February 17, 2025 • 38 mins
George C. Parker was a notorious con artist who famously sold the Brooklyn Bridge over 3,000 times. His story highlights the audacity of deception, the gullibility of those seeking dreams, and the evolution of law enforcement against crime, ultimately teaching us to remain vigilant against such schemes today.
• Exploration of George C. Parker's life and criminal exploits
• Discussion of the Brooklyn Bridge and its significance
• Analysis of Parker's tactics in selling major landmarks
• Overview of Parker's imprisonment, escape, and eventual capture
• Reflection on Parker's legacy and its contemporary relevance
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 2 (00:41):
Okay, so welcome to Deviant Criminology, the podcast
where we come up with alldifferent types of topics in
criminal justice and criminologyto kind of welcome people to a
world outside of just true crime.
So I'm Richard, I'm Heather,and today we're going to hit you
with an interesting case.
But first, like I want to say,I got to sit outside today.
(01:04):
It was the first time that itwas nice and not 13 degrees in
Indiana, so it was kind of niceto get out today.
Were you able to get out at alltoday, heather?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And yes, yes, I went out and there was this giant
flaming ball in the sky and Ididn't know what to do.
I thought maybe we needed torun for shelter, but apparently
that thing's called the sun.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It was interesting because I was sitting outside.
I had a sweater on and, likefour minutes after the dogs are
out there laying, I'm meltinglike sweating and I was like
this is what it feels like, toknow how my body's supposed to
naturally react outside.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
That was me too.
I went outside and I had at-shirt and pants and I was like
I guess I should have woreshorts today, which is funny
because, like two weeks ago, itdidn't even get above freezing
for the high.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It was weird because we had we've had all that snow
like weeks ago, but untilyesterday it was still in my
yard for like two and a halfweeks.
I was like, is this ever goingto dissipate?
And there were still mounds ofit like on campus and everything
.
So it's kind of freaking me outa little bit.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That was today for us too, when we were going out for
the bus.
One of my kids looked at it andsaid it's been three weeks and
a day and there's still snow.
And I said well, it's supposedto be 65 today, so I doubt
that's going to be there tonightand it's finally all gone.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, and I have to go back to campus tomorrow and
it's supposed to be like 40degrees again tomorrow.
I'm like this is freaking meout, it's killing me.
But you know, at least we'reheading towards warmer times, so
walking around campus and stuffwon't suck nearly as bad as it
has for like the last threemonths, because it's actually
been a cold winter, which wehaven't had one of those in a
(02:38):
long time.
So today we're going to talkabout this really interesting
case.
I was looking for stuff thatwas outside of kind of like
murder and some of the stuffthat we had kind of moved
towards recently To this guynamed George C Parker, who
literally is this amazing figurein the con artist world and
(03:00):
kind of the guy that created theterm con artist.
So he's really known for beingable to sell the Brooklyn Bridge
.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So George C Parker, which interestingly enough I
read a couple different places.
He had so many aliases that oneof the sources said they're not
even really sure that that washis actual name.
They think his name wassomething else.
But he wasn't just a con artist, he was the actual con artist
who inspired the phrase if youbelieve that I have a bridge to
(03:32):
sell you which most of us haveheard that phrase, but I'm
guessing not everybody knowsthat.
This is where it came from.
And Mr Parker was born on March16th, 1860.
So that was the year before theoutbreak of the Civil War and
he was in New York.
Born to Irish immigrant parents, his life was destined for
(03:53):
infamy from the start.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Actually it's kind of funny.
So there's a band that I'vebeen listening to and they're
coming to Kentucky in Octoberand they're an Irish-based band
and it's kind of inspired mebecause my family were Irish
immigrants to start learningGaelic.
So I've started kind of takingsome classes and there's a class
that starts in a couple monthsin Ireland that you can take
online and, of course, being aprofessor, I kind of enjoy
(04:20):
learning.
But I really kind of amenjoying the language.
But it's interesting when youstart learning a new language,
like I started this program andthey start off with like basic
phrases and they're like we'regoing to teach you how to say
tea and I'm like awesome, thisis great.
And they're like the phrase istay and I'm like so you say tea
in Gaelic as tay, it's just tea,that's the same word.
(04:40):
And coffee was caffy and I'mlike you're just making fun of
the accent.
Now, that's all it is.
So that was way off topic, butit was just kind of interesting
that this is a wonderful Irishimmigrant family.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, no, that's awesome.
I'm Irish too, so I always lovethat stuff.
But he had those humblebeginnings and he was one of
eight children of an immigrantfamily and he was able to
graduate from high school andthat was quite an achievement
for somebody of his social classat that point in time and it
(05:14):
hints to the intelligence andcunning that would later define
his criminal career, and hiseducation would serve him well
in his future endeavors.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I mean probably not the way the public education
system means for it to, but eventoday, sometimes high school,
especially that advancededucation can really be a great
breeding ground for huntingcriminals.
So his criminal career spannedseveral decades and again, like
Heather said, we're not evenreally sure if this is his real
name, but this is what isattributed to him and what he
(05:42):
used the most.
But it started around the late19th century and went into the
early 20th century.
But we're going to start withhis most infamous scheme, which
was the selling of the BrooklynBridge.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So before we actually get into that, I just wanted to
touch on the Brooklyn Bridgeitself, because not everybody
knows what it is, especially ifyou're not from the New York
area.
At the time that it was made,some people were calling it the
eighth wonder of the world.
On the day that it opened, inMay 1883, brooklyn's Daily Eagle
(06:16):
called it the greatest workwrought by the hand of man and
monumental to human ingenuity,mechanical genius and
engineering skill.
So at that time it was thelongest suspension bridge in the
world and it connectedManhattan Island to Brooklyn
(06:37):
over the East River.
It was over a mile long whenyou added in the approaches and
the bridge itself.
The Gothic arch stone towersthat support the bridge were the
tallest structures in theWestern Hemisphere at that point
in time, and it's no wonderthat New York Tribune asserted
that it was the greatest bridgethe world ever saw, coming in at
(07:01):
a cost of about $16 million,which in today's money that
would be about $425 million andit took them over 12 years to
build.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And I'm betting now, you couldn't build that bridge
for under a billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Oh, there's no way, I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well and again, on a side note, not to go too far
down a rabbit's hole, but wewent to Colorado to vacation two
years ago and I used to live inColorado a couple decades ago
and we went to the Royal Gorgeand they have a giant suspension
bridge across there and theyalso have, or had, an inclined
railway and they had a massivefire and the fire took out the
(07:39):
inclined railroad which wasright next to the bridge and
somehow they were able to savethe actual suspension bridge.
And when they built that, itwas basically a let's see if we
can build it.
And so they built it.
It doesn't go anywhere, but itwas just like a let's see if we
can do this type thing.
And they were talking about theinclined railroad and like are
you going to, are you going tobuild that again?
Cause that was really cool,Cause it starts at the top and
(08:01):
it goes all the way down to theriver and then it just like
comes back up.
You don't get off or walkaround or anything, but it's
really cool to see that depth,because from the top you look
down and it's such a greatdistance it's hard to just judge
, like how far you really are.
And one of the guys made a jokeabout yeah, we could build it
again, but now there's OSHA, sowe really aren't going to be
(08:24):
able to build it for anywherenear what we paid before.
And I imagine it'd be the samething with the Brooklyn Bridge,
like with current standards andsafety standards and inspections
.
It would be outrageous.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And it's weird to think like we're not becoming a
bridge podcast but how many ofthose structures have bodies in
them?
Structures have bodies in themBecause, especially during this
time period, like if you fellinto the concrete or to the
structure while it was beingbuilt, they couldn't just stop
and dig you out.
So there are many bridgesacross the US, especially built
before OSHA, and those standardsthat unfortunately do have
(08:57):
departed.
People that died in them andIrish immigrants at this time
were very common for working inthese type of conditions.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Yeah, so that means it's pretty crazy when you think
about just the magnitude ofthis.
Irish immigrants at this timewere very common for working in
these type of conditions.
