8 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
American criminal and cult leader — who directed the Tate-LaBianca murders (1969) through his followers (the Manson Family) — whose case became the most culturally mythologized crime of the 20th century — serving as a symbol of the 1960s counterculture's dark side.
Erik Larson's 2003 account of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes who operated during it — weaving together the stories of architect Daniel Burnham (building the fair) and Holmes (building his Murder Castle).
American journalist and scholar at the Manhattan Institute — author of The War on Cops and The Diversity Delusion — the most prominent critic of the 'systemic racism' narrative in policing — whose work on the Ferguson Effect influenced Trump-era criminal justice policy.
Italian-American novelist and screenwriter — author of The Godfather — Academy Award-winning screenwriter (The Godfather I and II) — who created the definitive American organized crime novel and the most influential crime film franchise.
American economist — University of Chicago — co-author of Freakonomics — who applies economic methods to unconventional questions (sumo wrestling, drug dealing, abortion and crime) — the most widely read popular economist.
Mario Puzo's 1969 novel — following the Corleone crime family across a generation — the best-selling American crime novel and the basis for the most acclaimed American film franchise.
David Simon and Ed Burns's HBO drama set in Baltimore — examining the drug trade, the police department, the schools, the docks, and the media across five seasons — widely considered the greatest TV series ever produced, notable for treating the city as character and institutional dysfunction as its true subject.
James 'Whitey' Bulger was a Boston organized crime leader and FBI informant who fled prosecution in 1994 and lived as a fugitive for 16 years before his capture and murder in prison.