FRANK ABAGNALE 2After watching the film “Catch Me If You Can”, I was immediately intrigued by the brilliant mind of Frank Abagnale. Famous for impersonating a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer and a professor, as well as forging more than $2.5 million in bad checks around the world, he cannot deny that he was truly a genius in his own right. Although he initially pursued his talents in a rather underhanded direction, he is one of the only federal criminals I know who now works for the government. Frank was born one of four children to Frank and Paulette Abagnale in Bronxville, New York. . Growing up, her father was interested in politics, theater and the arts and was her biggest role model. He committed his first scam at age fifteen when his father gave him a truck and a gas credit card to get to and from his part-time job. In order to get money for a date, he hatched a plan to purchase automobile-related items at various auto parts stores with his credit card. He then returned the coins and convinced store employees to give him money for everything. This left his father responsible for an incredibly high credit card bill. When Frank's parents divorced, he was devastated and when told he had to choose which parent to live with, he decided to leave home at the age of sixteen. He went to New York with no plans, no formal education, and only $200 in his pocket. Frank was able to find employment at a stationery company where he developed and honed his blacksmithing skills. He first realized his ability to create realistic sociopathic tendencies because he felt very comfortable living a lie for years. He was also very charming and had no problem being manipulative to get what he wanted. However, he was shaken when the child arrived at the hospital while he was tasked with overseeing things as a medical supervisor. If he had been a real sociopath, I don't think he would have felt empathy or fear about hurting patients. He also said he felt he owed it to the United States to provide free services to the FBI after all the financial havoc he had caused by forging checks. Frank never harmed anyone and only put himself in danger. Rather, Abagnale learned to harness his talents and unique way of thinking and use his abilities for the better. I chose to research him not only because his story is very interesting, but also because it ends on a positive note..