Yeah, so that means it's prettycrazy when you think about just
the magnitude of this bridge.
And, of course, once it's doneit's huge.
It spans all that distance andit's kind of like a beacon for
crime, to the point that thebridge had its own police force.
And one of the sources I foundit said that in 1885 alone,
(09:29):
officers made 228 arrests foroffenses ranging from
drunkenness to assault to theftand swindling.
And speaking of swindlingranging from drunkenness to
assault to theft- and swindling.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
And speaking of swindling, here's this great guy
, and I wonder how miniaturethat was, because it connected
those two, so people were goingbetween the two, either drinking
or partying and things likethat, and that's just why it
just became this magnet forcrime.
But the Brooklyn Bridge scam iskind of one of the most
infamous crimes of this timebecause, though we're talking
(09:59):
about George Parker, otherpeople did this as well.
In this time period of sellingmonuments and things like that,
he's just kind of the one that'sdocumented as doing it first
and it's almost hard to believethat someone could pull off this
offense not just once, but hedid this multiple times.
Not just once, but he did thismultiple times.
So Parker would approachgullible tourists or recent
(10:29):
immigrants, convincing that heowned the bridge and was willing
to sell it because he wasleaving, he was moving or he
wanted to get out of thebusiness.
So to make his con moreconvincing, he would produce
fake documents and deeds, set upfake offices near the bridge
and use various aliases to avoiddetection.
So again, he's very smart andcunning and, of course, at this
time it's not hard to createforged documents.
It's not like now, where you canactually do quick background
checks of the Internet, like youhad to take things to a point
(10:52):
on face value, and especiallytourists and incoming immigrants
from other countries that mayhave been more trusting.
Like, oh, this is supposed tobe the land of opportunity,
here's a chance.
So the audacity of his crime ismind boggling.
So Parker reportedly sold theBrooklyn Bridge twice in a week
for several years, with someestimating some estimates
(11:15):
suggesting that he sold it over3000 times.
So this was a business to him.
It's kind of how I feel whenyou used to have those online
forms where you could like buypieces of like the moon or Mars
and stuff like that.
It's like, oh yeah, you totallyown a piece of this now.
So the price that he would sellthis for ranged from $75 to
(11:37):
sometimes $50,000.
So at the highest end theequivalent today would be about
$1.8 million.
He was swimming people out ofwith these purchases.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Which is really crazy when you think about it.
I mean, can you imagine theshock of those poor victims when
they find out?
You know, like I don't reallyown this.
I've spent $1.8 million andhere I'm putting this toll booth
on it.
I bought the bridge and thenall of a sudden the police show
up and they're like you can'tput a toll booth here, you don't
own this, like I mean,obviously Parker had to be super
(12:09):
persuasive and very good atpicking out gullible marks,
cause I again, somebody who hadwon the equivalent of $.8
million dollars in today's moneyyou wouldn't think would be
fooled and taken in that easily.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
No, but again, at the same time, I think it's that
land of opportunity, like thatdream big thing that that time
in America people were lookingfor.
And I I don't think I've seen apicture of this guy like I saw
some like possible pictures, butI just imagine him in kind of
like the boulder hat with thelittle swirled mustache, like
that you like swirling it, likeyeah, you want to buy this
(12:44):
bridge, see, it's veryworthwhile.
Like that Barnum and Baileylook, it's just kind of how I
see him.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So he didn't just sell that he had.
He had other projects on theside.
So besides the Brooklyn Bridge,he also sold other famous New
York landmarks, such as MadisonSquare Garden, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and even Grant'sTomb, where he posed as General
Grant's grandson.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
This is just like getting out of hand at this
point.
Like this guy he's killing mewith this because these are just
like you said.
I can't imagine somebodylooking at like the Madison
Square Garden and being like, ohyeah, some guy on the streets
just randomly going to sell thisto me.
But I know people are gullible,and I mean con artists still
exist today in different form.
(13:34):
Now it's on the internet.
It's not some mustache twirlingguy in a small office like, yeah
, buy this, see, but so don'tforget the statue of Liberty,
because Parker's creatively knewnew bounds.
So he even convinced people tobuy the statue of Liberty, which
is amazing to me, like sellingthe sweetest gift the French
(13:56):
ever gave us, besides beatingthe English in the revolution
and helping us with that.
So for each of these cons hewould create elaborate
backstories and forge documentsto convince his marks of the
legitimacy of the sale.
And again, it was so easy toforge documents back then,
especially with his educationlevel, to be convincing enough.
Especially if maybe you're animmigrant or a tourist that
(14:19):
doesn't speak English as anatural language.
It's so easy just to consomebody like that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Which is really fascinating how Parker's schemes
extended beyond just thoselandmark sales.
He also engaged in sellingshows and plays to which he had
no legal rights, cashingworthless checks and general
theft and larceny.
His criminal versatility wasreally remarkable when you think
about which you know weird wayto put it.
(14:48):
But all of the different thingshe could do, like he was that
mastermind criminal as far aslike scheming and fleecing
people one way and the other andstealing and everything else
Like Robin Hood, except notgiving anything away.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And he's not just like a scalper.
This dude was taking basicallylike rent and selling it to
people Like I am selling you thewhole play.
You are now the owner of LesMiserables.
Like it's just crazy how justthe balls on this guy to fucking
try and convince people to buythese things.
And they were buying, payingfor it.
(15:25):
And so, speaking of remarkable,let's talk about his legal
troubles, because he didn't justget away with this, he was
convicted of fraud at leastthree times before his final
arrest, and these are under thename of George Parker.
So this isn't those other cases, because, again, when we talk
about law enforcement at thistime which I teach on this a
little bit, okay, a lot therewas no central bureau, there was
(15:49):
no big databases of people, soit was very easy to go, even
from borough to borough and themnot know you or know your
criminal history I mean, this isbetween 30 and 50 years before
the FBI is even formed and hiscrimes aren't to the level that
those investigators were lurkingat.
So it's so easy to just be likeoh, they know me here, I'm
(16:12):
going to go two blocks over.
That police department's notgoing to know me going to go two
blocks over.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
That police department's not going to know
me.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So the typical drifter and grifter?
Yeah, because even we've donemultiple cases now in the 1930s
and this is way before thatwhere it was just you just
crossed into state lines andnobody knew who you were, the
warrants didn't go over, youcouldn't cross jurisdictions, so
it was just very easy even atthat time to get away.
So unfortunately we don't havea lot of specific details about
his early convictions, but we doknow they all occurred
(16:44):
somewhere before 1908.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So what I was able to find you know, and again, not a
lot of detail, but his firstconviction for grand larceny was
in around 1901.
I don't know what he did, Idon't know what he was actually
charged with.
I just was able to find thatthat was his conviction and that
earned him two and a half yearsin Sing Sing Soon.
(17:07):
After his release from thatcase he was convicted of forgery
and imprisoned for four moreyears and then there's this
infamous escape in 1908.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
So, okay, he's a con artist, and now he's smart
enough to get out of prison andjails, and which adds just a new
level.
It's almost like that slickWillie guy that we covered,
where he's just got all thesedifferent skills and he's using
them, for I guess he's like thesuper villain of New York at the
time.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
At least just financially, like, yeah, super
villain, like just you know ofNew York at the time, At least
just financially.
Yes, If he's going to be asupervillain, just you know.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
At least he's not hurting anybody that we know of.
I don't want to definitely saythis guy was squeaky clean on
that point, but as far as weknow he didn't commit any
violent crimes.
So 1908, there's this prisonescape.
This has got to be one of themost daring and audacious
escapes I've heard of, besidesthe carrying a ladder across the
(18:03):
prison yard and just climbingover the rails.
But so the scene kind of goeslike this it's New Year's Day,
1908 in New York.
It's the Raymond Street Jail inBrooklyn.
It's a place that is notoriousfor its inhumane conditions,
which I mean.
All correctional facilities atthis time were known for their
(18:23):
inhumane conditions.
A lot of them were even evenbuilt early 1800s and they'd
been there at this time for someof them 100 years.
