Preet Bharara - Indian-born US attorney who's leading the Wall Street crackdown

Preet Bharara (seen here) was a newly appointed US attorney when he added his own twist to a signature Hollywood line to put Wall Street on notice.

"Sometimes," he said in touting a massive securities case, "greed is not good."

A year later, Bharara hasn't let up in his pursuit of real-life Gordon Gekkos.

Making broad use of wiretaps - routine in mob and drug cases, but groundbreaking in white-collar probes - the Manhattan prosecutor has widened an investigation of hedge funds and other financial institutions suspected of insider trading.

The latest arrest came Wednesday, the same day a judge rejected a defense challenge to the wiretap tactic.

Amid the crackdown, the 42-year-old Bharara has displayed a trademark tenacity tempered by humility - a combination that's won admirers inside and outside the nation's largest US attorney's office.

"I think he really does appreciate the power of the office and he's not going to waste it," said Eric Snyder, who has worked at a Washington law firm since leaving the New York office in June.

"There's outrage out there. He represents the people and he's going to react to what people are outraged by."

Text and Images: AP