There’s something about confidence men and women that interest me. I think it’s the fact that I want to learn as much about the subject as possible so I don’t get screwed over by a real life conman. Whenever my family would go to New York I wanted to buy a fake Rolex, I think 12 year old Matt thought he could swindle the swindlers. Truth be told I probably spent too much money on a piece of garbage timepiece that would stop telling time before we crossed the New York / Connecticut line.
Like the mafia, people say con artists are not as prevalent as they used to be in an age of digital currency and less people paying with cash or in person. That’s bullshit, they’re going strong they just adapt like chameleons to exploit any opportunity. Think about Fyre Fest, Theranos, and Bernie Madoff. Grifters gonna grift.
Here’s some fictional and real life confidence artists we’re into:
Gaston Means
Under occupation, Gaston’s Wikipedia page says: “Private detective, salesman, bootlegger, forger, swindler, murder suspect, blackmailer, con artist.” I mean come on, that’s kind of awesome. It’s even “better” if you realize he worked very closely with President Warren Harding in one of the most corrupt administrations America has seen.
Gaston was played by Stephen Root (Office Space, Barry, Man in the High Castle) in Boardwalk Empire. They also show his involvement in the strange death of Jess Smith, where Means was the guy who “found” the body (probably after he shot it).
You can also read about Gaston in Gangsters, Swindlers, Killers, and Thieves by the legendary crime novelist Lawrence Block. He also makes an appearance in Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman.
Sneaky Pete
Starring Giovanni Ribisi as Marius, a high-stakes confidence man released from prison when his previous mark, the owner of an underground casino and ex-cop played by Bryan Cranston, kidnaps his brother for a hefty ransom. So Marius poses as his dimwitted cellmate, Pete, and pays a visit to Pete’s estranged grandparents looking to hide out and make an easy score. It’s an awesome show and I was pissed to find out it got cancelled. All three seasons were great and it’s worth a look.
The Sting
The classic con movie with Paul Newman and Robert Redford was referenced in season one of Sneaky Pete. Where they try to pull the same con on Bryan Cranston that Redford and Newman pulled on Quint from Jaws.
It’s not Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but what is? This Depression Era period piece won several Academy Awards including best picture and it still holds water. Here’s the first con of the movie:
Titanic Thompson
Titanic Thompson is probably my favorite real life swindler. I read Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet On Everything by Kevin Cook when it first came out and it’s one of my favorite biographies I’ve read. I highly recommend it.
Here’s a guy who conned Al Capone out of $500, may have killed Arnold Rothstein (he was playing in the poker game where he got shot at least), slept with movie star Jean Harlow, traded card tricks with Houdini, once made a loaded pistol disappear, and killed five men (all in self defense). Thompson lost $1 million playing pool with Minnesota Fats, then joined forces with Fats and separated a whole lot of people from their cash in billiards halls across the country. He was also the real-life model for Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls.
Alvin Thompson got his nickname in Snow Clark’s pool hall in Joplin, Missouri where he cleaned everyone’s wallets in pool and then as he was leaving saw a sign that said: “$200 to Any Man Who Jumps over My New Pool Table.”
Thompson said he could jump the table, he could “out jump a herd of bullfrogs.” Ten minutes later he was back in Snow Clark’s with a mattress he bought at a nearby hotel. He placed the mattress on one side of the pool table, went to the other side, ran and leaped headfirst across the table, did a flip and landed on his back on the mattress.
As Thompson collected his $200 someone asked Snow Clark what his name was. And Clark responded. “I don’t know, ought to be ‘Titanic,’ he sinks everybody.”
He was great on the golf course too. Some of the best cons of his were at country clubs. He was ambidextrous and after purposely losing to a mark he’d say “I bet you double I could beat you left handed.” But my favorite is where he had Ben Hogan (editors note: I think it was Hogan, could have been Byron Nelson of Sam Snead they all knew each other and it’s been a while since I read the book) acting like a farm boy, mowing down the road near the 18th hole. After Thompson lost, he said “I bet I could beat you with that farm boy.” He pulled the same con with Hogan as his caddy.
Catch Me If You Can
I can’t talk about swindlers without talking about the real life conman Frank Abagnale. It’s a classic movie with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio but I have to say, I love my man Christopher Walken in this.
The Grifters
Based on a novel of the same name by Jim Thompson, the adapted screenplay was written by Donald Westlake. It was produced by Martin Scorsese, and stars John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening. That is really all I need to say.
This movie’s fantastic, with the seedy world of cons and counter-cons, murder, distrust, immorality and double-crosses. It’s not glamorous like Ocean’s Eleven or Catch Me If You Can, that’s why it’s so good.
Other Books to get on the subject (click on the image it’ll take you right to Amazon):
And here’s a podcast about the subject. Swindled, “a true crime podcast about white-collar criminals, con-artists, and corporate evil.” If you’re into true crime podcasts, check our article which lists our favorites.