I don't specifically know aboutthe Raymond Street Jail, but
anyway it was nicknamed theGothic Horror.
The newly appointed Brooklynsheriff his name was Michael J
(18:43):
Flaherty was making a holidayvisit to the prison.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So Parker, who at that point in time was a trustee
, which is a prisoner who'sgiven special privileges.
Oftentimes this is somethingthat somebody will earn and it
can be granted or denied basedon criminal history.
So I'm kind of surprised thathe was a trustee at that point
in time, because he already hadat least two felony convictions
before any of this happens.
(19:08):
But at some point he had triedto loosen a stone in his cell
and got caught, which, again,you think at that point he'd
lose his trustee status.
But luckily or maybe unluckilyfor him he saw an opportunity
when that sheriff came in and heremoved his fur coat and his
bowler hat while he was makingthe rounds and in a move that
(19:30):
could have come straight out ofa Hollywood movie, parker picks
up the clothes, puts them on andcalmly walks out of the jail.
And as he's going out of thejail he's bidding everyone happy
new year, happy new year.
And of course they'reresponding because, since this
guy's newly appointed, they haveno idea what he looks like.
So he has the hat, he's got thecoat.
They just oh, that's the newsheriff, see you later.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
So that was the yeah, it is, it really is it's
ingenious.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's the best part to me, it's.
You know, the prison employeesare completely unaware that the
man in the fur coat is not thenew sheriff.
They're greeting him withholiday cheers, he's walking out
and it's almost too good to betrue.
But unfortunately for him hewas recaptured and they added
six months to his sentence forthat escape, which, honestly,
six months is not that much toadd on for an escape.
(20:18):
Honestly, six months is notthat much to add on for an
escape.
I mean, I know like, at leastin Colorado, at one point in
time it was a standard to gettwo years as an attempted escape
and that wasn't anything aselaborate as this, like if you
just skipped out on your workrelease and didn't come back at
the end of your day you'd end upwith an extra two years tacked
on.
So I also was able to find asource that said he went back to
Sing Sing in 1911 for theft andpassing a worthless check, and
(20:43):
then he also had convictions forforgery in 1917 and then a
theft in 1923, which put himbehind bars again.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
And it kind of makes you wonder, like he started off
really trying to find the bestway but he was able to get away
with his crimes easily, like wesee the Brooklyn Bridge and all
these.
But as you're getting into the1900s and I think you're
starting to see more organizedlaw enforcement that he's he's
getting caught a lot morefrequently.
And I also wonder if the banksbecoming more tuned to like it
(21:16):
seems a lot of these are likecashing stolen checks, checks
and stuff like that if the banksare just becoming more aware of
what they're looking for.
So, and this scape added theescape, adding significantly to
parker's notoriety anddemonstrated his quick thinking
and audacity.
But as we know, all good thingsmust come to an end and for
parker the end came on december17th 1928, so at the age of 68,
(21:42):
parker was arrested at his lastknown address, uh, in quincy
street on quincy street inbrooklyn.
So the charge was grand larcenyand the second degree for
cashing a worthless check of 150dollars.
And it seems almostanti-climatic for a man who had
sold the Brooklyn Bridge likethousands of times that he gets
(22:03):
caught for just a $150 check.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Which one of the things I read said that he was
in the process of selling itagain when he got caught for
this $150 check so, and that Ican't remember how much it said
he was selling it for, but itwas a.
It was a big number.
I was like, huh, it's kind offunny that he didn't get busted
for the big thing he was doingbut for the little $150 check.
So the $150 check case was atrial that was prosecuted by
(22:29):
Assistant District AttorneyWilliam Kleeman and the judge
was Alonzo McLaughlin and hepresided over the case in Kings
County Court.
Mclaughlin and he presided overthe case in Kings County Court
and Parker's luck had finallyrun out.
So at that point in time he'ssentenced to a mandatory life
term at Sing Sing Prison underthe Browns Law, which was a new
(22:52):
habitual offender act that hadpassed in New York in 1926.
And under that law the fourthfelony would result in a life
sentence, which of course atthat point he had far exceeded
that qualification.
He had more than enough tocheck the box for that one.
So it's reported that he offeredno resistance during this final
(23:15):
arrest and just appeareddespondent and was a stark
contrast to his usuallyconfident demeanor.
So I don't know if maybe he wasjust kind of depressed because
he saw the end was on thehorizon, or maybe now that he
knew this law was out there andhe knew he was toast, if he got
convicted for this, you know,get caught one more time and
that's it, you're in for life,and he's like well, I guess I
(23:37):
got a couple of things out therethat you could be catching me
for, so I guess I'm not going toget caught for this.
I'm going to get caught forsomething else, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
And I mean there's a couple of things here that I
wonder.
But so it sounds to me likethis may have been kind of the
groundwork for what would laterbecome like the three strikes
law, because this sounds like afour strikes law 50, 60 years
before we even created the threestrikes law.
So New York almost seemed to beahead of things on that.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I mean, yeah, it seems like it.
I don't know if anybody elsehad them before that, but it
definitely looks like that.
I'm always I don't know ifinterested is the right word,
but it it.
It amazes me sometimes when Italk to people about habitual
offender laws how much peopleknow and how much people don't
(24:27):
know, and what differentpeople's opinions are on it.
Um, and some of these are notactually mandatory.
Some of them are suggestedranges where the judge has to
explain some type of like notnecessarily exigent circumstance
, but something special, likesome reason why this person
shouldn't be exposed to habitualtime.
(24:48):
But a lot of times it's just amultiplier for the potential
sentence.
So this whole like mandatorylife thing, I haven't seen that.
So this whole like mandatorylife thing, I haven't seen that.
I can't think of anywhere in mycareer where, as a habitual
offender, you just automaticallyget life.
Everyone I can think of it'sbased on the underlying crime.
(25:09):
Because I know one lady I wastalking to I think it was at a
car dealership, but she wassaying that she thought it was
ridiculous that you could getbusted for having a joint three
times and go to prison for lifeand it's like well, that's not
exactly true.
Because, first of all, ifthat's all you have, it's a
petty offense, so it's not evena felony.
And if you do commit a felony,if it's one of the lower class
(25:30):
felonies, that's punishable bylike a year.
You're looking at, you know,three years or something along
those lines.
It's not like you just go toprison for life just because you
have three.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And that's what I think is kind of sad about this
one these aren't violentoffenses.
I mean, yeah, you're scammingpeople and it's probably going
to destroy their life, but thesearen't violent offenses.
So to put him away, he's 68years old.
I mean he obviously hasn'tlearned, he's been doing it his
(26:02):
whole life.
And then the other question Ihave with poor George here is we
see the totals he was gettingfor these bridges.
Like what was he doing with allthis money in the 18, late 18,
early 1900s?
Like he had some of the timeshe was selling this bridge for
the equivalent of $1.8 millionin one transaction.
Like I really want there's somany questions that we just
can't answer because we don'tknow his history and there's not
a lot besides the little bitwe're covering.
(26:23):
Like we're getting more indepth than we really could find.
We had to piece a lot of thingstogether for this, but it's
just except I'm sure there's abook somewhere that we just
can't find because it's justobscure but how you spend that
much money at that time periodand then end up dying in prison,
like this, like is it, he wasgreedy or was he robin hood?
Like there's just so manyquestions I have for gambling.
(26:46):
That was the only thing I couldcome up with is if he gambled it
all away yeah, I mean, I guessthat would have been easy at
that time period becausegambling was illegal underground
and it was probably very easyto get taken.
And and who do you report it to?
It's not like now where there'sa gaming commission.
So I also think that one of thethings with him not being
caught a lot may I wonder againI don't know and I couldn't find
(27:09):
a, I couldn't find a lot when Idid this but if most of his
victims were tourists andimmigrants, if they were not
even willing to be like theyweren't willing to report it or
come to court because they wereworried about themselves being
arrested or prosecuted, or just,you know, you sell it to a
French couple that's here onvacation.
They can't afford to come backto be, so you don't even have a
(27:31):
victim in the end.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
One of the cases I read it talked about.
