The Chicago Syndicate: Top Ten
The Mission Impossible Backpack

Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The 20 Critical Moments That Changed the Way We Think About Crime

A website called Top Criminal Justice Schools has published an article about "The 20 Critical Moments That Changed the Way We Think About Crime." The piece offers a fascinating and free look at how law enforcement has evolved over the past century and the resulting impacts on society.

The topics chosen for the article are meant as a resource for students who are interested in criminal justice education. Critical moments on the list include:

  • Targeting the Mafia Through Tax Evasion Prosecution When Mafia gangsters ruled the streets, the Supreme Court ruled that their illegal income was taxable. Federal authorities gained a new weapon against organized crime.
  • The Failure of Alcohol Prohibition In the 1920s, U.S. authorities learned that some laws can create far more negative impacts than positive. Alcohol prohibition increased organized crime and caused many deaths and injuries from homemade alcohol.
  • The War on Drugs The U.S. war on drugs has been one of the most costly, deadly and fruitless attempts at law enforcement.
  • Advent of Social Media Social media provides untold advantages for law enforcement. Criminal activity is easier to observe, investigate and prevent.
  • Rise in Cyber Crime and the Development of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Laws against computer-related crimes were developed in the 1980s. The article asserts that further regulations are needed to reduce computer fraud.
  • Fight Against School Shootings Strict no-tolerance policies often force unreasonable punishments for minor violations, yet the incidents of school violence have not lessened.
  • Megan's Law, Jessica's Law, and the Sex Offender Registry The national Sex Offender Registry gives law enforcement better access to sexual offender information and greater capabilities to find and prosecute sexual criminals.
  • The Development of the Department of Homeland Security Several U.S. government and military agencies joined forces after 9/11 to share information and work in unison to avert terrorist attacks.
  • The USA Patriot Act The launch of the Patriot Act is another moment that changed the way we think about crime. The new law expanded the powers of domestic law enforcement to search private homes and properties without warrants.
  • The Rise of Private Prisons and the Questions of Cash Incentives This topic explores the scandal-ridden practice of privatized prisons. According to the article, prisons-for-profit are the cause of major corruption in the justice system. 
  • The Use of Drones in Domestic Law Enforcement The use of remote controlled drones for surveillance has become more and more common in the last decade.  While no known instances exist of weaponized drones in domestic use, the possibility has some American citizens and civil liberty experts on edge.
  • The NSA and Passive Data Collection Edward Snowden helped expose the NSA's all-encompassing data collection system that includes phone and Internet records for all American citizens.  The legality of the NSA program is still under question and has resulted in strong public backlash.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Top Ten Signs You Have A Bad Summer Job

Top Ten Signs You Have A Bad Summer Job by David Letterman

10. Each day begins with the North Korean pledge of allegiance

9. You spend ten hours a day digging for Jimmy Hoffa

8. They make you share a whistle

7. Sign in restroom reads "Employees Must Wash Each Other"

6. Your parents lie and tell people you're a stripper

5. A big part of your day involves dodging Federales

4. Even the interns address you with "Out of the way, loser!"

3. To go home at the end of the day you have to escape

2. You work alongside this guy (VT: Chinese baggage handler)

1. You greet people with, "Welcome aboard Carnival Cruise Lines"

Monday, February 18, 2013

8 More Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

*1.* Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

*2.* The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

*3.* I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

*4.* I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

*5.* I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

*6.* Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address. Parents: caution your kids about this. You see this every day.

*7.* To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

*8.* If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Original list of Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You.

Monday, February 11, 2013

13 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You


*1.* Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

*2.* Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

*3.* Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

*4.* Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

*5.* If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

*6.* If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

*7.* A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

*8.* It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

*9.* I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

*10.* Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

*11.* Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

*12.* You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

*13.* A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Top Ten Messages Left On Rod Blagojevich's Answering Machine

10.Hey, it's Conrad Murray. 14 years? I didn't get that for murder
9.This is your hairstylist. Make sure to condition after each delousing
8.Do you want the cell closer to the espresso machine or jacuzzi?
7.Congratulations, I hear you're going to Vail. Wait, nevermind
6.Hey, it's your cell mate. Do you like the top or bottom?
5.Sorry, I must have the wrong number. I was trying to reach Todd Blagojevich
4.Hey, it's Dave. Tonight's Top Ten List is about you. Nice work
3.It's 2011, why do you still have an answering machine?
2.This is President Obama. I'm granting you a full pardon. Nah, I'm just screwing with you
1.It's the warden. The inmates are asking how much you want for your seat

Monday, March 28, 2011

Top 10 Best Irish Mob Movies

You like your criminals bleeding green, pissing Guinness and eating a steady diet of catholic guilt, so you turn to the 10 best Irish mafia movies. Well done, lad. Here you will find some of the best crime films of our time, thrilling pictures with complex depictions of violence, morality and religion.


