1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:04,083 [Dan narrating] 2 00:00:08,167 --> 00:00:11,083 [dynamic music] 3 00:00:14,083 --> 00:00:18,000 - What if I told you there was a so-called miracle cure 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,667 that took aim at your sensitive parts? 5 00:00:21,667 --> 00:00:24,917 - Brinkley is taking the testicles from billy goats 6 00:00:24,917 --> 00:00:27,708 and inserting them into the scrotums 7 00:00:27,708 --> 00:00:29,792 of his human patients. 8 00:00:29,792 --> 00:00:32,500 - Men line up by the thousands, 9 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:33,667 even given the fact 10 00:00:33,667 --> 00:00:35,667 that it sounds pretty sketchy. 11 00:00:37,208 --> 00:00:38,792 - Or that a zoo in China 12 00:00:38,792 --> 00:00:41,417 tried to pull a fast one on tourists? 13 00:00:41,417 --> 00:00:43,417 - Now, they have the round pompom ears, 14 00:00:43,417 --> 00:00:45,542 they even have the black patches around their eyes. 15 00:00:45,542 --> 00:00:46,958 - People are really starting [laughing] 16 00:00:46,958 --> 00:00:48,333 to ask questions, like, 17 00:00:48,333 --> 00:00:51,333 "Is there something real weird about these pandas?" 18 00:00:51,333 --> 00:00:54,083 - How about enlisting an unconventional super agent 19 00:00:54,083 --> 00:00:56,583 to fake out the Nazis? 20 00:00:56,583 --> 00:00:59,667 - What they're gonna do is put false attack plans 21 00:00:59,667 --> 00:01:01,625 on a corpse who will be dressed 22 00:01:01,625 --> 00:01:03,667 as a fallen British officer. 23 00:01:03,667 --> 00:01:06,833 - The thinking is that if they can just get the right person 24 00:01:06,833 --> 00:01:08,250 to pick up this corpse, 25 00:01:08,250 --> 00:01:10,708 that eventually it will get to Hitler. 26 00:01:12,042 --> 00:01:14,542 - These are the cons so spectacular, so daring, 27 00:01:14,542 --> 00:01:18,542 they can only be described as unbelievable. 28 00:01:18,542 --> 00:01:21,292 [dramatic music] 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,208 You ever wonder why we call a slick con artist 30 00:01:33,208 --> 00:01:35,125 a snake oil salesman? 31 00:01:35,125 --> 00:01:36,375 Well, saddle up, 32 00:01:36,375 --> 00:01:38,542 because this is the wild story 33 00:01:38,542 --> 00:01:40,167 behind the original. 34 00:01:40,167 --> 00:01:42,833 [light music] [birds singing] 35 00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:44,083 - It's 1893, 36 00:01:44,083 --> 00:01:45,458 the Wild Wild West. 37 00:01:46,750 --> 00:01:48,708 Roping cattle, farming, 38 00:01:48,708 --> 00:01:50,708 you're building railroads, 39 00:01:50,708 --> 00:01:51,958 life is hard. 40 00:01:51,958 --> 00:01:54,000 You've gotta work yourself to the bone 41 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,750 to get anything done. 42 00:01:55,750 --> 00:01:58,375 The town doctor, if your town even has a doctor, 43 00:01:58,375 --> 00:02:00,292 is probably spread pretty thin. 44 00:02:00,292 --> 00:02:01,500 You need something pretty quick 45 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:03,333 to deal with all your aches and pains. 46 00:02:04,208 --> 00:02:05,625 - At the time, 47 00:02:05,625 --> 00:02:07,500 it's popular to have traveling medicine shows, 48 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:10,042 some smooth-talking salesman comes in 49 00:02:10,042 --> 00:02:13,500 and tells you he's gonna take away all your aches and pains 50 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:17,167 'cause he's got a magical ointment or an elixir, 51 00:02:17,167 --> 00:02:19,042 - [Dan] But one showman takes the spectacle 52 00:02:19,042 --> 00:02:20,292 to a whole new level. 53 00:02:21,250 --> 00:02:22,875 Clark Stanley draws a crowd 54 00:02:22,875 --> 00:02:24,250 with a live sideshow 55 00:02:24,958 --> 00:02:26,958 and a bold claim. 56 00:02:26,958 --> 00:02:29,958 - He reaches down into a writhing sack 57 00:02:29,958 --> 00:02:31,292 and he pulls out a rattlesnake 58 00:02:31,292 --> 00:02:33,542 and holds it out for everyone to see. 59 00:02:33,542 --> 00:02:36,333 - And he would claim that the oil of this rattlesnake 60 00:02:36,333 --> 00:02:38,667 will cure everything from rheumatism 61 00:02:38,667 --> 00:02:40,042 to partial paralysis. 62 00:02:40,042 --> 00:02:42,208 - In the height of theatricality, 63 00:02:42,208 --> 00:02:44,083 he pulls out a giant knife 64 00:02:44,083 --> 00:02:46,583 and he slits the rattlesnake open 65 00:02:46,583 --> 00:02:50,125 and he throws it in a pot of boiling water. 66 00:02:51,208 --> 00:02:53,375 - The snake fat rises to the top, 67 00:02:53,375 --> 00:02:55,375 and he scoops it out with a ladle 68 00:02:55,375 --> 00:02:57,208 and starts putting it in liniment jars 69 00:02:57,208 --> 00:02:59,167 with his own label attached, 70 00:02:59,167 --> 00:03:02,167 reading, "Clark Stanley's snake oil treatment." 