One of the great press photographers, Weegee (June 12, 1899 - December 26, 1968, real name Arthur Usher Fellig) covered New York for the New York Times and Wide World Photos.
He took a number of classic photographs of New York, as well as rather grim pictures of murder victims.
He was able to take crime scene photos well because he had permission to install a police radio in his car. As a result, he frequently arrived at crime scenes before the police.
He released a photo book Naked City, which was made into a totally unrelated movie.
Weegee is notable in that he transcended press photography into art photography. He enjoyed a reputation as a world class photographer, combining technical expertise and an eye for photography.
Some of the Weegee photos you might have seen include a burning building with a billboard stating "Just add boiling water", as well as a classic photo with two well dressed socialites being glared at by a lower income woman. The latter photograph was staged - the glaring woman was an acquaintance of Weegee from the bar he used to frequent.