# Was David Lamar's Real Name And Past Ever Determined? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-david-lamars-real-name-and-past-ever-determined/372033 "2006-09-09T03:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-david-lamars-real-name-and-past-ever-determined/372033/1 "2006-09-09T03:17:56Z")
Between the 1890’s and the 1930’s, one of the most noted financial speculators in America was a man known as David Lamar, who made a reputation for himself out of being rather unethical even compared with his peers, gaining the nickname of “The Wolf of Wall Street”. When he died in 1934, his obits (I’ve read at least two) noted two things: First, that there was evidence that the name he went by was not his at birth (for starters, he was reputed to have used at least two different last names before using Lamar), and, secondly, that there was no evidence as to any details of his life before his first known appearances in the New York area around 1892. My question (admittingly, one only a couple of people on this board have the tools to answer) is in the title: Was his real identity and past ever conclusively determined, and, if so, what was it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-david-lamars-real-name-and-past-ever-determined/372033/2 "2006-09-09T13:10:36Z")
Wikipedia lists David Lamarr “The Wolf Of Wall Street” as a gangster, not a stockbroker. > **[List of identities in The Gangs of New York (book)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historical_gang_members_of_New_York_City)** > > This is a list of identities referenced in Herbert Asbury's 1928 book The Gangs of New York including underworld figures, gang members, crime fighters and others of the Old New York era from the mid- to late 19th and early 20th century. Some were also portrayed in Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York. You may have your wires crossed. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-david-lamars-real-name-and-past-ever-determined/372033/3 "2006-09-09T15:06:45Z")
OTOH, other google references refer to him as a crooked stock manipulator: > [@](#): > > In late April, Rintelen met David Lamar at the offices of Frederico Stallforth, a German citizen and financier, who provided funds to Poncho Villa. Lamar, a U.S. citizen, was formerly employed by J.P. Morgan & Co. but was dismissed and became a crooked stock manipulator known as the “Wolf of Wall Street.” Rintelen and Lamar conceived a plan to foment strikes in munitions factories and shipping agencies. Their goal was to force an embargo on munitions by Presidential or Congressional action, hinder the manufacture and shipping of munitions by attacks on financial institutions and by litigation against pro-Ally business organizations, to create a peace sentiment in the country, and to crystallize pro-German sentiment. From an article on German sabotage operations in the US prior to WWI. The Wikipedia “gang” list is very long, and lists Lamar under “others”. I’m guessing that they are stretching a bit to call a swindler a “gangster”, not that the terms need be exclusive.