71 00:03:02,167 --> 00:03:04,167 [dramatic music] 72 00:03:04,167 --> 00:03:07,167 - And he'll sell it to you for 50 cents a bottle. 73 00:03:07,167 --> 00:03:09,167 For $20 in today's money. 74 00:03:09,167 --> 00:03:10,708 [dramatic music] 75 00:03:10,708 --> 00:03:13,417 - The back of the label reads, "Good for man and beast, 76 00:03:13,417 --> 00:03:15,458 the most remarkable curative discovery 77 00:03:15,458 --> 00:03:17,500 ever made in any age or country." 78 00:03:17,500 --> 00:03:20,667 I mean, who wouldn't buy that? 79 00:03:20,667 --> 00:03:21,750 [dramatic music] 80 00:03:21,750 --> 00:03:23,167 - [Dan] To close the deal, 81 00:03:23,167 --> 00:03:25,250 he hits the crowd with a compelling backstory. 82 00:03:26,208 --> 00:03:27,500 - He brings the audience in close 83 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:28,750 and he goes on to tell 'em that, 84 00:03:28,750 --> 00:03:31,458 "Listen, I learned the secrets of snake oil 85 00:03:31,458 --> 00:03:33,958 from a Hopi medicine man 86 00:03:33,958 --> 00:03:36,417 deep in the deserts of Arizona. 87 00:03:36,417 --> 00:03:37,875 A mysterious man, 88 00:03:37,875 --> 00:03:40,500 he has all of these secrets for health and vitality 89 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:41,958 and strength and youth." 90 00:03:43,292 --> 00:03:47,333 But in reality, there is no Hopi medicine man. 91 00:03:47,333 --> 00:03:49,625 - He actually learns about the healing properties 92 00:03:49,625 --> 00:03:51,542 of snake oil from Chinese laborers 93 00:03:51,542 --> 00:03:53,542 who are building the Transcontinental Railroad, 94 00:03:53,542 --> 00:03:56,042 but it's the oil from the Chinese watersnake, 95 00:03:56,042 --> 00:03:57,625 not the American rattlesnake, 96 00:03:57,625 --> 00:03:59,333 that they use on their muscles. 97 00:04:00,667 --> 00:04:02,750 - [Dan] Since rattlesnakes are much more abundant, 98 00:04:02,750 --> 00:04:04,417 Stanley improvises, 99 00:04:04,417 --> 00:04:08,250 and his miracle cure becomes a showstopping success, 100 00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:10,250 until the feds take a closer look. 101 00:04:10,250 --> 00:04:12,375 [suspenseful music] [glass clinking] 102 00:04:12,375 --> 00:04:14,708 - In 1917, a bunch of federal regulators 103 00:04:14,708 --> 00:04:18,250 get their hands on a batch of Stanley's snake oil. 104 00:04:18,250 --> 00:04:20,625 They decide to do a little bit of analysis on it. 105 00:04:20,625 --> 00:04:24,125 And they realize that there's no snake anything in it. 106 00:04:24,125 --> 00:04:25,750 It's cow fat, 107 00:04:25,750 --> 00:04:26,833 mineral oil, 108 00:04:26,833 --> 00:04:28,000 turpentine 109 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:29,542 and red pepper. 110 00:04:29,542 --> 00:04:31,083 - Turpentine and red pepper flakes 111 00:04:31,083 --> 00:04:32,792 can make the skin tingle, 112 00:04:32,792 --> 00:04:34,208 so Stanley's customers 113 00:04:34,208 --> 00:04:36,500 felt like something must be happening. 114 00:04:36,500 --> 00:04:39,000 In fact, their pain-relieving tendencies 115 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,708 are negligible at best. 116 00:04:41,708 --> 00:04:44,667 - For his fraud, Stanley's taken to court. 117 00:04:44,667 --> 00:04:48,625 He's convicted and he's made to pay a fine of $20, 118 00:04:48,625 --> 00:04:51,167 about $400 in today's money. 119 00:04:51,167 --> 00:04:52,250 [dramatic music] 120 00:04:52,250 --> 00:04:53,458 - [Dan] Not surprisingly, 121 00:04:53,458 --> 00:04:55,375 that little slap on the wrist 122 00:04:55,375 --> 00:04:58,333 doesn't stop the self-proclaimed Rattlesnake King. 123 00:04:59,625 --> 00:05:02,208 - Stanley continues his traveling show 124 00:05:02,208 --> 00:05:03,708 by going from town to town 125 00:05:03,708 --> 00:05:05,875 and selling his miracle snake oil 126 00:05:05,875 --> 00:05:07,958 to anybody that would be interested in buying from him. 127 00:05:07,958 --> 00:05:09,458 And by the time these customers realize 128 00:05:09,458 --> 00:05:10,750 that they've been had, 129 00:05:10,750 --> 00:05:12,792 Stanley's already gotten the hell out of Dodge. 130 00:05:12,792 --> 00:05:14,833 [smoke puffing] [rattlesnake rattling] 131 00:05:14,833 --> 00:05:16,208 [dramatic music] 132 00:05:16,208 --> 00:05:17,625 - It's one thing to scam people 133 00:05:17,625 --> 00:05:19,583 into drinking a magic potion, 134 00:05:19,583 --> 00:05:21,208 but it takes real cojones 135 00:05:21,208 --> 00:05:23,208 to dupe people into going under the knife. 136 00:05:23,208 --> 00:05:24,375 - [Presenter] Ladies and gentlemen, 137 00:05:24,375 --> 00:05:25,875 this is Dr. JR Brinkley. 