02225cam a2200313 i 4500 1390575407 TxAuBib 20240731120000.0 240327s2024||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2024005157 9781643752839 HRD 32.50 1643752839 HRD 32.50 TxAuBib rda Jobb, Dean, 1958-, author. A gentleman and a thief [BOOK] : the daring jewel heists of a Jazz Age rogue / Dean Jobb. First edition. Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2024. 432 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references (pages 338-422) and index. "A skilled con artist and perhaps one of the most charming, audacious burglars in history, Arthur Barry slipped in and out of the bedrooms of New York’s wealthiest residents, even as his victims slept only inches away. He befriended luminaries such as the Prince of Wales and Harry Houdini and became a folk hero, touted in the press as 'the greatest jewel thief who ever lived' and an 'Aristocrat of Crime.' In a span of seven years, Barry stole diamonds, pearls, and other gems worth almost $60 million today. Among his victims were a Rockefeller, an heiress to the Woolworth department store fortune, an oil magnate, Wall Street bigwigs, a top executive of automotive giant General Motors, and a famous polo player. A Gentleman and a Thief is also a love story. Barry confessed to dozens of burglaries to protect his wife, Anna Blake (and was the prime suspect in scores of others). Sentenced to a twenty-five year term, he staged a dramatic prison break when Anna became seriously ill so they could be together for a few more years as fugitives.". 20240731. Barry, Arthur. Jewel thieves United States Biography. Jewelry theft United States History 20th century. Escapes United States History 20th century.