73: Con Me Once pt.1: Fool Me Twice

Maia Warner-Langenbahn
Oct 2, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Who was the man that tried to sell the Eiffel Tower? This week, Maia takes us on a podcast journey to the Titanic (well, ships like the Titanic) and a man who knew how to sell. Maia, and Grant shift into full-on true-crime mode to unravel the unbelievable tale of Victor Lustig, the only man bold enough to sell the Eiffel Tower…twice. You’ll hear how he honed ocean-liner gambling scams with Nicky Arnstein, flirted with Al Capone, swindled metal tycoons out of millions, and danced around dozens of arrests—only to be finally cornered by counterfeit bonds in Texas. Plus: impromptu wedding poems about fish and love, board-game design secrets, and the cheeky “commandments” every master con artist swears by. Ready for reality to out-con your wildest fiction? This episode delivers.

Chapters/Key takeaways to listen for

[00:00:00] Catch-Up
[00:11:45] On-Air Ode: A debut impromptu “Fish & Love” wedding poem
[00:30:00] Meow Wolf Mayhem: Raccoons in trees, stick obsessions, and the great fire-extinguisher alarm caper at Convergence Station
[00:35:13] DNA Detective Work: A niece’s home-DNA test cracks a 1951 kidnapping cold case
[00:40:24] Fool Me Twice
[01:10:15] Meet Victor Lustig: The mastermind who “sold” the Eiffel Tower twice and pulled off grifts that still boggle the mind
[01:28:00] High-Seas Hustle: Ocean-liner poker sharks, secret betting wires, and the “hard-to-get” con that reels in big spenders
[01:45:50] Bonds for Dirt: How Liberty Bonds turned into a worthless Kansas farm deed
[02:03:20] Capone’s Curiosity: Lustig borrows $50K from Al, pays it all back, and still pockets a $5K “thank-you” bonus
[02:20:10] The Romanian Money Box: Another ingenious box-based con with fresh victims
[02:35:45] Havana Broadway Bluff: Star-making promises to a Rhode Island investor
[02:50:02] Escape Artist: From Paris interrogations to Texas bailouts

Quotes:

“Love is essential for survival, and that it can look however you want it to.” - Grant Thomas
"You got to spend money to make money." - Grant Thomas
“Meow Wolf is a trap to become a fire marshal." - Maia Warner
“If you can steal from him twice, run it back.” - Maia Warner

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