Maurer introduction by luc sante anchor books, 320 pp. In early july that year, new york resident thomas mcdonald recognized a fellow. Middleaged women married or single are especially susceptible, for sooner or later the element of sex enters the game. Shares insights from confidence men and swindlers on the schemes they u. Of all the grifters, the confidence man is the aristocrat, wrote david maurer, a proposition he definitely proved in the big con, one of the most colorful, wellresearched, and entertaining works of criminology ever written. Streit jr confidence man explores the life, art and legal troubles of hugh deneal, cofounder and primary songwriter for the woodbox gang alternative tentacles records. The true, untold story of one of the most notorious conartists of the twentieth century count victor lustig by betty jean lustig and nanci garrett 3. Though published in 1940, it provided me an unexpectedly useful lens to view donald trump.
The story of the confidence man paperback or softback by maurer, david and a great selection of related books, art and. Textbook on con man slang maurers the big con was first published in 1940 and updated and republished later as the american confidence man. Weaving together a tapestry of tales in real estate booms and busts, stevens lays out how donald trumps business career transformed from epic failures into a consummate branding machine that propelled him into office. Endpapers negligibly foxed, still easily fine in a bright and attractive, near fine dustwrapper with a moderatesized accordion tear which has been flattened on the rear panel. The big con is a casual narrative that eases you into the world of the modern 1940s confidence man as its pages offer you true third party insight with the occasional tale or anecdote from those who actively play the game. The intended victims are known as marks, suckers, stooges, mugus, rubes, or gulls from the word gullible. And any confidence man will testify that a realestate man is the fattest and juiciest of suckers. The story of the confidence man and the confidence game. A favorite con example is the one where the con man sets up a fake boxing match that he agrees to fix.
It features band, fan, family and postal inspector interviews. A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko or bunco, a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle, or a bamboozle. In his long career as a confidence man, joseph yellow kid weil swindled the public of more than eight million dollars and established the reputation for robbery and trickery. Confidence tricks and scams are difficult to classify, because they change often and often contain elements of more than one type. A professor of linguistics who specialized in underworld argot, maurer won the trust of hundreds of swindlers, who let him in on not simply their language but their folkways and the astonishingly complex and elaborate schemes whereby unsuspecting marks, hooked by. Pdf full the big con the story of the confidence man for android 1. Louis with someone we suspect might be a stowaway on board. In the big con, university of louisville professor david maurer explores the world of the confidence man in their golden age roughly 19141923.
Just so you know, the ceo library may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. The ultimate con artist book list penguin random house. Throughout this list, the perpetrator of the confidence trick is called the con artist or simply artist, and the intended victim is the mark. The story of the confidence man by david maurer, a social anthropology of grifters, swindlers, and confidence artists in the first half of the 20th century. War, bigcon men have played for women with increasing success.
Drawing details from his personal interviews with hundreds of practicing grifters, maurer schools us in the art of the con. David w maurer shares insights from confidence men and swindlers on the schemes they used to cheat their victims. He turned the idea over in his mind for some time and finally opened, in a shack of a building, what he called the dollar store. Looking back at the year, the book that has stuck with me most is the big con. A professor of linguistics who specialized in underworld argot, maurer won the trust of hundreds of swindlers, who let him in on not simply their language, but. Yet con men shared information only through what might be called oral tradition. The big con is a casual narrative that eases you into the world of the modern 1940s confidence man as. The classic 1940 study of con men and con games that luc sante in salon called a. The classic 1940 study of con men and con games that luc sante in salon called a bonanza of wild but credible stories, told concisely with deadpan humor, as sly and rich in atmosphere as anything this side of mark twain. The story of the confidence man hardcover by maurer david w.
When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. The confidence man or con artist, as it came to be known dates to 1849 as an american archetype. Affectionateread9 submitted 4 hours ago by affectionateread9 the big con. Pdf full the big con the story of the confidence man for. Of all the grifters, the confidence man is the aristocrat, wrote david maurer, a proposition he definitely proved in the big con, one of the most colorful, well. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. He cant hear or speak, but his chalk tablet speaks volumes about the value of charity, complete with quotes from the bible. But the forceful conclusion of the confidence man is that mr. Shares insights from confidence men and swindlers on the schemes they used to cheat their victims. With fisher stevens, donald trump, barbara res, timothy l. The confidence man appears in a bewildering series of disguises. In the big con, perhaps the seminal book on american con men, david maurer calls them the aristocrats of. A confidence man in the white house realclearpolitics. Locating and investigating you, the potential victim, called a mark or a target.