Frank Abygneil, Jr. Two lives of one person

Who would have imagined that a talented rogue with a good sense of humor would become a leading expert in document security? It's about a man famous for the impudence of his adventures - Frank Abigneyle, Jr., who became the prototype of the hero Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie "Catch Me If You Can."

Childhood and the beginning of activity

Abignale Sr. and his wife Paulette were the parents of four children, of whom Frank Jr. was the third child. The father of the family was engaged in business, had many affairs with people of different social statuses and was constantly aware of political events. When the youngest Frank turned sixteen, his parents divorced, and by decision of the court he remained in the care of his father, who, according to Frank himself, was not particularly happy about it. Difficultly experiencing the divorce of his parents, Abignale long tried to reconcile them, but without success - in 1974 his father died.

Ironically, it was the father who became his first "victim". Entering the age when they are already interested in the opposite sex, the young Frank, communicating with the girls, more and more needed the means. Under the pretext of refueling the car (which his father gave him), Frank William Abigney the Jr. asked his parent for a credit card. And this, as they say, was just the beginning. Conspiring with employees of gas stations, Frank carried out purchases of auto parts and fuel, punching through the credit card large sums. And the rest of the real price difference he shared with his accomplices. As a result, the credit account grew to 3400 dollars. And that though somehow insure, Abignale-ml. Destroyed checks that came by mail. And if it were not for personal communication with a tax official who came to their home, his father would not have learned anything. There was no punishment for this, everything was limited to verbal punishment. However, after that, Frank decided to switch his "activities" to others.

Conquering Airlines

For the unimpeded movement around the country, Frank Abignail was a little "re-qualified": having resorted to cunning, he got hold of the airline pilot's uniform. He also forged documents. Thanks to this scam, he flew around the world for free. Under the general rules, the employer company covered all costs associated with flights, hotels and meals.

Also Frank Abignail, being a "pilot", cashed in for future "wages" fake checks, similar to those that the company gives out to its employees. So he flew over a million miles. In its arsenal - more than 25 flights. He visited at least 26 countries. At the same time, Abigneyl never managed to sit at the helm of the plane, arguing that he had "drunk a little before".

Re-profiling

Federal agents day and night, but unsuccessfully tried to catch the elusive "pilot" forging bank checks. And, sensing this, Frank Abigneyl decided to go into the shadows for a while. However, this does not mean that he abandoned his adventures. On the contrary, he "retrained". Once again forging the documents, he "became" a doctor-therapist, and then an assistant prosecutor. In the latter case, he had to learn, and then pass a certification exam.

From prisoners to consultants

Despite his resourcefulness and his luck, Frank Abignale (photo can be seen below) was still caught. He served six months in French and Swedish prisons. Then he was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

Frank was on the account and escapes. And he carried out the first one before his term was served. During the extradition, when the plane just landed at the US airport, Frank managed to leave the plane through a niche under the toilet. Soon he was caught. After some time, he again fled - and again unsuccessfully. But, even considering this "exemplary" behavior, Abignale was released four years later. And the initiators were people who occupy prominent positions in the FBI. Frank Abigneyle was released on condition that he becomes a consultant in capturing scammers.

Honest life

When he became a law-abiding citizen, Frank had problems with employment - employers, after learning about the criminal record, did not want to accept him. But the resilient Abignale Jr. did not drop his hands and turned to the bank with an unexpected offer: he, like a former adventurer with an extensive track record, tells the bank's employees how they can be deceived. In return, they pay him a fee of five hundred dollars and give recommendations to other banks. And if his advice is not useful, then he leaves with nothing. After that, Frank became the most respected adviser on security matters in the field of checks and documentation.

"Catch me…"

And in the end, you can not fail to note the brilliant adaptation of the book "Catch Me If You Can", written by Frank Abignale (the first-person biography is co-authored with Stan Redding). Her production was handled by Steven Spielberg himself, and the main roles were performed by some of the most talented actors of our time - Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. By the way, Frank was very pleased with how Leo played it in his youth. In the process of working on the picture, Abignale Jr. (he was a consultant, and also played the episodic role of the policeman who arrested Abigneyl-jr.) Communicated a lot with the actors and not only on the set. More than once he later noted that DiCaprio is a very communicative and hospitable host, and Tom Hanks can never be seen without a mood, and it was very pleasant to communicate and work with him.

Needless to say, such a talented tandem under the leadership of no less talented director has firmly won a place in the hearts of fans? After all, in this story (with the exception of some details, not unlike the original biography) there is a place for comedy, drama, and simple human feelings, and even morals. It's never too late to start your life again, you just need to.