138 00:05:25,875 --> 00:05:27,208 - In the 1920s, 139 00:05:27,208 --> 00:05:28,667 it's the dawn of radio, 140 00:05:28,667 --> 00:05:30,792 just about every American family has one, 141 00:05:30,792 --> 00:05:33,750 and they gather around it at night to listen. 142 00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:37,083 - One of the most successful shows on the radio at the time 143 00:05:37,083 --> 00:05:39,458 is hosted by a Kansas-based doctor 144 00:05:39,458 --> 00:05:42,292 named John Romulus Brinkley. 145 00:05:43,250 --> 00:05:45,417 Twice daily, he plays country music, 146 00:05:45,417 --> 00:05:47,042 preaches the gospel, 147 00:05:47,042 --> 00:05:48,708 but most importantly, 148 00:05:48,708 --> 00:05:51,208 tells his audience how modern medicine 149 00:05:51,208 --> 00:05:52,583 is failing them. 150 00:05:52,583 --> 00:05:53,750 [Brinkley faintly speaking] 151 00:05:53,750 --> 00:05:55,375 - Brinkley ends up making a fortune. 152 00:05:55,375 --> 00:05:57,792 He's netting about $14,000 a week, 153 00:05:57,792 --> 00:06:00,708 that's about a quarter of a million dollars today, 154 00:06:00,708 --> 00:06:03,917 just from prescribing these tonics and elixirs 155 00:06:03,917 --> 00:06:04,583 to these listeners 156 00:06:04,583 --> 00:06:06,708 for all sorts of ailments. 157 00:06:06,708 --> 00:06:08,708 - [Dan] But for all his so-called cures, 158 00:06:08,708 --> 00:06:11,792 one bizarre treatment grabs national attention 159 00:06:11,792 --> 00:06:14,167 and makes Brinkley a household name. 160 00:06:14,167 --> 00:06:15,750 [dramatic music] 161 00:06:15,750 --> 00:06:17,583 - Brinkley is taking the testicles 162 00:06:17,583 --> 00:06:20,208 from six-week old billy goats 163 00:06:20,208 --> 00:06:24,958 and inserting them into the scrotums of his human patients, 164 00:06:24,958 --> 00:06:26,208 just under the skin. 165 00:06:26,208 --> 00:06:27,542 [dramatic music] [goat bleating] 166 00:06:27,542 --> 00:06:29,542 - Brinkley says he worked at a slaughterhouse 167 00:06:29,542 --> 00:06:30,792 when he was a young man 168 00:06:30,792 --> 00:06:33,208 and he noticed the goats were virile 169 00:06:33,208 --> 00:06:34,917 and resistant to disease. 170 00:06:34,917 --> 00:06:38,167 They seemed to have all this get up and go. 171 00:06:38,167 --> 00:06:40,750 - And this inspires his claim 172 00:06:40,750 --> 00:06:44,417 that transplanting goat gonads to human patients 173 00:06:44,417 --> 00:06:46,583 can give tired old men 174 00:06:46,583 --> 00:06:49,583 the energy and virility of a young goat. 175 00:06:50,417 --> 00:06:53,208 - Men line up by the thousands 176 00:06:53,208 --> 00:06:56,000 to get this un-validated treatment, 177 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,000 even given the fact that it sounds pretty sketchy. 178 00:07:00,292 --> 00:07:02,125 - [Dan] This isn't just a medical hustle, 179 00:07:02,125 --> 00:07:04,000 it's a national phenomenon, 180 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,792 led by a man with almost no real training. 181 00:07:06,792 --> 00:07:08,042 [dramatic music] 182 00:07:08,042 --> 00:07:09,917 - I think calling him a real medical doctor 183 00:07:09,917 --> 00:07:11,333 is a stretch too far. 184 00:07:11,333 --> 00:07:14,083 He claims he took these correspondence courses 185 00:07:14,083 --> 00:07:15,750 with Eclectic University 186 00:07:15,750 --> 00:07:18,208 but that's kinda like getting a medical degree 187 00:07:18,208 --> 00:07:20,417 from watching YouTube videos. 188 00:07:20,417 --> 00:07:23,042 - And although Brinkley claims to be doing a lot 189 00:07:23,042 --> 00:07:24,708 during this procedure, 190 00:07:24,708 --> 00:07:27,542 he's actually just making an incision in a scrotum 191 00:07:27,542 --> 00:07:29,708 and he's stuffing this goat testicle in there. 192 00:07:29,708 --> 00:07:32,250 And he's not connecting any blood vessels, 193 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:33,875 he's not connecting any sort of tubes 194 00:07:33,875 --> 00:07:36,417 that could transport the different hormones 195 00:07:36,417 --> 00:07:38,042 from the goat testicle. 196 00:07:38,042 --> 00:07:39,417 [ominous music] 197 00:07:39,417 --> 00:07:41,208 - [Dan] Brinkley performs this procedure 198 00:07:41,208 --> 00:07:43,125 upwards of 5,000 times. 199 00:07:43,125 --> 00:07:46,625 And unbelievably, a large portion of his patients 200 00:07:46,625 --> 00:07:49,458 say they've never felt better. 201 00:07:49,458 --> 00:07:50,750 [dramatic music] 202 00:07:50,750 --> 00:07:52,375 - Let's be clear on this. 203 00:07:52,375 --> 00:07:56,042 There is no biological basis for any of this. 204 00:07:56,042 --> 00:07:59,958 Most experts agree that it's the placebo effect, 205 00:07:59,958 --> 00:08:02,042 the power of suggestion. 