He was at the police departmentand the victim showed up and
couldn't identify him.
And before the guy left hehanded him a business card and
said hey, I'd love to dobusiness with you.
I left with his business card.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
And so even that, like you think how intimate that
connection, that contact had tobe originally.
And we're now talking about thehow eyewitness testimony is
unreliable.
And here's a perfect example ofthis guy was ripped off by this
dude, could not identify himand got set up to get ripped off
again by the same guy.
Because you just eyewitnesstestimony and eyewitness
(28:10):
experiences aren't reallyreliable.
Your brain doesn't work thatway and with this it's almost
sad to think of like this in away, great con artist, um, the
man who could sell againanything to spend his final
years behind bars, um,especially in sensing, like even
(28:31):
back then it was known as thiskind of horrific place.
So he would spend eight yearsin there, from 1928 until his
death in 1936 at the age of 76.
So but even in prison Parker'scharisma just shone through.
He was reportedly popular amongguards and fellow inmates who
enjoyed hearing stories of hisexploits, and I can only imagine
(28:53):
the tales he must have toldlike to pass the times.
You know, there weren't these,there weren't TVs, there weren't
things like that.
It was telling these storiesand that's so.
I mean, he had this charismaand he was very.
He had to be able to manipulatepeople and convince people to
give them their money to be ableto sell their things like this.
(29:15):
So those stories probablyhelped pass the time and in a
way it gave him some security,because even sing sing back then
it was a violent prison.
So to have that charisma and belikable probably kept him safe
as well that's what I was kindof thinking when I looked at it.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I thought, oh, this is his retirement, with three
hots and a cot and he's kind oflike grandpa of the prison and
all the youngins are comingaround to hear him tell his
tales and try to learn somethingfrom him.
And you know, again, like hewas the entertainment, like
that's how I obviously I don'tknow that that's how it would be
, but that's how I envision it.
You know he's just like hangingout and doing his thing and you
know there's fights going on inthe yard over there but he's
(29:51):
sitting on top of the picnictable telling a story.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Old Grandpa Parker talking about his exploits of
selling the bridge again.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So his legacy extends far beyond just those criminal
activities.
He's remembered as one of themost successful con men in
United States history and one ofthe most talented hoaxsters of
all time.
His schemes have become a partof American folklore and are
often cited as examples ofaudacious fraud and the
potential gullibility of peoplein the face of convincing
(30:23):
deception.
The phrase if you believe thatI have a bridge to sell you has
become a lasting part of theEnglish language and serves as a
reminder of Parker's infamousschemes.
It's fascinating how acriminal's actions can have such
a lasting impact on our cultureand our language.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
That's kind of like the if you believe that I have a
bridge in Arizona or oceanfrontproperties, sell you in Arizona
or something Like.
It's weird how he and I thinkthere's even a song about that,
but why they don't?
There don't seem to be anymajor like TV shows or movies to
talk about George C Parker'slife.
His exploits have inspiredvarious cultural references.
He's mentioned in the book, ina book about con artists, and
(31:04):
there's even a song about himcalled the man who Sold New York
, by Finley Napier, who I'venever heard of.
But Parker's story continues tocaptivate us.
I mean it did me.
The minute I saw it I was likewe have to talk about this guy.
And Surs is a prime exampleagain of just how especially con
artists can be so destructive.
(31:27):
Because I mean you think aboutthe life savings and things that
he swindled out of people andagain, like you said, the
audacity to repeatedly convincepeople that they could buy these
major landmarks that were partof american history and just the
also the audacity to sell themin the first place.
Like it takes a lot to um havethe gumption to do that.
So it offers a fascinatingglimpse into the world of con
(31:49):
artistry in early 20th centuryAmerica and the evolution of law
enforcement's responses to suchcrime.
Because again, in the beginninghe's getting away with this,
but in the later years of hislife, either through being
lazadazical or just an increasein law enforcement,
communication and stuff, nowhe's getting caught quite often
and ends up dying in prison.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
As we wrap up this episode, I can't help but wonder
in today's digital age, could acon artist like George C Parker
still exist?
Or have we become too savvy forsuch an audacious scheme?
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Oh, I definitely think that people are still this
stupid and gullible.
I mean yeah, that's kind of aharsh way to put it, but I mean
you know, there's like a lot ofpeople that have been taken with
the Nigerian prince that'sgoing to give you money Just
send me your bank accounts orthe IRS scams hey, I'm from the
IRS, Give me your credit cardbecause you owe money.
Like I've never been in aposition where I've looked at my
(32:46):
taxes and been like, oh, it'spossible, I do owe $10,000.
Like I've never had that moment.
But people fall for it on theinternet all the time.
I've had people I know thateven now it's even easier with
stuff like Venmo Like, oh, I'llsell you these tickets, Just
Venmo me the money and then I'llsend you the tickets.
It's just so easy to scampeople.
So not only do I think it'sgotten easier, but I think
(33:09):
people have gotten more trustingand are easier to con now than
they may even been at that timeperiod.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
When I was even thinking about other things too,
like Bitcoin and the whole likeinvestor things.
You give me $10,000 and I caninvest it in these things and
I'll make you 70,000 and allthose little like programs for
lack of a better word thatpeople have out there.
And I have a Facebook friend.
I'm pretty sure her account'sbeen stolen and she constantly
sends me messages about how youknow I can turn your $10,000
(33:39):
into $100,000.
But then I'm like hey, how arethe kids?
You know, let's meet for lunchand talk.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Then all of a sudden it's like well, I just want to
talk about you giving me money,because you're not really who
you say you are and and it's got.
I think we've seen it now withai, where people can fake
people's voices and they'll calland oh, I've got your child,
they've been in an accident.
We need you to send money andthey can take your voice and
(34:06):
manipulate it so it sounds likeyou.
Even so, I think and that's awhole other episode we're not
going to become the AIConspiracy Podcast yet, but it's
definitely something we have toworry about and we have to be
protective of people, and now isnot a time to get lousy I love
that word tonight About that butit's something that we should
(34:28):
be aware of.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
So absolutely with George C Parker.
You know all of the people likehim in the world.
They may have moved online, butthey're still out there, and
that's why stories like this areso important, because they
remind us to stay vigilant andskeptical, and if something
seems too good to be true, itprobably is.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, that's.
I think that's an importantnote to take away from.
This is and it's not easy toget back, like, once you've been
scammed, it's so hard that it'sbetter to take a couple minutes
, do your research and thinktwice before you just give
people things and if it soundstoo good to be true, it is.
It's just the nature of,unfortunately, society.
(35:12):
Like, if somebody says I'mgoing to give you a million
dollars, that's probably notgoing to happen.
But I think people becomedesperate and they want that
piece that they think that theydeserve or that they're not
entitled to.
But that's the dream, right?
It's just going to happen andone day we're going to all be
millionaires and these conartists take advantage of that.
(35:35):
So I think it really is a goodlesson.
And he was for what we can say.
He was a genius, like.
He got away with this for along time.
I think the sad reality is, asI've believed with my background
and I would assume from yoursas well like, but he was a
criminal and he ended up dyingin prison, which is why crime
(35:55):
doesn't pay.
And again, this guy made a lotof money and it didn't pay.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
So think about that makes me sad because I think of
all the things he could havedone with his life and his
intelligence that could havefurthered humanity, and instead
he used it for this.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, and it didn't pay off like and all the hard
work Like, but again, that timeperiod Irish immigrant family.
You know he may have had veryfew options to do so on that
really sad, depressing note, Iwant to thank you for listening
to this episode and from Heatherand I have a good weekend.
I want to thank you all so tothis episode and from Heather
(36:32):
and I have a good weekend.
Listen to us on, subscribe toour podcast and download
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(36:54):
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I don't care if you even screamat strangers on the streets to
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Scream at strangers on thestreets to help us kind of get
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If you're interested in learningmore, you could visit our
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(37:18):
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(37:38):
So again, thank you for takingthe time to listen and have a
good week.
Thank you.
