Who was Jonathan Wild?

Jonathan Wild was perhaps the most famous criminal of London. He invented a scheme which allowed him to to run one of the most successful gangs of thieves of the era, all the while appearing to be the nation's leading policeman.He manipulated the press and the nation's fears to become the most loved public figure of the 1720s; this love turned to hatred when his villainy was exposed. After his death, he became a symbol of corrution and hypocrisy.