206 00:08:02,042 --> 00:08:05,542 - [Dan] By the late 1920s, skepticism starts to rise, 207 00:08:05,542 --> 00:08:07,333 and one physician finally steps up 208 00:08:07,333 --> 00:08:09,125 to challenge Brinkley head on. 209 00:08:09,125 --> 00:08:10,542 [suspenseful music] [traffic faintly whizzing] 210 00:08:10,542 --> 00:08:14,083 - In 1928, Brinkley actually gets called out 211 00:08:14,083 --> 00:08:16,208 by a more mainstream doctor 212 00:08:16,208 --> 00:08:18,125 named Morris Fishbein. 213 00:08:18,125 --> 00:08:22,792 He calls Dr. Brinkley a charlatan of the rankest sort, 214 00:08:22,792 --> 00:08:26,208 and publishes a paper that gets the attention 215 00:08:26,208 --> 00:08:28,250 of the Kansas Medical Board. 216 00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:30,667 - They revoke both his radio license 217 00:08:30,667 --> 00:08:33,125 and his specious medical license 218 00:08:33,125 --> 00:08:34,542 in the state of Kansas. 219 00:08:35,708 --> 00:08:37,375 - [Dan] Incredibly, this doesn't stop Brinkley, 220 00:08:37,375 --> 00:08:40,417 he moves to Texas where the laws are looser, 221 00:08:40,417 --> 00:08:42,625 and he cooks up his next big idea. 222 00:08:43,542 --> 00:08:45,542 - He calls it Formula 1020. 223 00:08:45,542 --> 00:08:47,750 It's a distillation of goat glands, 224 00:08:47,750 --> 00:08:50,125 and that can cure everything, 225 00:08:50,125 --> 00:08:52,500 from impotence to insanity. 226 00:08:53,625 --> 00:08:54,667 - [Dan] As Brinkley rakes in the dough 227 00:08:54,667 --> 00:08:56,500 and continues pedaling his goat cures 228 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:58,625 all over the Southern US, 229 00:08:58,625 --> 00:09:01,500 there's someone else who rivals his persistence. 230 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:03,250 [dramatic music] 231 00:09:03,250 --> 00:09:05,250 - Dr. Fishbein, he decides to write 232 00:09:05,250 --> 00:09:06,875 a new piece on Charlatanism, 233 00:09:06,875 --> 00:09:08,958 and this time, he gets it published 234 00:09:08,958 --> 00:09:10,250 in the prestigious 235 00:09:10,250 --> 00:09:13,500 "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 1938. 236 00:09:14,792 --> 00:09:16,000 - Brinkley is incensed 237 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,333 that he gets mentioned in this article, 238 00:09:18,333 --> 00:09:20,833 so he decides to sue for libel. 239 00:09:22,125 --> 00:09:25,042 - [Dan] But Dr. Brinkley shrivels on the stand. 240 00:09:26,167 --> 00:09:28,333 - Under oath, Brinkley is forced to admit 241 00:09:28,333 --> 00:09:32,167 that he knew the goat gland surgeries he was performing 242 00:09:32,167 --> 00:09:35,708 could not possibly enhance 243 00:09:35,708 --> 00:09:37,708 a human male's virility, 244 00:09:37,708 --> 00:09:39,958 and he knew it all along. 245 00:09:39,958 --> 00:09:42,292 [gavel banging] 246 00:09:42,292 --> 00:09:44,042 - Brinkley ultimately loses 247 00:09:44,042 --> 00:09:46,417 and is forced to declare bankruptcy, 248 00:09:46,417 --> 00:09:48,583 leaving his family penniless 249 00:09:48,583 --> 00:09:50,083 and the goats of America 250 00:09:50,083 --> 00:09:51,542 just a little bit safer. 251 00:09:55,250 --> 00:09:56,583 - When it comes to scams, 252 00:09:56,583 --> 00:09:58,208 the bigger the lie, the bigger the payout. 253 00:09:58,208 --> 00:09:59,708 This next hustle is so large, 254 00:09:59,708 --> 00:10:01,708 it cost many their life savings 255 00:10:01,708 --> 00:10:04,375 and bought us an iconic catchphrase 256 00:10:04,375 --> 00:10:06,583 for the unbelievably gullible. 257 00:10:06,583 --> 00:10:08,792 [machinery whirring] [dramatic music] 258 00:10:08,792 --> 00:10:10,667 - It's the late 1800s 259 00:10:10,667 --> 00:10:13,083 and New York City is bursting at the seams 260 00:10:13,083 --> 00:10:15,708 with immigrants fresh off the boat. 261 00:10:15,708 --> 00:10:16,875 They're ready to work hard 262 00:10:16,875 --> 00:10:18,458 to create the American Dream 263 00:10:18,458 --> 00:10:19,958 for themselves and their families. 264 00:10:19,958 --> 00:10:21,500 - [Reporter] Men, women and children. 265 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:24,208 - They see America as a place of tremendous opportunity, 266 00:10:24,208 --> 00:10:25,417 but it's also a place 267 00:10:25,417 --> 00:10:26,917 where if you're willing to take a risk, 268 00:10:26,917 --> 00:10:29,583 you could get rich and get rich fast. 269 00:10:29,583 --> 00:10:31,542 - [Dan] Among those chasing the American Dream 270 00:10:31,542 --> 00:10:34,000 is a man who promises to make others rich 271 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:35,708 by selling them a piece of it. 272 00:10:37,125 --> 00:10:40,458 George Parker is by trade a real estate agent, 273 00:10:40,458 --> 00:10:42,125 and he begins claiming 274 00:10:42,125 --> 00:10:43,667 that he holds the deed 275 00:10:43,667 --> 00:10:44,917 to the Brooklyn Bridge. 