The expression is a translation of the
ancient Roman phrase ; for example, the
Senate denounced emperor
Nero as a in AD 68. The phrase is attested in the 17th century in the United Kingdom. The phrase was extensively used during the
French Revolution. On 25 December 1793,
Robespierre stated: "The revolutionary government owes to the good citizen all the protection of the nation; it owes nothing to the Enemies of the People but death." The
Law of 22 Prairial in 1794 extended the remit of the
Revolutionary Tribunal to punish "enemies of the people", with some political crimes punishable by death, including "spreading false news to divide or trouble the people".
US Public Enemy era The modern use of the term was first popularized in April 1930 by
Frank J. Loesch, then chairman of the
Chicago Crime Commission, to publicly denounce
Al Capone and a list of other
organized crime gangsters. In 1933, Loesch recounted the origin and purpose of the list: The phrase was later appropriated by
J. Edgar Hoover and the
FBI, who used it throughout the 1930s to describe various notorious fugitives. Unlike Loesch's list, the FBI's "Public Enemies" were wanted criminals already charged with crimes, including at various times
John Dillinger,
Baby Face Nelson,
Bonnie and Clyde,
Pretty Boy Floyd,
Machine Gun Kelly,
Ma Barker, and
Alvin Karpis. The term was used so extensively during the 1930s that some writers call that period of the
FBI's early history the "Public Enemy Era". Dillinger, Floyd, Nelson, and Karpis were successively named "Public Enemy Number 1" from June 1934 to May 1936. The informal designation eventually evolved into the
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. It was used in speeches, books, press releases, and internal memoranda and remains in usage to this day. File:John Dillinger mug shot.jpg|
John Dillinger File:Baby Face Nelson 1931 mug shot.jpg|1931 Mugshot of
Lester Gillis aka "George 'Baby Face' Nelson" File:Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.jpg|
Clyde Barrow and
Bonnie Parker File:PrettyBoyFloyd01.jpg|
"Pretty Boy" Floyd File:MachineGunKelly.jpg|
"Machine Gun" Kelly File:Alvin Karpis.jpg|
Alvin Karpis ==See also==