6 Most Famous Female Crooks in History

5. The Forty Elephants gang

The “Forty Elephants,” also known as the “Forty Thieves,” was a female theft group from the United Kingdom whose crook system was shoplifting. They were based out of London’s Elephant and Castle neighborhood and often collaborated with the male-dominated Elephant and Castle Mob, which was led by the McDonald brothers.

The era of the Forty Thieves spans from the 1870s to the 1950s. When one of the gang members was arrested, the others would always pay their bail.

Unfortunately, the glorious era of the gang’s activities is still a mystery. Newspaper accounts of the gang don’t begin until 1873, although police records from London reveal those female shoplifters had been operating there since at least the late 18th century.

The first crooks disguised their weapons in adapted women’s clothing items. Their outerwear, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers, and hats were all perfect hiding spots for the things they stole.

These thugs stole from a number of West End department stores in London. What’s interesting about these thieves is that they knew how to take advantage of society’s rules. For instance, female shoplifters were able to go undetected for so long because the prudish norms of the time meant that store employees were required to give women more space.