Victor Lustig's Scam of Al Capone

The German con artist Victor Lustig once even tricked Al Capone out of $5,000 by convincing him to invest $50,000 in a scam. After two months, he returned the full amount, claiming the scam had failed and he had no money left to support himself. Touched by his "honesty," Capone gave him $5,000 to "tide him over."

Previous Fact Next Fact