The Big Policeman

Conway (King of Heists) presents the exceptional biography of Thomas Byrnes, who has often been called "the father of modern detective work." The story of his remarkable career is interwoven with many notable 19th-century events. An emigrant from Ireland's potato famine, he survived life in New York's Five Points neighborhood to become an American success story. After fighting in the Union army, he joined New York City's police force days before the 1863 race riots that tore the city apart. His rise through the ranks from policeman to detective is well documented. His methods of solving crimes, such as utilizing photographs to identify criminals and using the "third degree" during interrogations, are among the many contributions he made. As the detective bureau chief, Conway was instrumental in solving many of the sensational crimes of his day, but when caught up in the scandal surrounding Tammany Hall, he retired from the police force and formed his own successful Wall Street detective agency.