Okay, so welcome to Deviant Criminology, the podcast
where we come up with alldifferent types of topics in
criminal justice and criminologyto kind of welcome people to a
world outside of just true crime.
So I'm Richard, I'm Heather,and today we're going to hit you
with an interesting case.
But first, like I want to say,I got to sit outside today.
(01:04):
It was the first time that itwas nice and not 13 degrees in
Indiana, so it was kind of niceto get out today.
Were you able to get out at alltoday, heather?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And yes, yes, I went out and there was this giant
flaming ball in the sky and Ididn't know what to do.
I thought maybe we needed torun for shelter, but apparently
that thing's called the sun.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It was interesting because I was sitting outside.
I had a sweater on and, likefour minutes after the dogs are
out there laying, I'm meltinglike sweating and I was like
this is what it feels like, toknow how my body's supposed to
naturally react outside.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
That was me too.
I went outside and I had at-shirt and pants and I was like
I guess I should have woreshorts today, which is funny
because, like two weeks ago, itdidn't even get above freezing
for the high.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It was weird because we had we've had all that snow
like weeks ago, but untilyesterday it was still in my
yard for like two and a halfweeks.
I was like, is this ever goingto dissipate?
And there were still mounds ofit like on campus and everything
.
So it's kind of freaking me outa little bit.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That was today for us too, when we were going out for
the bus.
One of my kids looked at it andsaid it's been three weeks and
a day and there's still snow.
And I said well, it's supposedto be 65 today, so I doubt
that's going to be there tonightand it's finally all gone.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, and I have to go back to campus tomorrow and
it's supposed to be like 40degrees again tomorrow.
I'm like this is freaking meout, it's killing me.
But you know, at least we'reheading towards warmer times, so
walking around campus and stuffwon't suck nearly as bad as it
has for like the last threemonths, because it's actually
been a cold winter, which wehaven't had one of those in a
(02:38):
long time.
So today we're going to talkabout this really interesting
case.
I was looking for stuff thatwas outside of kind of like
murder and some of the stuffthat we had kind of moved
towards recently To this guynamed George C Parker, who
literally is this amazing figurein the con artist world and
(03:00):
kind of the guy that created theterm con artist.
So he's really known for beingable to sell the Brooklyn Bridge
.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So George C Parker, which interestingly enough I
read a couple different places.
He had so many aliases that oneof the sources said they're not
even really sure that that washis actual name.
They think his name wassomething else.
But he wasn't just a con artist, he was the actual con artist
who inspired the phrase if youbelieve that I have a bridge to
(03:32):
sell you which most of us haveheard that phrase, but I'm
guessing not everybody knowsthat.
This is where it came from.
And Mr Parker was born on March16th, 1860.
So that was the year before theoutbreak of the Civil War and
he was in New York.
Born to Irish immigrant parents, his life was destined for
(03:53):
infamy from the start.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Actually it's kind of funny.
So there's a band that I'vebeen listening to and they're
coming to Kentucky in Octoberand they're an Irish-based band
and it's kind of inspired mebecause my family were Irish
immigrants to start learningGaelic.
So I've started kind of takingsome classes and there's a class
that starts in a couple monthsin Ireland that you can take
online and, of course, being aprofessor, I kind of enjoy
(04:20):
learning.
But I really kind of amenjoying the language.
But it's interesting when youstart learning a new language,
like I started this program andthey start off with like basic
phrases and they're like we'regoing to teach you how to say
tea and I'm like awesome, thisis great.
And they're like the phrase istay and I'm like so you say tea
in Gaelic as tay, it's just tea,that's the same word.
(04:40):
And coffee was caffy and I'mlike you're just making fun of
the accent.
Now, that's all it is.
So that was way off topic, butit was just kind of interesting
that this is a wonderful Irishimmigrant family.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, no, that's awesome.
I'm Irish too, so I always lovethat stuff.
But he had those humblebeginnings and he was one of
eight children of an immigrantfamily and he was able to
graduate from high school andthat was quite an achievement
for somebody of his social classat that point in time and it
(05:14):
hints to the intelligence andcunning that would later define
his criminal career, and hiseducation would serve him well
in his future endeavors.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I mean probably not the way the public education
system means for it to, but eventoday, sometimes high school,
especially that advancededucation can really be a great
breeding ground for huntingcriminals.
So his criminal career spannedseveral decades and again, like
Heather said, we're not evenreally sure if this is his real
name, but this is what isattributed to him and what he
(05:42):
used the most.
But it started around the late19th century and went into the
early 20th century.
But we're going to start withhis most infamous scheme, which
was the selling of the BrooklynBridge.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So before we actually get into that, I just wanted to
touch on the Brooklyn Bridgeitself, because not everybody
knows what it is, especially ifyou're not from the New York
area.
At the time that it was made,some people were calling it the
eighth wonder of the world.
On the day that it opened, inMay 1883, brooklyn's Daily Eagle
(06:16):
called it the greatest workwrought by the hand of man and
monumental to human ingenuity,mechanical genius and
engineering skill.
So at that time it was thelongest suspension bridge in the
world and it connectedManhattan Island to Brooklyn
(06:37):
over the East River.
It was over a mile long whenyou added in the approaches and
the bridge itself.
The Gothic arch stone towersthat support the bridge were the
tallest structures in theWestern Hemisphere at that point
in time, and it's no wonderthat New York Tribune asserted
that it was the greatest bridgethe world ever saw, coming in at
(07:01):
a cost of about $16 million,which in today's money that
would be about $425 million andit took them over 12 years to
build.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And I'm betting now, you couldn't build that bridge
for under a billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Oh, there's no way, I don't.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well and again, on a side note, not to go too far
down a rabbit's hole, but wewent to Colorado to vacation two
years ago and I used to live inColorado a couple decades ago
and we went to the Royal Gorgeand they have a giant suspension
bridge across there and theyalso have, or had, an inclined
railway and they had a massivefire and the fire took out the
(07:39):
inclined railroad which wasright next to the bridge and
somehow they were able to savethe actual suspension bridge.
And when they built that, itwas basically a let's see if we
can build it.
And so they built it.
It doesn't go anywhere, but itwas just like a let's see if we
can do this type thing.
And they were talking about theinclined railroad and like are
you going to, are you going tobuild that again?
Cause that was really cool,Cause it starts at the top and
(08:01):
it goes all the way down to theriver and then it just like
comes back up.
You don't get off or walkaround or anything, but it's
really cool to see that depth,because from the top you look
down and it's such a greatdistance it's hard to just judge
, like how far you really are.
And one of the guys made a jokeabout yeah, we could build it
again, but now there's OSHA, sowe really aren't going to be
(08:24):
able to build it for anywherenear what we paid before.
And I imagine it'd be the samething with the Brooklyn Bridge,
like with current standards andsafety standards and inspections
.
It would be outrageous.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And it's weird to think like we're not becoming a
bridge podcast but how many ofthose structures have bodies in
them?
Structures have bodies in themBecause, especially during this
time period, like if you fellinto the concrete or to the
structure while it was beingbuilt, they couldn't just stop
and dig you out.
So there are many bridgesacross the US, especially built
before OSHA, and those standardsthat unfortunately do have
(08:57):
departed.
People that died in them andIrish immigrants at this time
were very common for working inthese type of conditions.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Yeah, so that means it's pretty crazy when you think
about just the magnitude ofthis.
Irish immigrants at this timewere very common for working in
these type of conditions.
Yeah, so that means it's prettycrazy when you think about just
the magnitude of this bridge.
And, of course, once it's doneit's huge.
It spans all that distance andit's kind of like a beacon for
crime, to the point that thebridge had its own police force.
And one of the sources I foundit said that in 1885 alone,
(09:29):
officers made 228 arrests foroffenses ranging from
drunkenness to assault to theftand swindling.
And speaking of swindlingranging from drunkenness to
assault to theft- and swindling.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
And speaking of swindling, here's this great guy
, and I wonder how miniaturethat was, because it connected
those two, so people were goingbetween the two, either drinking
or partying and things likethat, and that's just why it
just became this magnet forcrime.
