Bertha Heyman (born c. 1851) was a 19th-century American criminal, also known as "Big Bertha" or the "Confidence Queen." She was described by famed New York City detective Thomas F. Byrnes as "one of the smartest confidence women in America",[1][2] and was considered by the New York City police to be "the boldest and most expert of the many female adventuresses who infest the country."[3] She managed to swindle several men out of a total of many thousands of dollars, even while behind bars.
- ^ Byrnes, Thomas (1886), Professional Criminals of America, New York: Cassell & Company, pp. 200–201.
- ^ Jay, Ricky (February 2011), "Grifters, Bunco Artists & Flimflam Men", Wired, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 92.
- ^ "Bertha Heymann's Pride" (PDF), The New York Times, July 11, 1883, retrieved August 7, 2011.