(FORTUNE Magazine) – Gregory Pierre, whose robbing sprees aboard the New York subways got him dubbed ''The Devil of the D Train,'' was also nicknamed ''Dumbo'' because of his large ears. After his arrest, Pierre was quickly identified in various lineups -- apparently because of his distinctive feature . . . But when the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction heard about Pierre's case, it offered to help him get his ears fixed. When asked if arranging free plastic surgery for a convicted mugger might be controversial, Peter Hoguet, the president of the organization, bristled. ''I don't think a criminal record should have any bearing on this any more than if the man suffered a case of appendicitis,'' he says. -- From an article in New York.