But the Brooklyn Bridge scam iskind of one of the most
infamous crimes of this timebecause, though we're talking
(09:59):
about George Parker, otherpeople did this as well.
In this time period of sellingmonuments and things like that,
he's just kind of the one that'sdocumented as doing it first
and it's almost hard to believethat someone could pull off this
offense not just once, but hedid this multiple times.
Not just once, but he did thismultiple times.
So Parker would approachgullible tourists or recent
(10:29):
immigrants, convincing that heowned the bridge and was willing
to sell it because he wasleaving, he was moving or he
wanted to get out of thebusiness.
So to make his con moreconvincing, he would produce
fake documents and deeds, set upfake offices near the bridge
and use various aliases to avoiddetection.
So again, he's very smart andcunning and, of course, at this
time it's not hard to createforged documents.
It's not like now, where you canactually do quick background
checks of the Internet, like youhad to take things to a point
(10:52):
on face value, and especiallytourists and incoming immigrants
from other countries that mayhave been more trusting.
Like, oh, this is supposed tobe the land of opportunity,
here's a chance.
So the audacity of his crime ismind boggling.
So Parker reportedly sold theBrooklyn Bridge twice in a week
for several years, with someestimating some estimates
(11:15):
suggesting that he sold it over3000 times.
So this was a business to him.
It's kind of how I feel whenyou used to have those online
forms where you could like buypieces of like the moon or Mars
and stuff like that.
It's like, oh yeah, you totallyown a piece of this now.
So the price that he would sellthis for ranged from $75 to
(11:37):
sometimes $50,000.
So at the highest end theequivalent today would be about
$1.8 million.
He was swimming people out ofwith these purchases.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Which is really crazy when you think about it.
I mean, can you imagine theshock of those poor victims when
they find out?
You know, like I don't reallyown this.
I've spent $1.8 million andhere I'm putting this toll booth
on it.
I bought the bridge and thenall of a sudden the police show
up and they're like you can'tput a toll booth here, you don't
own this, like I mean,obviously Parker had to be super
(12:09):
persuasive and very good atpicking out gullible marks,
cause I again, somebody who hadwon the equivalent of $.8
million dollars in today's moneyyou wouldn't think would be
fooled and taken in that easily.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
No, but again, at the same time, I think it's that
land of opportunity, like thatdream big thing that that time
in America people were lookingfor.
And I I don't think I've seen apicture of this guy like I saw
some like possible pictures, butI just imagine him in kind of
like the boulder hat with thelittle swirled mustache, like
that you like swirling it, likeyeah, you want to buy this
(12:44):
bridge, see, it's veryworthwhile.
Like that Barnum and Baileylook, it's just kind of how I
see him.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So he didn't just sell that he had.
He had other projects on theside.
So besides the Brooklyn Bridge,he also sold other famous New
York landmarks, such as MadisonSquare Garden, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and even Grant'sTomb, where he posed as General
Grant's grandson.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
This is just like getting out of hand at this
point.
Like this guy he's killing mewith this because these are just
like you said.
I can't imagine somebodylooking at like the Madison
Square Garden and being like, ohyeah, some guy on the streets
just randomly going to sell thisto me.
But I know people are gullible,and I mean con artists still
exist today in different form.
(13:34):
Now it's on the internet.
It's not some mustache twirlingguy in a small office like, yeah
, buy this, see, but so don'tforget the statue of Liberty,
because Parker's creatively knewnew bounds.
So he even convinced people tobuy the statue of Liberty, which
is amazing to me, like sellingthe sweetest gift the French
(13:56):
ever gave us, besides beatingthe English in the revolution
and helping us with that.
So for each of these cons hewould create elaborate
backstories and forge documentsto convince his marks of the
legitimacy of the sale.
And again, it was so easy toforge documents back then,
especially with his educationlevel, to be convincing enough.
Especially if maybe you're animmigrant or a tourist that
(14:19):
doesn't speak English as anatural language.
It's so easy just to consomebody like that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Which is really fascinating how Parker's schemes
extended beyond just thoselandmark sales.
He also engaged in sellingshows and plays to which he had
no legal rights, cashingworthless checks and general
theft and larceny.
His criminal versatility wasreally remarkable when you think
about which you know weird wayto put it.
(14:48):
But all of the different thingshe could do, like he was that
mastermind criminal as far aslike scheming and fleecing
people one way and the other andstealing and everything else
Like Robin Hood, except notgiving anything away.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And he's not just like a scalper.
This dude was taking basicallylike rent and selling it to
people Like I am selling you thewhole play.
You are now the owner of LesMiserables.
Like it's just crazy how justthe balls on this guy to fucking
try and convince people to buythese things.
And they were buying, payingfor it.
(15:25):
And so, speaking of remarkable,let's talk about his legal
troubles, because he didn't justget away with this, he was
convicted of fraud at leastthree times before his final
arrest, and these are under thename of George Parker.
So this isn't those other cases, because, again, when we talk
about law enforcement at thistime which I teach on this a
little bit, okay, a lot therewas no central bureau, there was
(15:49):
no big databases of people, soit was very easy to go, even
from borough to borough and themnot know you or know your
criminal history I mean, this isbetween 30 and 50 years before
the FBI is even formed and hiscrimes aren't to the level that
those investigators were lurkingat.
So it's so easy to just be likeoh, they know me here, I'm
(16:12):
going to go two blocks over.
That police department's notgoing to know me going to go two
blocks over.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
That police department's not going to know
me.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So the typical drifter and grifter?
Yeah, because even we've donemultiple cases now in the 1930s
and this is way before thatwhere it was just you just
crossed into state lines andnobody knew who you were, the
warrants didn't go over, youcouldn't cross jurisdictions, so
it was just very easy even atthat time to get away.
So unfortunately we don't havea lot of specific details about
his early convictions, but we doknow they all occurred
(16:44):
somewhere before 1908.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So what I was able to find you know, and again, not a
lot of detail, but his firstconviction for grand larceny was
in around 1901.
I don't know what he did, Idon't know what he was actually
charged with.
I just was able to find thatthat was his conviction and that
earned him two and a half yearsin Sing Sing Soon.
(17:07):
After his release from thatcase he was convicted of forgery
and imprisoned for four moreyears and then there's this
infamous escape in 1908.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
So, okay, he's a con artist, and now he's smart
enough to get out of prison andjails, and which adds just a new
level.
It's almost like that slickWillie guy that we covered,
where he's just got all thesedifferent skills and he's using
them, for I guess he's like thesuper villain of New York at the
time.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
At least just financially, like, yeah, super
villain, like just you know ofNew York at the time, At least
just financially.
Yes, If he's going to be asupervillain, just you know.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
At least he's not hurting anybody that we know of.
I don't want to definitely saythis guy was squeaky clean on
that point, but as far as weknow he didn't commit any
violent crimes.
So 1908, there's this prisonescape.
This has got to be one of themost daring and audacious
escapes I've heard of, besidesthe carrying a ladder across the
(18:03):
prison yard and just climbingover the rails.
But so the scene kind of goeslike this it's New Year's Day,
1908 in New York.
It's the Raymond Street Jail inBrooklyn.
It's a place that is notoriousfor its inhumane conditions,
which I mean.
All correctional facilities atthis time were known for their
(18:23):
inhumane conditions.
A lot of them were even evenbuilt early 1800s and they'd
been there at this time for someof them 100 years.
I don't specifically know aboutthe Raymond Street Jail, but
anyway it was nicknamed theGothic Horror.
The newly appointed Brooklynsheriff his name was Michael J
(18:43):
Flaherty was making a holidayvisit to the prison.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So Parker, who at that point in time was a trustee
, which is a prisoner who'sgiven special privileges.
Oftentimes this is somethingthat somebody will earn and it
can be granted or denied basedon criminal history.
So I'm kind of surprised thathe was a trustee at that point
in time, because he already hadat least two felony convictions
before any of this happens.
(19:08):
But at some point he had triedto loosen a stone in his cell
and got caught, which, again,you think at that point he'd
lose his trustee status.