276 00:10:45,750 --> 00:10:47,833 The Brooklyn Bridge at its time 277 00:10:47,833 --> 00:10:51,625 was considered a marvel of modern engineering. 278 00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:55,833 - It's the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge. 279 00:10:55,833 --> 00:10:58,250 It's almost 1,600 feet in span. 280 00:10:58,250 --> 00:10:59,750 The two towers of the bridge 281 00:10:59,750 --> 00:11:02,208 are the tallest manmade objects in North America. 282 00:11:03,542 --> 00:11:05,250 - He tells them, once they own the bridge, 283 00:11:05,250 --> 00:11:08,583 they own access to anyone wanting to cross the bridge, 284 00:11:08,583 --> 00:11:12,000 and they can charge a toll for the privilege. 285 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,417 Then Parker hits them with the price tag. 286 00:11:14,417 --> 00:11:18,500 - $75 for a piece of the bridge 287 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:22,167 or $50,000 for the whole enchilada. 288 00:11:23,458 --> 00:11:24,792 But it'll pay for itself 289 00:11:24,792 --> 00:11:26,917 because you have thousands of people 290 00:11:26,917 --> 00:11:28,708 crossing the bridge every day. 291 00:11:28,708 --> 00:11:30,000 [dramatic music] 292 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,708 - [Dan] After reaching an agreement, 293 00:11:31,708 --> 00:11:34,208 Parker hands over an official-looking deed, 294 00:11:34,208 --> 00:11:36,667 only for buyers to face a rude awakening 295 00:11:36,667 --> 00:11:37,917 when they try to cash in. 296 00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:40,958 - When they attempt to put up toll booths, 297 00:11:40,958 --> 00:11:42,708 the police arrive and they shut it down. 298 00:11:42,708 --> 00:11:43,875 In fact, some of them end up in jail 299 00:11:43,875 --> 00:11:45,833 because what they're doing is illegal. 300 00:11:45,833 --> 00:11:47,375 [dramatic music] 301 00:11:47,375 --> 00:11:50,708 You see, Parker does not own the Brooklyn Bridge, 302 00:11:50,708 --> 00:11:53,250 the city of New York owns it. 303 00:11:53,250 --> 00:11:54,792 These folks paid in cash. 304 00:11:54,792 --> 00:11:57,333 They're out all the money they gave to Parker. 305 00:11:57,333 --> 00:12:00,750 - Ultimately Parker sells the Brooklyn Bridge 306 00:12:00,750 --> 00:12:05,583 a [laughing] whopping 4,160 times. 307 00:12:05,583 --> 00:12:07,458 - [Dan] 20 years, $1 million 308 00:12:07,458 --> 00:12:09,000 and thousands of fake deeds later, 309 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,042 police finally shut Parker down, 310 00:12:11,042 --> 00:12:13,875 but he's not done running his game just yet. 311 00:12:13,875 --> 00:12:14,917 [inquisitive music] [film reel clacking] 312 00:12:14,917 --> 00:12:16,708 - Parker abandons the bridge scam 313 00:12:16,708 --> 00:12:19,083 and moves on to other New York City landmarks, 314 00:12:19,083 --> 00:12:21,500 and manages to sell Madison Square Garden, 315 00:12:21,500 --> 00:12:23,042 the Metropolitan Museum of Art 316 00:12:23,042 --> 00:12:25,000 and the Statue of Liberty. 317 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,292 - He even sells the deed to Grant's Tomb, 318 00:12:28,292 --> 00:12:30,917 posing as General Grant's grandson. 319 00:12:30,917 --> 00:12:34,167 - [Dan] Parker lives the conman's dream for decades more, 320 00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:37,500 but even he can't outrun justice forever. 321 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:39,042 - In 1928, "The New York Times" 322 00:12:39,042 --> 00:12:41,250 reports that a man named William McCloundy, 323 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:46,000 also known as, I kid you not, "IOU O'Brien", 324 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,917 has been caught trying to sell 10 lots for $17,000. 325 00:12:51,458 --> 00:12:52,875 - Over the years, 326 00:12:52,875 --> 00:12:55,417 Parker ends up taking a whole myriad of aliases. 327 00:12:55,417 --> 00:12:57,500 Mr. Taylor, Mr. Roberts, 328 00:12:57,500 --> 00:12:58,792 Captain Kennedy, 329 00:12:58,792 --> 00:13:00,000 selling fake properties 330 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,042 and passing bad checks. 