​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lawrence Block (born June 24, 1938) is an acclaimed contemporary American crime writer best known for two long-running New York-set series, about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, respectively. Block was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1993. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lawrence Block, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia