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A gentleman and a thief : the daring jewel heists of a Jazz Age rogue

2024

Format:	Book
Author:	Jobb, Dean, 1958- author.
Title:	A gentleman and a thief : the daring jewel heists of a Jazz Age rogue / Dean Jobb.
Edition:	First edition.
Publisher, Date:	Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2024. ©2024
Description:	432 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm illustration map
Summary:	"A captivating true-crime caper about Arthur Barry, a jewel thief who charmed celebrities and millionaires, stole from Rockefellers and royalty, and pulled off the most audacious and lucrative heists of the Jazz Age"-- Provided by publisher.
Subjects:	Barry, Arthur. Jewel thieves -- United States -- Biography. Jewelry theft -- United States -- History -- 20th century. Escapes -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Genre:	Biography. True crime stories. Biographies.
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 338-422) and index.
Contents:	A note to readers -- Prologue: Prince charming -- I: 'A grand life'. The courier -- A 'big-timer' -- First-aid man -- The long watch -- II: The ladder burglar. Second-story man -- A simple assault -- All that glitters -- Clients -- American rifles -- III: Gentleman thief. Cosden and Mountbatten. The Plaza pearls -- The great retriever -- Nightlife plunger -- Anna Blake -- IV: Prince of thieves. A scholarly cop -- The phantom -- 'Well-mannered bandits' -- The Rockefeller gems -- 'That slender rioutous island' -- The masterpiece -- V: The reckoning. The trap -- Owning up -- Only high-class work -- Up the river -- Sing sing -- VI: The fugitive. Breakout -- Refuge -- Mr. and Mrs. Toner -- The eaglet -- VII: A most dangerous criminal. Lindbergh suspect -- Celebrity crook - A fair trial -- 'My life of love and fear' -- VIII: Redemption. Hard time -- 'No dice' -- 'Easy come, easy go' -- An honest man -- Epilogue: Uncle Artie -- Acknowledgments -- Arthur Barry's major heists -- Notes on sources and endnotes -- Index.
LCCN:	2024005157
ISBN:	9781643752839 (hardcover) 1643752839 (hardcover)
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Library Journal Review

Narrator Mike Chamberlain provides a lively reading of Jobb's (The Case of Murderous Dr. Cream) true crime about the infamous Arthur Barry, a skilled Jazz Age jewel thief known for his genteel manners. Barry, who came from an Irish working-class family in Worcester, MA, began in his criminal ways as a teen. After serving in World War I, he returned to what he knew best, employing his keen intelligence, meticulous attention to detail, and astonishing audacity to great effect. Barry stole an estimated $60 million of jewels from 1920 to 1927, targeting the wealthy elite, including John D. Rockefeller's nephew, department-store heiress Jessie Woolworth Donahue, and even visiting members of Britain's royal family. In a story that rivals any Hollywood drama, he married widow Anna Blake, confessing to additional crimes to save her from jail time. Chamberlain's narration is perfectly attuned to Jobb's tone--engaging and entertaining, even as he presents a wealth of deeply researched information. Despite his nefarious acts, listeners may find themselves drawn to this debonair crook who was a romantic at heart. VERDICT An intriguing portrait of a charming career criminal, perfect for fans of Frank W. Abagnale and Stan Redding's Catch Me If You Can.--Sarah Hashimoto

Publishers Weekly Review

Jobb follows up The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream with a top-shelf work of true crime focused on lovestruck "gentleman thief" Arthur Barry (1896--1981). A con artist since his teens, Barry returned to New York City after serving in WWI and used the city's Social Register to identify targets for a spate of jewel thefts from 1920 to 1927. During the same period that he was slipping in and out of second-story windows belonging to Manhattan's rich and famous, Barry met and fell in love with young widow Anna Blake. After the two were married, Blake began assisting Barry in his criminal activities. When authorities finally caught Barry in 1927, he confessed to several crimes Blake had committed in order to spare her jail time. While Barry was incarcerated, Blake was diagnosed with cancer, and he staged a prison riot to escape and be with her until she died. After his subsequent arrest, return to prison, and parole, Barry became a minor celebrity. Jobb tells Barry's tale with both rigor and pathos, painting a tender portrait of a crook who was never fearsome (one victim described him as "charming"). This is liable to steal readers' hearts. Agent: Hilary MacMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. (June)

Booklist Review

Jobb follows his spellbinding The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream (2021) with the true story of Arthur Barry (1896--1981). Though barely remembered today, in the 1920s, Barry was one of the world's most audacious and successful jewel thieves. He got an early start, committing his first robbery at 15, and before he was finally caught, he stole millions from some very high-profile people. He was a rascal and a charmer, a cad and the life of the party, and Jobb brings him vividly to life in this topflight true crime narrative. What sets Jobb apart is the way he approaches his subjects with perception and compassion. Barry might have been a criminal, but the author doesn't want us to see him as a bad guy; rather, he was a man with a special talent, and not unlike the wealthy people from whom he stole, proud, entitled, and secure in the belief that he deserved the riches he acquired. This belongs in every library's true crime section for every reader of this ever-growing genre.

