About Frank Abagnale
Frank William Abagnale Jr. (; born April 27, 1948) is an American-French security consultant, author, and convicted felon whose documented crimes consist primarily of cheque fraud and petty theft targeting individuals and small businesses. Beginning in the late 1970s, Abagnale claimed a far more dramatic criminal past involving long-term impersonations of a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia hospital physician, and a Louisiana assistant attorney general, among other roles. These claims formed the basis of his 1980 autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, co-written with Stan Redding. The book inspired the film of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, in which Abagnale was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Journalistic investigations beginning in 1978 found no evidence to support most of Abagnale's biographical claims. In 2020, author Alan C. Logan published an investigation drawing on public records, prison documents, and newspaper archives that concluded the majority of Abagnale's claimed criminal history was fabricated. Abagnale runs Abagnale and Associates, a consulting firm he founded in 1976. The 2002 Spielberg film brought Abagnale's story to a wide audience and cemented his public profile as a reformed con man turned fraud prevention expert. Abagnale made a cameo appearance in the film as a French police officer. A Broadway musical adaptation opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on April 10, 2011, ran for 170 performances, and received four Tony Award nominations, with Norbert Leo Butz winning Best Actor in a Musical. Logan claimed to have found evidence that proves the majority of Abagnale's story was invented or at best exaggerated. Abagnale claims his first victim was his father, who gave him a gasoline credit card and a truck, and was ultimately liable for a bill amounting to $3,400. This ruse was eventually discovered by his parole officer, who swiftly removed him from his orphanage work and moved him into living quarters above his own garage, so he "could keep an eye on him". The reverend, after Abagnale told him he was a furloughed TWA pilot, became suspicious and called the airline, which informed him that Abagnale was a fraud. In 1980, Abagnale co-wrote his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, which built a narrative around these claimed frauds.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.