  • 1. “Angles With Dirty Faces” – This 1938 masterpiece is the original Irish mafia movie and surely one of the genre’s best films. “Angels With Dirty Faces” starts a volatile James Cagney and concerns the ultimate of all Irish moral battles: the church versus a life of violent crime, and the manner in which those two aren’t exactly mutually exclusive.
  • 2. “On the Water Front” – Marlon Brando’s performance will wow you, but there’s more going on here than generation-defining acting. One of the best Irish mafia films, “On The Water Front” tells a tale of the Irish mob’s infiltration of unions and the influence organized crime had on the fates and fortunes of the American working class.
  • 3. “The Departed” – Scorsese struck gold with this Irish mafia saga. An operatic film peppered with stellar performances and nail-biting intensity, “The Departed” digs beneath the skin of its characters like a tapeworm and doesn’t let up until the final shot is fired. This cat-and-mouse film details with mafia infiltration of the police and vice-versa.
  • 4. “Miller’s Crossing” – This early Coen Brothers masterpiece is based on noir novelist Dashiell Hammett’s ground breaking early novel “Red Harvest.” The film tells the tale of prohibition-era Irish gangsters in a manner that is both hushed and menacing.
  • 5. “State of Grace” – Opening opposite “Goodfellas,” this Irish mob movie didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of finding a broad audience. Despite this initial box office disappointment, “State of Grace” is easily one of the best Irish mafia movies. The film deals with the moral and religious turmoil of Irish criminals and features excellent performances from Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, and Ed Harris.
  • 6. “Gangs of New York” –“Angels” is the original Irish mafia movie and “Gangs of New York” is a movie about the original Irish gangsters. Though Leonardo DiCaprio comes across like a high school actor who’s trying his best to be worthy of standing next to Daniel Day-Lewis, the grandiose scope of the film and Day-Lewis’ jaw-dropping performance makes this one of the best Irish mafia movies of all time.
  • 7. “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” – This 70’s crime gem doesn’t laud or glorify the Irish mob as other films on this list do, but rather portrays with stark and very depressing honesty the way in which criminal organizations ruin the lives of well intentioned working class people with no opportunity for societal advancement beyond crime.
  • 8. “The Road to Perdition” – Sam Mendes turned his attention to Chicago’s Irish mafia circa 1930 in this stately and elegiac film. The film concerns the nature of love and relationships, particularly those between father and son, and the manner in which familial duty and desire often conflict with disastrous consequences.
  • 9. “The Public Enemy” – “Public Enemey” was James Cagney’s first film. The film is about organized crime and the American mafia underworld in a very board sense. It’s a great movie, and a number of colorful Irish characters drift in and out of its narrative.
  • 10. “The Town” – “The Town” concerns small time Boston Irish hoods. For its empathetic portrait of working class depression, anger, alcoholism and violence and the mob’s role in all of that, it is one of the best Irish mafia movies.

Thanks to Screen Junkies

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Top 10 Courtroom Movies of All Time

Courtroom movies hold a special ability to provide mystery, suspense, and a good story that almost always reaches a neatly packaged conclusion, making this genre of movies appealing to a wide variety of audiences. Check out these movie recaps (including plot spoilers!) that span the entire 20th century, with black and white dramas, more modern dramas, and even a comedy and a documentary in the list. While it might not substitute for your training to become a court reporter, it certainly can’t hurt to spend some time watching these courtroom movies to understand the history and popular culture surrounding your chosen field of study.


