The Sale of the Eiffel Tower

**Victor Lustig**

No tall yarn_________ ever told was taller than his scheme to buy the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal. He was an expert at making up stories.

scrap metal

No tall yarn Victor Lustig ever told was taller than his scheme to buy the Eiffel Tower for _______.

Hostinné

Lustig, who was born in the Czech Republic's _______in 1890, migrated to France after becoming proficient in a number of European languages.

rich passengers

On transatlantic ocean liners, he began his criminal career as a con artist who targeted _______.

$100 notes

He claimed to have invented a money-printing device that created flawless _______ as part of one of his profitable con games.

chemical processing

He gave two $100 notes to the targets while persuading the duplicitous victims that the machine required many hours of "____" in order to produce them.

$50,000

Having promised to quadruple Capone's investment, he was able to convince the Chicago crime lord to contribute __________ to a stock transaction.

Al Capone

Most renowned Chicago Crime Lord

1889 Paris Exposition

With the purpose of being dismantled and moved in 1909, the tower was built for the _________.

Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs

Taking advantage of the situation, Lustig addressed letters on fake official stationary with phony signatures from the ____________ to five businessmen.

Andre Poisson

Lustig selected ________ as his target because he was the most socially and financially vulnerable person.

came clean

Lustig "_______" in a meeting with Poisson, confessing that his hidden activities had been driven by his intention to obtain a bribe in return for the contract.

7,000

Poisson paid for the ____ tons of iron and also paid a large reward to the scam artist because he felt comfortable.

listener

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, be a patient _______.

bored

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never look _____.

political

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, wait for the other person to reveal their _____ opinions, then agree with them.

religious

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, wait for the other person to reveal their ____________ views, then agree with them.

intimate details

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, hint at _________ but don’t follow up unless the other person shows interest.

illness

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never discuss ________ unless a special concern is shown.

pry

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never ________ (they will tell you all eventually).

boast

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never ____, just let your importance be quietly obvious.

untidy

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never be __________, be neat and arrange your plans and actions.

drunk

According to Lustig’s Ten Commandments for Con Men, never get ____, unless you got a high tolerance intake.

William McCloundy

In 1901, _____, a New Jersey scam artist gets imprisoned for grand larceny after selling the Brooklyn Bridge to a foreign visitor.

George C. Parker

In 1947, _____, a scam artist from the United States, repeatedly "sells" opulent international visitors on New York City monuments like the Brooklyn Bridge.

Anthony Lee

In 2010, _____, a homeless truck driver from Yorkshire, tries to sell the Ritz Hotel in London for $250 million and is successful in getting a $1 million deposit before being apprehended by the polices