The FBI’s Shrinking Top 10 List
The arrest of fugitive mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger leaves yet another spot open on the top 10 Most Wanted list. Another spot disappeared early this year; Osama bin Laden’s death left a spot that hasn’t yet been filled. After 61 years the list still seems to work. The list was started in 1950 by a reporter who asked the FBI for the names behind their toughest cases; 460 out of 494 fugitives have been found with the public’s help since it was started.
Catrin Einhorn, reporter for The New York Times wrote a piece on the list; also joining us is Athan Theoharis, professor emeritus of history at Marquette University specializing in the history of the FBI and author of the book “Abuse of Power: How Cold War Surveillance and Secrecy Policy Shaped the Response to 9/11.”
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