June 22, 1903 - John Dillinger
His significance extends well beyond the robberies themselves — Dillinger's career became a catalyst for the transformation of federal law enforcement in the United States. The publicity surrounding his gang's string of bank jobs and his repeated escapes from custody gave J. Edgar Hoover the political leverage to reshape the Bureau of Investigation into the FBI, with expanded reach and more sophisticated investigative methods. The media's romanticized portrayal of him as a Depression-era outlaw further complicated the public record, making it difficult even then to separate the man from the myth.
From Wikipedia
John Herbert Dillinger (; June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He commanded the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing twenty-four banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and escaped twice. He was charged with but not convicted of the murder of East Chicago, Indiana, police officer William O'Malley, who shot Dillinger in his bulletproof vest during a shootout; it was the only time Dillinger was charged with homicide.
Dillinger courted publicity. The media printed exaggerated accounts of his bravado and colorful personality, and described him as a Robin Hood-type figure. In response, J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), used Dillinger as justification to evolve the BOI into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), developing more sophisticated investigative techniques as weapons against organized crime.
After evading police in four states for almost a year, Dillinger was wounded in a gunfight and went to his father's home to recover.
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