331 00:13:02,042 --> 00:13:03,667 - They find him in Asbury Park 332 00:13:03,667 --> 00:13:05,417 measuring a backyard, 333 00:13:05,417 --> 00:13:07,542 surprise, which he did not own. 334 00:13:07,542 --> 00:13:10,542 - Parker is convicted and sentenced to serve in Sing Sing. 335 00:13:10,542 --> 00:13:11,958 He dies in prison eight years later, 336 00:13:11,958 --> 00:13:13,333 but at least it's said 337 00:13:13,333 --> 00:13:14,958 by the prison guards and fellow inmates, 338 00:13:14,958 --> 00:13:17,167 they never tired of his stories. 339 00:13:17,167 --> 00:13:19,333 - Fool me once, shame on you. 340 00:13:19,333 --> 00:13:22,083 Fool me 4,160 times 341 00:13:22,083 --> 00:13:24,125 and have I got a bridge to sell you? 342 00:13:24,125 --> 00:13:26,542 But this brand of bold-faced scamming 343 00:13:26,542 --> 00:13:28,875 is not just an American tradition. 344 00:13:28,875 --> 00:13:30,875 [dramatic music] 345 00:13:30,875 --> 00:13:33,917 - In 1925, sitting in a hotel room in Paris, 346 00:13:33,917 --> 00:13:35,458 there's a very dapper gentleman 347 00:13:35,458 --> 00:13:37,042 by the name of Victor Lustig. 348 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,208 And he's reading a paper 349 00:13:39,208 --> 00:13:42,042 and he realizes that there's a big hubbub 350 00:13:42,042 --> 00:13:44,375 about the Eiffel Tower. 351 00:13:44,375 --> 00:13:46,917 - This tower, which was constructed in 1889 352 00:13:46,917 --> 00:13:48,375 for the Paris World's Fair 353 00:13:48,375 --> 00:13:51,542 was only supposed to be up for about 20 years, 354 00:13:51,542 --> 00:13:52,917 but it's exceeded that time 355 00:13:52,917 --> 00:13:54,875 by an additional 15 years, 356 00:13:54,875 --> 00:13:57,292 and now it's started to fall into disrepair. 357 00:13:57,292 --> 00:13:59,125 The metal beams that make up the tower, 358 00:13:59,125 --> 00:14:00,458 because it's made out of iron, 359 00:14:00,458 --> 00:14:01,583 are constantly rusting, 360 00:14:01,583 --> 00:14:04,000 and in order to maintain upkeep, 361 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,625 it's costing the taxpayers in France beaucoup bucks. 362 00:14:07,625 --> 00:14:09,458 - [Dan] Where others see challenges, 363 00:14:09,458 --> 00:14:12,708 Victor Lustig sees dollar signs. 364 00:14:12,708 --> 00:14:14,125 [dramatic music] 365 00:14:14,125 --> 00:14:16,542 - Lustig knows there's a lot of money 366 00:14:16,542 --> 00:14:18,917 to be made in scrap metal, 367 00:14:18,917 --> 00:14:21,500 and there's a lot of scrap metal in the Eiffel Tower. 368 00:14:21,500 --> 00:14:23,000 - So he gets this idea, 369 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,875 at 7,000 metric tons of iron, 370 00:14:25,875 --> 00:14:29,250 he thinks, "What if I can sell the Eiffel Tower 371 00:14:29,250 --> 00:14:32,042 to some scrap metal dealers in Paris?" 372 00:14:32,042 --> 00:14:33,500 What a brilliant idea. 373 00:14:34,708 --> 00:14:36,833 - Lustig hires a professional counterfeiter 374 00:14:36,833 --> 00:14:39,042 to make very official-looking stationary 375 00:14:39,042 --> 00:14:41,250 with the city of Paris's seal on it. 376 00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:43,000 He also has business cards made up 377 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,208 calling himself a government official. 378 00:14:46,083 --> 00:14:47,208 - [Dan] Then Lustig invites 379 00:14:47,208 --> 00:14:48,958 the city's top scrap metal dealers 380 00:14:48,958 --> 00:14:50,583 to bid on the tower. 381 00:14:50,583 --> 00:14:52,042 [glasses clinking] 382 00:14:52,042 --> 00:14:53,750 - He tells him that they are being given 383 00:14:53,750 --> 00:14:56,208 a secret opportunity to capitalize on this, 384 00:14:56,208 --> 00:14:57,875 but that their discretion 385 00:14:57,875 --> 00:14:59,875 is of the utmost importance, 386 00:14:59,875 --> 00:15:01,500 "The tower is going down, 387 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,208 but, shh, the public doesn't about it yet, 388 00:15:03,208 --> 00:15:06,500 so that's why you gotta keep this on the hush-hush for now." 389 00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:07,708 [dramatic music] 390 00:15:07,708 --> 00:15:10,292 - While there are half dozen men vying for the gig, 391 00:15:10,292 --> 00:15:13,708 Lustig has got his sights set on Andre Poisson, 392 00:15:13,708 --> 00:15:16,375 who is an up-and-comer in the scrap metal industry 393 00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:18,833 and wants to make a name for himself. 394 00:15:18,833 --> 00:15:21,625 - Lustig takes Poisson aside in his confidence 395 00:15:21,625 --> 00:15:23,000 and says he'll give the bid 396 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,375 to whomever makes it worth his while. 397 00:15:25,375 --> 00:15:26,250 Hint, hint. 398 00:15:27,375 --> 00:15:30,208 - Now, the price tag that Lustig has set is steep, 399 00:15:30,208 --> 00:15:32,875 a million to take down the tower 400 00:15:32,875 --> 00:15:36,667 and to sell this 7,000 plus tons of scrap metal. 