  1. The Paradine Case (1947). Alfred Hitchcock directed this film that stars Gregory Peck as a barrister hired to defend Mrs. Paradine when she is accused of killing her wealthy, older husband. The barrister, happily married, begins to fall for the alluring Mrs. Paradine as he gets deeper into the case. The trial focuses on whether Mrs. Paradine or Mr. Paradine’s valet killed the man. During a particularly rough line of questioning by the barrister, the valet confesses to an affair with Mrs. Paradine. He leaves the courtroom and later kills himself. Upon learning of the death, Mrs. Paradine confesses to killing her husband, her love for the valet, and her hatred for the barrister, who she feels killed her lover. The barrister must then come to terms with how he handled the case and himself.
  2. 12 Angry Men (1957). A teenage boy is put on trial for killing his father. When the twelve men on the jury begin deliberation, what initially seemed an easy guilty verdict suddenly becomes much more complex when one juror (played by Henry Fonda) asks the other jurors to look closely at the facts of the trial. What results is a study in humanity as each of the jurors faces his own prejudices, emotions, and histories in a search for the truth.
  3. Witness for the Prosecution (1958). This stunning movie was adapted from a play written by the master mystery writer, Agatha Christie. Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich play Leonard and Christine Vole. Leonard is accused of killing a rich woman who left him a substantial amount of money. Leonard’s trial is full of twists and turns as his attorney fights to clear his name. When it appears that Christine has set Leonard up for murder and Leonard is cleared, the plot twists again.
  4. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Based on a real trial that took place in 1947, this powerful movie stars Spencer Tracy as an American judge determined to understand the truth at the heart of the case that has four German judges accused of human atrocities under the Nazi regime. Tracy’s search for the truth reveals heartache and emotional blindness. Eventually the truth is revealed when one of the judges on trial describes the reasons he and so many others followed along with such horrific acts. When this movie was released in 1961, all four judges on whom the movie was based were already released from prison.
  5. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Based on the novel by Harper Lee, Gregory Peck stars as an attorney in a small southern town who is selected to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The story is told through the attorney’s young daughter, Scout. The trial and the events leading up to the trial depict both the rampant racism in the town as well as the beauty of humanity glimpsed between the other. While the trial does not end with justice being served, the movie ends with hope for the future as seen through Scout.
  6. The Verdict (1982). Paul Newman plays a lawyer who has turned to alcohol and shunned his career after his attempt to uphold justice was turned against him and he lost his partnership in a successful firm. A friend throws an easy medical malpractice case to him that is sure to settle out of court. When Newman’s character looks over the case, however, he feels it should go to trial. What follows is a study of the lawyer’s rebuilding his life and career in the face of both obstacles and infidelity as he wins the case for the family of a young mother left in a vegetative state.
  7. A Few Good Men (1992). Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore star in this movie directed by Rob Reiner. Cruise plays an inexperienced lawyer for the Marines who defends two Marines accused of murdering a fellow Marine. The court case uncovers intense hazing that occurred under orders of the commanding officer and pits the green lawyer against a seasoned Colonel who verbally spar over what it means to have honor and to be a Marine. The lawyer wins the case, but the two he was defending are dishonorably discharged.
  8. My Cousin Vinny (1992). In a genre heavy with drama, this movie stands out as being both an excellent courtroom movie that is also a comedy. When two young men are accused of a murder they did not commit as they were passing through a small southern town, they hire the only lawyer they know and can afford–a cousin from Brooklyn who has only been a lawyer for a few weeks. The neophyte lawyer with his Brooklyn ways learns important lessons in courtroom etiquette as he bumbles his way through in a veteran judge’s well-oiled courtroom, culminating in the acquittal of the two young men.
  9. Philadelphia (1993). Based on a true story of the first AIDS discrimination case taken to court, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington star in this movie that tells the story of an important lawyer at the largest law firm in Philadelphia who is fired from his position when it is discovered that he has AIDS. When the lawyer can find no one to represent him against the firm, he begins preparation to defend himself. A homophobic lawyer steps up to take the case and the two men take on and win the discrimination suit.
  10. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). The only documentary in this list, this movie details the trial of three teenage boys in Arkansas who are accused of killing three 8 year-olds. With real courtroom footage and interviews with suspects and others involved in the case, this movie documents a trial that even after its conclusion left many wondering about the effectiveness of the judicial system.
Thanks to Court Reporter Schools

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Top 10 John Dillinger Myths

On July 22, 1934—75 years ago today—Bureau agents put an end to John Dillinger’s reign of crime when he was shot and killed near the Biograph Theater in Chicago. Dillinger’s story has been told and retold ever since—including in a recent Hollywood movie. Along the way, fact and fiction have often been blended together. Here, from the FBI's perspective, are the top ten myths surrounding Dillinger and the facts as we know them.

