Top Most Celebrated Crime Fighters In History

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)