But luckily or maybe unluckilyfor him he saw an opportunity
when that sheriff came in and heremoved his fur coat and his
bowler hat while he was makingthe rounds and in a move that
(19:30):
could have come straight out ofa Hollywood movie, parker picks
up the clothes, puts them on andcalmly walks out of the jail.
And as he's going out of thejail he's bidding everyone happy
new year, happy new year.
And of course they'reresponding because, since this
guy's newly appointed, they haveno idea what he looks like.
So he has the hat, he's got thecoat.
They just oh, that's the newsheriff, see you later.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
So that was the yeah, it is, it really is it's
ingenious.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's the best part to me, it's.
You know, the prison employeesare completely unaware that the
man in the fur coat is not thenew sheriff.
They're greeting him withholiday cheers, he's walking out
and it's almost too good to betrue.
But unfortunately for him hewas recaptured and they added
six months to his sentence forthat escape, which, honestly,
six months is not that much toadd on for an escape.
(20:18):
Honestly, six months is notthat much to add on for an
escape.
I mean, I know like, at leastin Colorado, at one point in
time it was a standard to gettwo years as an attempted escape
and that wasn't anything aselaborate as this, like if you
just skipped out on your workrelease and didn't come back at
the end of your day you'd end upwith an extra two years tacked
on.
So I also was able to find asource that said he went back to
Sing Sing in 1911 for theft andpassing a worthless check, and
(20:43):
then he also had convictions forforgery in 1917 and then a
theft in 1923, which put himbehind bars again.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
And it kind of makes you wonder, like he started off
really trying to find the bestway but he was able to get away
with his crimes easily, like wesee the Brooklyn Bridge and all
these.
But as you're getting into the1900s and I think you're
starting to see more organizedlaw enforcement that he's he's
getting caught a lot morefrequently.
And I also wonder if the banksbecoming more tuned to like it
(21:16):
seems a lot of these are likecashing stolen checks, checks
and stuff like that if the banksare just becoming more aware of
what they're looking for.
So, and this scape added theescape, adding significantly to
parker's notoriety anddemonstrated his quick thinking
and audacity.
But as we know, all good thingsmust come to an end and for
parker the end came on december17th 1928, so at the age of 68,
(21:42):
parker was arrested at his lastknown address, uh, in quincy
street on quincy street inbrooklyn.
So the charge was grand larcenyand the second degree for
cashing a worthless check of 150dollars.
And it seems almostanti-climatic for a man who had
sold the Brooklyn Bridge likethousands of times that he gets
(22:03):
caught for just a $150 check.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Which one of the things I read said that he was
in the process of selling itagain when he got caught for
this $150 check so, and that Ican't remember how much it said
he was selling it for, but itwas a.
It was a big number.
I was like, huh, it's kind offunny that he didn't get busted
for the big thing he was doingbut for the little $150 check.
So the $150 check case was atrial that was prosecuted by
(22:29):
Assistant District AttorneyWilliam Kleeman and the judge
was Alonzo McLaughlin and hepresided over the case in Kings
County Court.
Mclaughlin and he presided overthe case in Kings County Court
and Parker's luck had finallyrun out.
So at that point in time he'ssentenced to a mandatory life
term at Sing Sing Prison underthe Browns Law, which was a new
(22:52):
habitual offender act that hadpassed in New York in 1926.
And under that law the fourthfelony would result in a life
sentence, which of course atthat point he had far exceeded
that qualification.
He had more than enough tocheck the box for that one.
So it's reported that he offeredno resistance during this final
(23:15):
arrest and just appeareddespondent and was a stark
contrast to his usuallyconfident demeanor.
So I don't know if maybe he wasjust kind of depressed because
he saw the end was on thehorizon, or maybe now that he
knew this law was out there andhe knew he was toast, if he got
convicted for this, you know,get caught one more time and
that's it, you're in for life,and he's like well, I guess I
(23:37):
got a couple of things out therethat you could be catching me
for, so I guess I'm not going toget caught for this.
I'm going to get caught forsomething else, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
And I mean there's a couple of things here that I
wonder.
But so it sounds to me likethis may have been kind of the
groundwork for what would laterbecome like the three strikes
law, because this sounds like afour strikes law 50, 60 years
before we even created the threestrikes law.
So New York almost seemed to beahead of things on that.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I mean, yeah, it seems like it.
I don't know if anybody elsehad them before that, but it
definitely looks like that.
I'm always I don't know ifinterested is the right word,
but it it.
It amazes me sometimes when Italk to people about habitual
offender laws how much peopleknow and how much people don't
(24:27):
know, and what differentpeople's opinions are on it.
Um, and some of these are notactually mandatory.
Some of them are suggestedranges where the judge has to
explain some type of like notnecessarily exigent circumstance
, but something special, likesome reason why this person
shouldn't be exposed to habitualtime.
(24:48):
But a lot of times it's just amultiplier for the potential
sentence.
So this whole like mandatorylife thing, I haven't seen that.
So this whole like mandatorylife thing, I haven't seen that.
I can't think of anywhere in mycareer where, as a habitual
offender, you just automaticallyget life.
Everyone I can think of it'sbased on the underlying crime.
(25:09):
Because I know one lady I wastalking to I think it was at a
car dealership, but she wassaying that she thought it was
ridiculous that you could getbusted for having a joint three
times and go to prison for lifeand it's like well, that's not
exactly true.
Because, first of all, ifthat's all you have, it's a
petty offense, so it's not evena felony.
And if you do commit a felony,if it's one of the lower class
(25:30):
felonies, that's punishable bylike a year.
You're looking at, you know,three years or something along
those lines.
It's not like you just go toprison for life just because you
have three.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And that's what I think is kind of sad about this
one these aren't violentoffenses.
I mean, yeah, you're scammingpeople and it's probably going
to destroy their life, but thesearen't violent offenses.
So to put him away, he's 68years old.
I mean he obviously hasn'tlearned, he's been doing it his
(26:02):
whole life.
And then the other question Ihave with poor George here is we
see the totals he was gettingfor these bridges.
Like what was he doing with allthis money in the 18, late 18,
early 1900s?
Like he had some of the timeshe was selling this bridge for
the equivalent of $1.8 millionin one transaction.
Like I really want there's somany questions that we just
can't answer because we don'tknow his history and there's not
a lot besides the little bitwe're covering.
(26:23):
Like we're getting more indepth than we really could find.
We had to piece a lot of thingstogether for this, but it's
just except I'm sure there's abook somewhere that we just
can't find because it's justobscure but how you spend that
much money at that time periodand then end up dying in prison,
like this, like is it, he wasgreedy or was he robin hood?
Like there's just so manyquestions I have for gambling.
(26:46):
That was the only thing I couldcome up with is if he gambled it
all away yeah, I mean, I guessthat would have been easy at
that time period becausegambling was illegal underground
and it was probably very easyto get taken.
And and who do you report it to?
It's not like now where there'sa gaming commission.
So I also think that one of thethings with him not being
caught a lot may I wonder againI don't know and I couldn't find
(27:09):
a, I couldn't find a lot when Idid this but if most of his
victims were tourists andimmigrants, if they were not
even willing to be like theyweren't willing to report it or
come to court because they wereworried about themselves being
arrested or prosecuted, or just,you know, you sell it to a
French couple that's here onvacation.
They can't afford to come backto be, so you don't even have a
(27:31):
victim in the end.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
One of the cases I read it talked about.
He was at the police departmentand the victim showed up and
couldn't identify him.
And before the guy left hehanded him a business card and
said hey, I'd love to dobusiness with you.
I left with his business card.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
And so even that, like you think how intimate that
connection, that contact had tobe originally.
And we're now talking about thehow eyewitness testimony is
unreliable.
And here's a perfect example ofthis guy was ripped off by this
dude, could not identify himand got set up to get ripped off
again by the same guy.
Because you just eyewitnesstestimony and eyewitness
(28:10):
experiences aren't reallyreliable.
