"Slick Willie" Sutton was a prolific criminal who robbed $2 million from over 100 banks. At the time of his capture, he was the most celebrated criminal in America.

For decades, the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted," list has been used by the bureau to track down some of America's most notorious fugitives. NPR profiles a few of the most famous people to appear on the list in the last 60 years.

How is the list decided?

The Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI surveys its different field offices to look for candidates when a fugitive on the existing list is apprehended. Those nominations are reviewed by different departments in the FBI and ultimately approved by the bureau's director.

To get on the list, the fugitive needs to have a long criminal history and/or be considered dangerous. The FBI also weighs whether nationwide publicity would help in apprehending the person — in other words, the fugitive shouldn't already be notorious due to existing media coverage.

A fugitive can be removed from the list for three different reasons — if they are captured, if federal charges are dismissed, or if they no longer fit the criteria of the list. In the last 60 years, six fugitives have been removed prior to capture because they were no longer considered "particularly dangerous" by the FBI.

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• History