Kirkus Review

An entertaining history of a criminal mastermind who, like most such geniuses, got caught in the end. Jobb, the author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream, lands quite the subject with Arthur Barry, an Irish kid who, hanging out in the streets of a gritty Massachusetts factory town, learned to mimic the manners of the upper crust and put his gift to advantage. He charmed his way into the inner circle of the British royal family, and after one quick job, he wandered away with the equivalent of $250,000 in precious gems. Barry, as Jobb deftly paints him, was a man of parts: a war hero who returned home to don debonair disguises and sneak into the soirees and homes of the very wealthy, but who, even though remembered by a socialite as "a rather gallant burglar," also was not above using violence to achieve his nefarious ends. Setting aside deadly force, a would-be jewel thief could learn a thing or two about the trade from reading Jobb's vivid account of Barry's career. Like any good tactician, Barry believed in endless planning and intelligent action. Would-be victims might learn, too, that it's rarely a good idea to appear with one's best jewels on the society page. Even though Barry's haul in the 1920s alone was $60 million in today's dollars, he frittered away much of that money. Reflecting on the fact that he'd also spent nearly two decades in prison, he also expressed regret to an interviewer. In listing his crimes, he said, "When you put down all those burglaries…be sure you put the big one at the top. Not Arthur Barry…robbed the cousin of the King of England, but just Arthur Barry robbed Arthur Barry." A rousing tale of true crime that elicits sympathy for both victims and perpetrator. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Summary

In this captivating Jazz Age true crime about "the greatest jewel thief who ever lived" ( Life Magazine ), Arthur Barry, who charmed celebrities and millionaires while simultaneously planning and executing the most audacious and lucrative heists of the 1920s.

A skilled con artist and one of the most successful burglars in history, Arthur Barry was adept at slipping in and out of bedrooms undetected, even when his victims slept only inches away. He became a folk hero, a gentleman bandit touted in the press as the "Prince of Thieves" and an "Aristocrat of Crime." Think Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief. In a span of seven years, Barry stole pearls, diamonds, and other precious gems worth almost $60 million today. Among his many 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. He befriended the Prince of Wales, Harry Houdini, and other luminaries. The rollicking, caper-filled rise and dramatic downfall of this master thief is a high-speed ride told in stylish prose.

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 on Long Island and across Westchester County). Sentenced to a twenty-five-year term, he staged a dramatic prison break-triggering a bloody inmates' riot-when Anna became seriously ill, so they could be together for a few more years as fugitives. Page-turning, escapist, and sparkling with insight into the allure of gemstones and our fascination with well-planned heists and the suave, clever criminals who pull them off, A Gentleman and a Thief is perfect for true crime fans who relish the exploits of con artists and high-class crooks.

Table of Contents

	A Note to Readers	XIII
	Prologue: Prince Charming	1
I	"A Grand Life"
1	The Courier	13
2	A "Big-Timer"	22
3	First-Aid Man	31
4	The Long Watch	41
II	The Ladder Burglar
5	Second-Story Man	49
6	A Simple Assault	57
7	All That Glitters	64
8	Clients	70
9	American Raffles	79
III	Gentleman Thief
10	Cosden and Mountbatten	89
11	The Plaza Pearls	98
12	The Great Retriever	107
13	Nightlife Plunger	115
14	Anna Blake	128
IV	Prince Of Thieves
15	A Scholarly Cop	143
16	The Phantom	148
17	"Well-Mannered Bandits"	154
18	The Rockefeller Gems	162
19	"That Slender Riotous Island"	166
20	The Masterpiece	173
V	The Reckoning
21	The Trap	185
22	Owning Up	192
23	Only High-Class Work	202
24	Up the River	211
25	Sing Sing	220
VI	The Fugitive
26	Breakout	231
27	Refuge	241
28	Mr. and Mrs. Toner	247
29	The Eaglet	256
VII	A Most Dangerous Criminal
30	Lindbergh Suspect	267
31	Celebrity Crook	274
32	A Fair Trial	284
33	"My Life of Love and Fear"	292
VIII	Redemption
34	Hard Time	297
35	"No Dice"	301
36	"Easy Come, Easy Go"	308
37	An Honest Man	313
	Epilogue: Uncle Artie	321
	Acknowledgments	329
	Arthur Barry's Major Heists	332
	Notes on Sources and Endnotes	335
	Index	423

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