Introduction to George C. Parker

• Josh and Chuck discuss George C. Parker, legendary con man who sold Brooklyn Bridge multiple times
• Sources: New York Times, howstuffworks.com, nycwalks.com
• Parker claimed to sell Brooklyn Bridge multiple times per week for years
  • Claim likely exaggerated but documented he did sell it repeatedly to multiple victims

Historical Context - Late 1800s New York

• Millions of immigrants arriving through Ellis Island
• Many hopeful but poor, though some had money to buy "bridges"
• Immigrants were "greenhorn targets" - naive about American systems
• Con men used informants/scouts at Ellis Island
  • Paid off to identify immigrants with cash who believed America was land of opportunity

Parker's Brooklyn Bridge Scam Method

• Target: Well-heeled immigrants who saw America as golden opportunity
• Showed fake deed proving he owned Brooklyn Bridge
• Pitch: Not just owning bridge - could charge tolls and recoup investment in one month, then get rich
• Attracted people with promise of toll revenue stream

Brooklyn Bridge Toll History

• Bridge originally charged tolls when first opened:
  • 1 penny to walk across by foot
  • 5 cents for horse and rider
  • 10 cents for horse and wagon
  • Extra money for farm animals crossing
• Tolls stopped in 1891
• Roadway tolls continued until 1911
• Toll history made scam more believable to recent immigrants

Scam Execution Details

• Brooklyn Bridge was large - easy to walk victims around without suspicion
• Could show them toll booths as "proof"
• Possible collaboration with toll booth operators as fake employees
• Brooklyn Bridge was major American symbol (along with Statue of Liberty)
• Appeal: Immigrants could own one of two major symbols of America

Financial Impact

• Parker typically made few hundred dollars per scam
• Largest documented sale: $50,000 (approximately $5 million in 2022 dollars)
• Victims lost life savings, faced ridicule from police and family

Other Scammers and Targets

• William McLoudy (AKA IOU O'Brien) - possibly Parker alias
• Multiple con men running similar scams
• Other items "sold": Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, Grant's Tomb, The Met
• Became common enough that Ellis Island posted warning signs and pamphlets
  • Signs warned: "These things are not for sale" and "You can't buy public buildings or streets"

Parker's Downfall

• Finally caught under New York's "Baumes Laws"
• Four strikes law: Fourth felony conviction = mandatory life sentence
• Final crime: Passed $150 bounced check
  • Olean Evening Times reported check "bounced back with startling elasticity"
• Sentenced to life in Sing Sing prison
• Irony: Life sentence for small bounced check after years of major fraud