401 00:15:37,958 --> 00:15:40,042 But Poisson decides that it's worth it. 402 00:15:41,125 --> 00:15:42,542 - [Dan] After handing over the money, 403 00:15:42,542 --> 00:15:45,750 Poisson reaches out to Lustig for the contract 404 00:15:45,750 --> 00:15:48,125 and is met with radio silence. 405 00:15:49,208 --> 00:15:51,833 - For days, Poisson tries to reach Lustig 406 00:15:51,833 --> 00:15:53,250 with no success. 407 00:15:53,250 --> 00:15:54,958 It's only when Poisson sees in the newspaper 408 00:15:54,958 --> 00:15:57,167 that the tower is staying put, 409 00:15:57,167 --> 00:16:00,042 that he realizes he's been duped. 410 00:16:00,042 --> 00:16:01,208 - But who's he gonna tell? 411 00:16:01,208 --> 00:16:03,375 He's too embarrassed to go public 412 00:16:03,375 --> 00:16:05,000 and say, "I just got all this money 413 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,458 stolen from me in this ruse," 414 00:16:06,458 --> 00:16:08,167 'cause, again, he's trying to make a name for himself, 415 00:16:08,167 --> 00:16:09,542 so he says nothing. 416 00:16:09,542 --> 00:16:10,542 [suspenseful music] 417 00:16:10,542 --> 00:16:12,917 - [Dan] As for Lustig, he gets greedy, 418 00:16:12,917 --> 00:16:14,833 gives the con another go. 419 00:16:14,833 --> 00:16:17,875 - But this time, when Lustig gathers up new scrap dealers 420 00:16:17,875 --> 00:16:19,125 and sets his eyes on his main mark 421 00:16:19,125 --> 00:16:20,750 and gives 'em the whole shtick, 422 00:16:20,750 --> 00:16:22,500 the guy gets suspicious, 423 00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:24,875 and instead of giving Lustig any cash, 424 00:16:24,875 --> 00:16:26,458 just goes straight to the police. 425 00:16:27,958 --> 00:16:29,667 - Lustig's a smart guy, 426 00:16:29,667 --> 00:16:31,958 so he's already one step ahead. 427 00:16:33,708 --> 00:16:35,000 He's on a cruise ship 428 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,500 headed for the United States. 429 00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:37,667 [horn blowing] 430 00:16:37,667 --> 00:16:39,708 - Lustig does not change his ways with a new venue, 431 00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:41,500 taking more and more risks. 432 00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:45,625 - Amazingly, this guy bounces in and out of trouble. 433 00:16:45,625 --> 00:16:47,042 He's arrested 40 times, 434 00:16:47,042 --> 00:16:50,375 and either escapes or doesn't get prosecuted, 435 00:16:51,542 --> 00:16:53,708 until the FBI caught him for counterfeiting 436 00:16:53,708 --> 00:16:58,083 and sentenced him to 20 years in prison in Alcatraz. 437 00:16:58,083 --> 00:16:59,250 - While serving his time, 438 00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:01,042 Lustig doesn't sit idle. 439 00:17:01,042 --> 00:17:03,292 He writes "The 10 Commandments of Con Artistry." 440 00:17:03,292 --> 00:17:05,125 Among his pearls of wisdom, 441 00:17:05,125 --> 00:17:07,708 always listen, never boast, 442 00:17:07,708 --> 00:17:09,917 and always look the part. 443 00:17:09,917 --> 00:17:11,625 Timeless advice indeed. 444 00:17:15,542 --> 00:17:17,250 - Today, we often hear about nepo babies, 445 00:17:17,250 --> 00:17:18,292 children of celebrities 446 00:17:18,292 --> 00:17:19,625 who navigate the world 447 00:17:19,625 --> 00:17:22,417 with a little extra help from their famous parents. 448 00:17:22,417 --> 00:17:24,708 But this trend is not exactly new. 449 00:17:24,708 --> 00:17:26,083 In the late 1900s, 450 00:17:26,083 --> 00:17:27,833 being the child of the well-known and wealthy 451 00:17:27,833 --> 00:17:30,000 could open many a door 452 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,792 and quite a few wallets. 453 00:17:31,792 --> 00:17:34,042 [film reel clacking] [upbeat music] 454 00:17:34,042 --> 00:17:36,292 - 1897 in Cleveland, Ohio, 455 00:17:36,292 --> 00:17:38,125 it is really the gilded age. 456 00:17:38,125 --> 00:17:42,083 It is the time of the haves and the have-nots. 457 00:17:42,083 --> 00:17:43,792 - One of the ultra haves 458 00:17:43,792 --> 00:17:47,167 is railroad magnate Andrew Carnegie, 459 00:17:47,167 --> 00:17:51,625 who, through his holdings in steel, oil, railroads, 460 00:17:51,625 --> 00:17:54,042 has amassed a fortune 461 00:17:54,042 --> 00:17:57,417 that makes him the richest man in the world. 462 00:17:58,542 --> 00:18:00,750 - So when a demure but intense young woman 463 00:18:00,750 --> 00:18:02,250 walks into a Cleveland bank 464 00:18:02,250 --> 00:18:04,083 and hands the banker a promissory note 465 00:18:04,083 --> 00:18:05,958 from none other than Andrew Carnegie, 466 00:18:05,958 --> 00:18:07,042 he takes notice. 