against the smugglers of Islandmagee.

Denmark is unusual in that it has protections against desecrating any flag—except its own.

Around the World in Things You Can't Do to Flags

You might be able to tell where you are by what happens if you set one ablaze.

Dan Nosowitz May 25, 2020

Exterior of the cabin.

History Tour: Legends of the Wild West

14 places to relive those horrible glory days.

Jonathan Carey May 12, 2020

Before Dave Gulko and his group, there were few options for securing prosecutions for crimes against coral reefs.

Inside the Strange World of Coral Reef Crime Scenes

How scientists and law enforcement officers pioneered a new brand of underwater justice.

Christie Wilcox May 11, 2020

Savannah, Georgia

Graveface Museum

Hidden amid the old-world charm of Savannah is a museum dedicated to the world of oddities and criminal history.

The Grave of John Palmer, alias Richard Turpin or Dick Turpin

Dick Turpin's Tombstone

The final resting place of England's most notorious bandit.

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia examines produce at a stall several years after his artichoke war.

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

Gangs and mafiosos have a long history with food crime.

Mark Hay January 17, 2020

Napier Prison

Napier, New Zealand

Napier Prison

New Zealand's oldest prison holds a dark history and the scars of a deadly earthquake.

New York, New York

Ear Inn

One of the city’s oldest watering holes was originally the home of a famous James Brown (not that one).

Peter the dog.

Brisbane, Australia

Queensland Police Museum

It's home to the taxidermy remains of Peter, the dog who helped convict a murderer.