The "father of modern detective agencies" founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, known for infiltrating the Molly Maguires and tracking Wild West outlaws.
Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884)
The first female detective in the US, Warne foiled a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln.
Kate Warne (1833-1868)
Considered the "father of modern policing" in the UK, Peel established the Metropolitan Police Service (London's Met Police).
Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850)
A champion of forensic science, Vollmer championed fingerprinting, crime labs, and fighting police corruption.
August Vollmer (1876-1955)
The long-serving FBI director oversaw the capture of notorious criminals like John Dillinger but faced controversy.
J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972)
Leading "The Untouchables," Ness brought down Chicago mobster Al Capone during Prohibition.
Eliot Ness (1903-1957)
This detective duo made the most arrests during Prohibition, cracking illegal speakeasys undercover.
Izzy Einstein & Moe Smith (1880s-1960s)
Exposing widespread corruption within the NYPD, Serpico became a symbol of police reform.
Frank Serpico (1936-2015)