Was the FBI Agent Carl Hanratty a real person?

It is interesting to note that Cark Hanratty becomes an important person in the life if Frank as he always keeps in touch with him over the phone.

In real life, Shea pursued career criminal Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film) in the late 1960s for forging checks and impersonating others. In 2002's "Catch Me If You Can," Hanks played FBI agent Carl Hanratty, a fictional character who was based off real-life agent Joseph Shea.

In 2002's "Catch Me If You Can," Hanks played FBI agent Carl Hanratty, a fictional character who was based off real-life agent Joseph Shea. The real Carl Hanratty is a composite of a number of FBI agents who worked to catch Abagnale, most notably FBI Agent Joseph Shea. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of teenage con-man Frank Abagnale Jr. is fun and entertaining.

The real Carl Hanratty is a composite of a number of FBI agents who worked to catch Abagnale, most notably FBI Agent Joseph Shea.

The trailer for "Catch Me If You Can" is so obvious it could have written itself.

Frank William Abagnale Jr. (* 27.April 1948 in Bronxville, New York) ist ein ehemaliger, gegen Ende der 1960er bis Anfang der 1970er Jahre aktiver US-amerikanischer Hochstapler und Scheckbetrüger. In the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, fictional character Carl Hanratty, portrayed by Tom Hanks, is loosely based on the relationship that Shea had with Frank Abagnale. Kari Hanratty handled my case with sensitivity and yet was tough and confident in court. Sean O'Reilly or aka Carl Hanratty Known in Real Life as Joe Shea, Frank Abagnale Jr. gave him different names so that he could protect his identity in the FBI. It went …

He is a FBI bank fraud agent who prosecutes Frank everywhere he commits his crimes. Heute ist er mit seinem Unternehmen Abagnale & Associates vor allem in Sachen Scheckbetrug und Dokumentenfälschung als Berater diverser Banken, Fluglinien, Hotels und anderer Unternehmen tätig. Says Abagnale: “What landed me in jail was my other habit, which was my enthusiasm for passing bad checks. The person who seems to know Frank best is Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), a detective who is trying to capture and arrest him. Special Agent Shea was the head of the FBI investigative team chasing after Frank and had spent several years looking for him. Carl Hanratty is another main character in the movie. Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson.The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Nathalie Baye in supporting roles.