Forgive Me If You Can, Part Two

A conversation with con artist turned consultant Frank Abagnale Jr. on regret, redemption, and how he lost “control” of his life story.

Frank Abagnale Jr. and Leonardo DiCaprio during filming of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film “Catch Me If You Can.” (Courtesy of FilmMagic, Inc.)

By Michael Judge

In part one of my conversation with Frank Abagnale Jr., played by Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” Abagnale said he agreed to the interview partly because my 12-year-old son asked me to reach out to him after recently watching—and loving—the 2002 Spielberg movie.

But there was another reason for his agreeing to the interview. Abagnale had met my father decades ago at a Catholic charity, Dismas House, where he spoke to help raise funds to provide housing and support for men and women recently released from prison. He remembered my dad’s “kindness,” he said, and was always happy to talk about “second chances,” having served time in federal prison.

Yet as the interview progressed, Abagnale stressed that the book the film was based on, Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake, first published in 19…