His nicknames came from his ability to pose as a member of the wealthy elite, which allowed him to fool potential victims and avoid scrutiny from investigators.
On October 24,[5] the three men forced a U.S. Mail truck to stop at gunpoint on Leonard Street, successfully taking $2.4 million in cash, bonds and jewelry.
Their identities were unknown to the police for months, and Chapman lived the life of an aristocrat, residing with his mistress in New York's fashionable Gramercy Park neighborhood.
[9] Though an accomplice was caught and quickly identified Chapman as the perpetrator, authorities initially refused to believe that the notorious bandit had been operating unnoticed in their area.
[1][12] During Chapman's six-day murder trial in Hartford, Connecticut, crowds gathered due to his status as one of the "top 10" criminals in America.
The jury deliberated for 11 hours, after which Chapman was found guilty and eventually sentenced to hang by presiding judge Newell Jennings.