Myth #10: Dillinger was a “Robin Hood” type criminal, a romantic outlaw.

Dillinger certainly had charm and charisma, but he was no champion of the poor or harmless thief—he was a hardened and vicious criminal. Dillinger stormed police stations in search of weapons and bulletproof vests. He robbed banks and stole cars. He shot at police officers (and may have killed one) and regularly used innocent bystanders as human shields to escape the law. Worse yet, he stood by as his ruthless gang members shot and killed people, including law enforcement officials. And what of his ill-gotten gains? They were used to line his own pockets and those of his partners in crime, not those of impoverished Americans in the midst of the Great Depression.

Myth #9: Dillinger was not carrying a gun the night he was killed.

Dillinger did have a gun on him—a .380 Colt automatic with the serial number scratched out. He reached for that gun when Bureau agents cornered him that fateful night. Not taking any chances, agents shot him before he had the chance to open fire.

Myth #8: John Dillinger was not killed at the Biograph Theater, a stand-in was.

If this sounds like a conspiracy theory, that’s because it is. Claims that a man resembling Dillinger was actually killed have been advanced with only circumstantial evidence. On the other hand, a wealth of information supports Dillinger’s demise. Special Agents M. Chaffetz and Earle Richmond, for example, took two sets of fingerprints from the body outside the Biograph Theater, and both were a positive match. Another set taken during the autopsy were also a match.

Myth #7: The FBI beat up Evelyn Frechette after her arrest.

Not so. Evelyn “Billie” Frechette—Dillinger’s one time girlfriend—was captured on April 9, 1934 and detained in our Chicago Field Office. She was interrogated about Dillinger around the clock for two days under hot lights. She refused to cooperate and was transferred to St. Paul to stand trail for harboring Dillinger. While her interrogation wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, at no time did agents attack or strike her. Frechette and her lawyer claimed we did during the trail—most likely to win sympathy.

Myth #6: The FBI took physical specimens from Dillinger’s corpse.

There is no evidence suggesting that the Bureau kept “souvenirs” from Dillinger’s body or in any way desecrated his remains. According to media reports, however, the local coroner later admitted taking pieces of Dillinger’s brain to examine.

Myth #5: East Chicago, Indiana Police killed Dillinger, not FBI agents.

While East Chicago Police officers were instrumental in helping the Bureau track down Dillinger the night he died, they were not in a position to shoot him. According to the drawn-up plans of the takedown and individual testimony, all of these officers were too far away to have an unobstructed shot. The closest—Captain Timothy O’Neil—was stationed across the street; his line of fire would have been blocked by special agents and civilians. In the end, it was Bureau agents who shot and killed Dillinger. Claims that someone else pulled the trigger came much later.

Myth #4: J. Edgar Hoover hired a bunch of killers to go after Dillinger.

Capturing John Dillinger was certainly the Bureau’s top priority in the summer of 1934, but we did not take a “dead or alive” approach as evidenced in our records and in later agent recollections. After the failed raid at Little Bohemia, we did hire several exceptional lawmen with firearms experience and steady gun-hands during times of danger, but only one ended up firing on Dillinger. The idea was to bring in professionals to help mentor less experienced agents, not to get Dillinger at all costs.

Myth #3: Chicago Special Agent in Charge Melvin Purvis single-handedly brought down Dillinger.

Purvis was a key figure, but he definitely did not shoot Dillinger (as some press accounts claimed) and his role in the final days of the case has often been overstated. After the Little Bohemia incident, Director J. Edgar Hoover appointed Inspector and Special Agent Samuel Cowley to oversee what had become a multi-state search. Cowley operated independently, but largely out of our Chicago office. FBI records suggest that he and Purvis worked together on the Dillinger investigation, but Cowley was clearly in charge until the end.

