“Krone” columnist Robert Schneider has already devoted two texts to the life and work of the legendary conman Victor Lustig. Now the “Grande Finale” follows.
In times of bankruptcy filings of biblical proportions, one or the other would probably like to have a money printing machine in order to raise the urgently needed capital virtually overnight. Insolvency does not necessarily mean that you are broke. But fresh money has to come, and subito. Which brings us back to our dear old friend Victor Lustig, who was born in Bohemia in 1890 and later duped the world so much that he became the most famous conman of the 20th century. After the charming and eloquent “Count” Lustig After he got up to mischief in Paris and duped Al Capone in Chicago, he had bigger things in mind. Together with a pharmacist named William Watts, he made printing blocks for counterfeiting banknotes. Things were going well until 1934, when the Secret Service set up a task force to investigate the origins of the counterfeit dollar bills. The “Count” was arrested and almost pulled his head out of the noose again if a key had not been found in his waistcoat pocket that matched a locker in Times Square, where 51,000 dollar flowers and, unfortunately, the printing blocks were also found .There was a trial. But it wouldn’t have been funny if he hadn’t thumbed his nose at the greedy society again. 24 hours before his trial, he managed to escape by knotting a rope from his bedsheet. Three weeks later he finally caught up with the police. He received 15 years in prison in Alcatraz. On March 9, 1947, he fell ill with pneumonia, but is said to have died peacefully and at peace with himself. The death certificate stated the following job title: “Apprentice Salesman”.
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