Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew up... in the baby boom years in New Rochelle, New York. For a while, he lived comfortably there with his parents; his Dad was even honored at the Rotary Club. But after his Dad was accused by the I.R.S. for tax fraud, everything fell apart. His mother started fooling around his father’s best friend, and his parents ended up filing for divorce. Instead of choosing one of his parents to live with, Frank decided to run away from home at 16 and escape from them both.
Living... nowhere, really. For the past several years, he's spent his life on the run from the law.
Profession... a surgeon, a prosecutor, and a Pan American World Airways pilot. At least that is what he would have you to believe as part of his con games. The truth is that he didn’t graduate from high school and is still a teenager but is racking up a fortune. He took the maxim “fake it ‘till you make it” pretty literally.
Interests… traveling. He has been jet-setting to Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New Orleans, and wants to go to Europe next. For him, the biggest perks from flying are the gorgeous young stewardesses in short skirts. They go crazy for him too.
Relationship Status... recently involved with Brenda, a beautiful and sweet girl from New Orleans who is the daughter of the local district attorney. He likes her, but is afraid it won't last. Women need stability, which he can’t offer. Plus, he doesn't even know if he can trust her. Who knows if someone put her up to all of this?
Challenge... the FBI. A bank fraud agent, Carl Hanratty, is spending all of his time trying to catch him. Frank can fool almost anyone, but Carl seems smarter and more determined than the average agent. He actually has some respect for him and even gave him a call on Christmas Day just to say hello.
Personality... charming, brilliant, and creative. He also comes across as extremely confident, but don’t believe anything you see about him. He’s got another side to him that only Hanratty seems to pick up on.
Get to Know him in...
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Frank W. Abagnale Jr. is a cunning con man, posing as a doctor, lawyer and pilot all before turning 21. He's also a deft forger, and his work attracts the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, who makes it his mission to put Frank behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit, even taking time to taunt Carl by phone.
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The uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man, immortalized by Leonardo DiCaprio in DreamWorks' feature film of the same name. Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one. Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as "The Skywayman," Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam--until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes-including one from an airplane-make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.
