Aug. 8, 2024

Episode 195 - The Great Eiffel Tower Swindle! Part 1

As the world's eyes are on Paris for the Olympics, we're looking back at a different kind of champion - the con artist who sold the Eiffel Tower not once, but twice! We're shining a light on the Ordinary Extraordinary story of Victor Lustig who sold the unsellable and swindled the unsuspecting. Join Dianne and Jennie for part one of a tale of deception and daring that's as thrilling as any Olympic event!

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Ticket link to the 35th Annual Cemetery Crawl at Central City's IOOF Cemetery: Gilpin Historical Society 35th Annual Cemetery Crawl: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gilpin-historical-society-35th-annual-cemetery-crawl-tickets-934551547837?aff=ebdsshother&utm_share_source=listing_android

Photo of Lustig grave by: Rick Gleason and posted to: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176656691/victor-lustig#view-photo=152334006

Resources used to research this episode include: Various news articles found on www.newspapers.com & documents from www.ancestry.com

Laidlaw, Katherine. "The con man who sold the Eiffel Tower — twice ." https://thehustle.co/. 15 Mar. 2024. thehustle.co/originals/the-con-man-who-sold-the-eiffel-tower-twice-1. Accessed 4 Aug. 2024.

King, Gilbert. "The Smoothest Con Man That Ever Lived ." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/. 22 Aug. 2012. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-smoothest-con-man-that-ever-lived-29861908/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2024.

Linning, Stephanie . "The man who conned the world ." https://www.dailymail.co.uk/. 12 Aug. 2021. www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9880185/The-man-conned-world-Audacious-scams-career-criminal-Victor-Lustig-told-new-book.html. Accessed 4 Aug. 2024.

Malvenuti, Edorardo. "Victor Lustig, the Bohemian Scarlet Pimpernel." https://www.progetto.cz/. 27 Oct. 2020. www.progetto.cz/victor-lustig-la-primula-rossa-boema/?lang=en#:~:text=A%20savoir%20faire%20blending%20with,end%20Victor%20Lustig's%20maritime%20adventure. Accessed 4 Aug. 2024.

Sanford, Christopher . The Man Who Conned the World Victor Lustig. 1st ed., 2022. Gloucestershire, The History Press, 2022, pp. 1 - 320.