Adam Worth started his career as a professional deserter during the American Civil War but it wasn't long before he made a name for himself as a fraudster and bank robber in Manhattan's notorious Bowery district. Much more than a talented crook, Worth's ability to imitate the upper classes and move amongst them gave him ample opportunities to rob them blind.
His most audacious coup - the theft of the world's most valuable painting - was an act which cemented his notoriety around the world and earned him an enduring place in fiction, as the model for Conan Doyle's evil genius, Professor Moriarty.
His most audacious coup - the theft of the world's most valuable painting - was an act which cemented his notoriety around the world and earned him an enduring place in fiction, as the model for Conan Doyle's evil genius, Professor Moriarty.