Anthony Esposito, Accused "Cop Killer"

Working as a freelance news photographer in New York, Arthur Fellig earned the nickname Weegee (after the Ouija board) for his seemingly uncanny ability to sense newsworthy happenings and be the first on the scene. This image, one of his most famous, records accused murderer Anthony Esposito at his booking. Before taking the shot, Weegee had to convince the detectives, who were handcuffed to Esposito but did not wish to appear in the paper, to turn around, while he blasted Esposito with the flash on his 4 x 5-inch Speed Graphic camera. Weegee’s aggressive approach and trademark style show the “cop killer”—described by Weegee as a “stubborn surly, snarling animal” who “stumbled and sagged over to one side, like a drunk”—as vulnerable and defeated.