I pose this because the con man has been a subject of fascination for me. Also, the “Con Man” seems to occupy a unique place in American Culture-he is often reviled, but many times celebrated as a sort of “anti-hero”. Take the cinema: the movie “THE STING” was a really good example of this-you really had to admire Redford and Newman as they cheated the victim so cleverly. Going father back, there is the classic “FLIM-FLAM MAN” with George C. Scott-this is also one of my favorites. Last year, there was a great article in ESQUIIRE magazine, about the case of a con man in Palm Beach, Florida (Jack Hassom). This man gained the ear of many prominent rich people (among them the golfer Greg Norman) and conned them out of $120 million dollars (he sold them fake jewelry). In one case, he convinced his victim (a retired Detroit businessman) that he was in league with the Sultan of Brunei, and sold the chump $20 million worth of fake blue diamonds! You just have to admire that kind of brazen chutzpah!
Going back into history, there was a man in 1890’s Arizona who forged Spanish colonial documents-he had the US Govt. convinced that he had inherited title to almost half of Arizona!
Have you ever wanted to be a con artist? Is it a fun profession? And, how does one get started in this profession?
Post your con stories here!
I’ll do better than that, I’ll post Herman Melville’s con story…namely THE CONFIDENCE-MAN: HIS MASQUERADE. Which, having been published in 1857, trumps your measly historical/cultural references. (insert smiley here)
“Part satire, part allegory, part hoax, THE CONFIDENCE-MAN is a slippery metaphysical comedy set on April Fool’s Day aboard the Mississippi steamer Fidele. Through the conversations of his confidence men Melville explores America and American values, plays with theories of trust and trickery, and finds form for the idea that, if our beliefs are shifting and uncertain, we at least have fiction.” – from the Penguin edition.
Herman Melville’s THE CONFIDENCE-MAN. Enigmatic; engaging; enjoyably incomprehensible!