Myth #2: A “lady in a red dress” betrayed Dillinger.

Actually, it was a lady in an orange skirt and white blouse named Anna (Ana) Sage. Sage—a Romanian who was friends with Dillinger’s girlfriend at the time, Polly Hamilton—came up with the idea of turning in the fugitive after she was invited to go to the movies with the couple. She contacted the East Chicago, Indiana Police Department, who passed her on to Purvis. While Sage hoped that the FBI might help her avoid deportation, she also wanted the $5,000 reward. She told Purvis she would be attending a movie with Dillinger and Hamilton at the Biograph and would wear an orange skirt to set her apart from the crowd. (The red dress was an invention of the media—red tends to be a more alluring color and apparently sounded better in a headline.) After Dillinger’s death, Sage was paid the reward, but the FBI was not able to influence her deportation proceedings, and she was sent back to Romania.

Myth #1: Dillinger died expressing his love for Billie Frechette.

Popular culture likes to play up the “eternal romance” between Dillinger and Frechette, but evidence shows that they were in love only a short time. After Frechette was captured, Dillinger looked elsewhere for romance. He found it with Polly Hamilton—the woman he took to the movies the night he was killed. When he was shot, Dillinger had on him a gold ring inscribed with the words, “With all my love, Polly,” as well as a pocket watch that contained a picture of her. Dillinger is thought by some to have whispered something about Billie Frechette as he lay on the sidewalk dying. Several eyewitnesses said they saw Dillinger’s lips moving moments before he died, but no one was close enough to hear if he was whispering or simply exhaling for the last time.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Top Ten Ways Rod Blagojevich Can Improve His Image

10 Star in new television series, "America's Funniest Haircuts"
Top Ten Ways Rod Blagojevich Can Improve His Image by David Letterman
9. Quit politics and become a fat, lovable mall cop

8. Start pronouncing last name with Jerry Lewis-like "BLAGOOOOYYYYYJEVICH"

7. Offer a senate seat with no money down, zero percent interest

6. Team up with John Malkovich and Erin Brockovich for hot Malkovich-Brockovich-Blagojevich sex tape

5. Change his name to Barod Obamavich

4. Safely land an Airbus on the Hudson River

3. I don't know...how about showing up for his impeachment trial?

2. Wear sexy dresses, high heels and say, "You Betcha!"

1. Uhhh...resign?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Top Ten Messages Left On Rod Blagojevich's Answering Machine

10 "For 10 grand can you make me Pope?"

9. "Hello, is this the Blog-o-bloga-a-da-go-bl-vipivh residence?"

8. "Hi, it's O.J. Wanna be cellmates?"

7. "Oh, I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong Blagojevich"

6. "Hi, it's Larry Craig -- did I hear something about a Senator's seat being available?"

5. "I'm calling about your Senate seat on Craigslist. Want to trade for a futon?"

4. "Hey, it's Cheney -- Damn even I think you're sleazy"

3. "You really Blagojevich'd your political career"

2. "I'm guessing you didn't spend the bribe money on that haircut"

1. "It's Sarah Palin. Thanks for replacing me as the country's most embarassing governor"

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Top Ten Surprises in 'The Sopranos' Series Finale

Top Ten Surprises in 'The Sopranos' Series Finale10. Paula Abdul shows up as celebrity judge, thinks the Sopranos are singers

9. Bada Bing strip club changes into bingo parlor named "Bada Bingo!"

8. Pauly Walnuts reveals hair coloring routine after signing exclusive contract with Just For Men

7. Tony comes out of the shower to find it was all a dream and he's actually just a fat guy from New Jersey

6. Dr. Melfi reveals she's actually a podiatrist

5. Bob Barker neuters Tony

4. Tony seated next to Tuberculosis Guy on flight to witness protection program

3. Ugly turf war with The Altos and The Baritones

2. Rosie O'Donnell makes guest appearance as Tony's long lost twin brother

1. Tony's psychiatrist says he can't go to prison because of "medical condition"

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Top Ten Answers To The Question, "How Hot Is It In New York"

From Late Night with David Letterman's Top 10 Answers to "How Hot is it in New York?"

9. "It's so hot mob informants look forward to getting dumped in the river

Affliction!

Affliction Sale

Flash Mafia Book Sales!