Your brain doesn't work thatway and with this it's almost
sad to think of like this in away, great con artist, um, the
man who could sell againanything to spend his final
years behind bars, um,especially in sensing, like even
(28:31):
back then it was known as thiskind of horrific place.
So he would spend eight yearsin there, from 1928 until his
death in 1936 at the age of 76.
So but even in prison Parker'scharisma just shone through.
He was reportedly popular amongguards and fellow inmates who
enjoyed hearing stories of hisexploits, and I can only imagine
(28:53):
the tales he must have toldlike to pass the times.
You know, there weren't these,there weren't TVs, there weren't
things like that.
It was telling these storiesand that's so.
I mean, he had this charismaand he was very.
He had to be able to manipulatepeople and convince people to
give them their money to be ableto sell their things like this.
(29:15):
So those stories probablyhelped pass the time and in a
way it gave him some security,because even sing sing back then
it was a violent prison.
So to have that charisma and belikable probably kept him safe
as well that's what I was kindof thinking when I looked at it.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I thought, oh, this is his retirement, with three
hots and a cot and he's kind oflike grandpa of the prison and
all the youngins are comingaround to hear him tell his
tales and try to learn somethingfrom him.
And you know, again, like hewas the entertainment, like
that's how I obviously I don'tknow that that's how it would be
, but that's how I envision it.
You know he's just like hangingout and doing his thing and you
know there's fights going on inthe yard over there but he's
(29:51):
sitting on top of the picnictable telling a story.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Old Grandpa Parker talking about his exploits of
selling the bridge again.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
So his legacy extends far beyond just those criminal
activities.
He's remembered as one of themost successful con men in
United States history and one ofthe most talented hoaxsters of
all time.
His schemes have become a partof American folklore and are
often cited as examples ofaudacious fraud and the
potential gullibility of peoplein the face of convincing
(30:23):
deception.
The phrase if you believe thatI have a bridge to sell you has
become a lasting part of theEnglish language and serves as a
reminder of Parker's infamousschemes.
It's fascinating how acriminal's actions can have such
a lasting impact on our cultureand our language.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
That's kind of like the if you believe that I have a
bridge in Arizona or oceanfrontproperties, sell you in Arizona
or something Like.
It's weird how he and I thinkthere's even a song about that,
but why they don't?
There don't seem to be anymajor like TV shows or movies to
talk about George C Parker'slife.
His exploits have inspiredvarious cultural references.
He's mentioned in the book, ina book about con artists, and
(31:04):
there's even a song about himcalled the man who Sold New York
, by Finley Napier, who I'venever heard of.
But Parker's story continues tocaptivate us.
I mean it did me.
The minute I saw it I was likewe have to talk about this guy.
And Surs is a prime exampleagain of just how especially con
artists can be so destructive.
(31:27):
Because I mean you think aboutthe life savings and things that
he swindled out of people andagain, like you said, the
audacity to repeatedly convincepeople that they could buy these
major landmarks that were partof american history and just the
also the audacity to sell themin the first place.
Like it takes a lot to um havethe gumption to do that.
So it offers a fascinatingglimpse into the world of con
(31:49):
artistry in early 20th centuryAmerica and the evolution of law
enforcement's responses to suchcrime.
Because again, in the beginninghe's getting away with this,
but in the later years of hislife, either through being
lazadazical or just an increasein law enforcement,
communication and stuff, nowhe's getting caught quite often
and ends up dying in prison.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
As we wrap up this episode, I can't help but wonder
in today's digital age, could acon artist like George C Parker
still exist?
Or have we become too savvy forsuch an audacious scheme?
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Oh, I definitely think that people are still this
stupid and gullible.
I mean yeah, that's kind of aharsh way to put it, but I mean
you know, there's like a lot ofpeople that have been taken with
the Nigerian prince that'sgoing to give you money Just
send me your bank accounts orthe IRS scams hey, I'm from the
IRS, Give me your credit cardbecause you owe money.
Like I've never been in aposition where I've looked at my
(32:46):
taxes and been like, oh, it'spossible, I do owe $10,000.
Like I've never had that moment.
But people fall for it on theinternet all the time.
I've had people I know thateven now it's even easier with
stuff like Venmo Like, oh, I'llsell you these tickets, Just
Venmo me the money and then I'llsend you the tickets.
It's just so easy to scampeople.
So not only do I think it'sgotten easier, but I think
(33:09):
people have gotten more trustingand are easier to con now than
they may even been at that timeperiod.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
When I was even thinking about other things too,
like Bitcoin and the whole likeinvestor things.
You give me $10,000 and I caninvest it in these things and
I'll make you 70,000 and allthose little like programs for
lack of a better word thatpeople have out there.
And I have a Facebook friend.
I'm pretty sure her account'sbeen stolen and she constantly
sends me messages about how youknow I can turn your $10,000
(33:39):
into $100,000.
But then I'm like hey, how arethe kids?
You know, let's meet for lunchand talk.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Then all of a sudden it's like well, I just want to
talk about you giving me money,because you're not really who
you say you are and and it's got.
I think we've seen it now withai, where people can fake
people's voices and they'll calland oh, I've got your child,
they've been in an accident.
We need you to send money andthey can take your voice and
(34:06):
manipulate it so it sounds likeyou.
Even so, I think and that's awhole other episode we're not
going to become the AIConspiracy Podcast yet, but it's
definitely something we have toworry about and we have to be
protective of people, and now isnot a time to get lousy I love
that word tonight About that butit's something that we should
(34:28):
be aware of.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
So absolutely with George C Parker.
You know all of the people likehim in the world.
They may have moved online, butthey're still out there, and
that's why stories like this areso important, because they
remind us to stay vigilant andskeptical, and if something
seems too good to be true, itprobably is.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, that's.
I think that's an importantnote to take away from.
This is and it's not easy toget back, like, once you've been
scammed, it's so hard that it'sbetter to take a couple minutes
, do your research and thinktwice before you just give
people things and if it soundstoo good to be true, it is.
It's just the nature of,unfortunately, society.
(35:12):
Like, if somebody says I'mgoing to give you a million
dollars, that's probably notgoing to happen.
But I think people becomedesperate and they want that
piece that they think that theydeserve or that they're not
entitled to.
But that's the dream, right?
It's just going to happen andone day we're going to all be
millionaires and these conartists take advantage of that.
(35:35):
So I think it really is a goodlesson.
And he was for what we can say.
He was a genius, like.
He got away with this for along time.
I think the sad reality is, asI've believed with my background
and I would assume from yoursas well like, but he was a
criminal and he ended up dyingin prison, which is why crime
(35:55):
doesn't pay.
And again, this guy made a lotof money and it didn't pay.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
So think about that makes me sad because I think of
all the things he could havedone with his life and his
intelligence that could havefurthered humanity, and instead
he used it for this.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, and it didn't pay off like and all the hard
work Like, but again, that timeperiod Irish immigrant family.
You know he may have had veryfew options to do so on that
really sad, depressing note, Iwant to thank you for listening
to this episode and from Heatherand I have a good weekend.
I want to thank you all so tothis episode and from Heather
(36:32):
and I have a good weekend.
Listen to us on, subscribe toour podcast and download
episodes.
Downloads are important for ourgrowth, as is growing our
(36:54):
listeners.
So if you wouldn't mind, takethe time to ask your friends,
family, coworkers, tell themabout us through word of mouth,
social media.
I don't care if you even screamat strangers on the streets to
help us kind of get out therewho we are.
Scream at strangers on thestreets to help us kind of get
out there who we are.
If you're interested in learningmore, you could visit our
website atwwwdeviantcriminologycom.
There you'll find some stuffabout our backgrounds,
(37:18):
references, show notes for eachepisode.
You can also follow us on ourFacebook page at Deviant
Criminology.
We also have an Instagram pagewhich is Deviant underscore
Criminology.
Or find me at Dr Richard Weaveron Instagram.
And as we grow.
We hope to develop a communitythat will grow with us.
(37:38):
So again, thank you for takingthe time to listen and have a
good week.
Thank you.
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