467 00:18:08,458 --> 00:18:10,958 - [Dan] The young woman says her name is Cassie Chadwick, 468 00:18:10,958 --> 00:18:12,333 and she claims to be 469 00:18:12,333 --> 00:18:14,333 the great philanthropist's illegitimate daughter. 470 00:18:16,125 --> 00:18:17,375 [dramatic music] 471 00:18:17,375 --> 00:18:19,042 - Now, this kind of made sense at the time 472 00:18:19,042 --> 00:18:21,458 because Andrew Carnegie didn't have a kid 473 00:18:21,458 --> 00:18:22,667 until he was 61. 474 00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:23,667 He married really late, 475 00:18:23,667 --> 00:18:24,958 so it's entirely possible 476 00:18:24,958 --> 00:18:28,125 that he could've fathered another child before that point. 477 00:18:28,125 --> 00:18:31,375 And also, who's gonna fact-check Andrew Carnegie 478 00:18:31,375 --> 00:18:32,708 on his illegitimate child? 479 00:18:32,708 --> 00:18:34,708 I mean, if you're the wrong person to do that, 480 00:18:34,708 --> 00:18:36,208 he could ruin you. 481 00:18:36,208 --> 00:18:38,333 - Because she has this promissory note, 482 00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,250 banks, shopkeepers, 483 00:18:40,250 --> 00:18:42,250 wealthy and prominent individuals 484 00:18:42,250 --> 00:18:44,250 open up checkbooks and their homes 485 00:18:44,250 --> 00:18:46,667 and their shops to this person. 486 00:18:46,667 --> 00:18:49,208 Basically the idea is that, "Her dad's gonna pay for it, 487 00:18:49,208 --> 00:18:52,208 so yeah, let her have whatever she wants." 488 00:18:52,208 --> 00:18:54,708 - [Dan] For years, Cassie juggles loans like a pro, 489 00:18:54,708 --> 00:18:57,208 robbing Peter to pay Paul, 490 00:18:57,208 --> 00:18:59,208 until she gets in a little too deep. 491 00:18:59,208 --> 00:19:01,542 [dramatic music] 492 00:19:01,542 --> 00:19:03,375 - It all comes to a head in late 1904 493 00:19:03,375 --> 00:19:05,375 when Cassie is unable to repay 494 00:19:05,375 --> 00:19:06,583 a very large loan, 495 00:19:06,583 --> 00:19:09,042 $200,000. 496 00:19:09,042 --> 00:19:11,875 - The loan was actually given to her by Herbie Newton, 497 00:19:11,875 --> 00:19:13,208 a Boston banker, 498 00:19:13,208 --> 00:19:15,708 and it actually came from his personal money, 499 00:19:15,708 --> 00:19:16,667 not the bank. 500 00:19:16,667 --> 00:19:19,583 So now he is really mad. 501 00:19:19,583 --> 00:19:21,667 - He brings a suit against Cassie, 502 00:19:21,667 --> 00:19:25,542 which is gonna bring her carefully constructed facade 503 00:19:25,542 --> 00:19:26,708 crumbling down. 504 00:19:26,708 --> 00:19:27,750 [dramatic music] 505 00:19:27,750 --> 00:19:29,250 When the police go to Andrew Carnegie, 506 00:19:29,250 --> 00:19:30,750 he says, "I've never heard of this person, 507 00:19:30,750 --> 00:19:33,500 and I haven't written a promissory note in 30 years." 508 00:19:34,917 --> 00:19:37,458 - [Dan] It turns out Cassie isn't who she says she is. 509 00:19:38,542 --> 00:19:41,208 - Her real name is Elizabeth Betty Bigley. 510 00:19:41,208 --> 00:19:43,333 She's a grifter from Canada, 511 00:19:43,333 --> 00:19:45,125 and she has been conning people 512 00:19:45,125 --> 00:19:46,958 since she was 13 years old. 513 00:19:46,958 --> 00:19:48,125 [dramatic music] 514 00:19:48,125 --> 00:19:49,458 - She, at one point, runs a brothel, 515 00:19:49,458 --> 00:19:52,208 she later poses as a psychic to the rich. 516 00:19:52,208 --> 00:19:53,792 She marries six times 517 00:19:53,792 --> 00:19:55,500 to increasingly wealthy men. 518 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:58,208 One of these marriages lasts only 12 days. 519 00:19:58,208 --> 00:20:00,458 Now, it's hard to know exactly how much money 520 00:20:00,458 --> 00:20:01,750 she stole in her endeavors, 521 00:20:01,750 --> 00:20:05,375 but most people think it's roughly $650,000, 522 00:20:05,375 --> 00:20:07,167 which in today's money 523 00:20:07,167 --> 00:20:09,250 is about $25 million. 524 00:20:11,292 --> 00:20:13,208 - [Dan] Cassie's arrested in 1905 525 00:20:13,208 --> 00:20:15,250 and convicted on seven counts of conspiracy 526 00:20:15,250 --> 00:20:16,708 against the government. 527 00:20:16,708 --> 00:20:19,542 Her trial becomes a national sensation. 528 00:20:19,542 --> 00:20:22,417 Andrew Carnegie himself even attends in person. 529 00:20:22,417 --> 00:20:23,958 - Once she's found guilty, 530 00:20:23,958 --> 00:20:26,292 the sentiment was not of negativity. 531 00:20:26,292 --> 00:20:29,375 Oh, no, she was really like the people's champ. 532 00:20:29,375 --> 00:20:32,208 Someone started manufacturing Cassie Tonic, 533 00:20:32,208 --> 00:20:35,500 which was supposed to boost your confidence. 534 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:37,958 - Oddly enough, Cassie is allowed 535 00:20:37,958 --> 00:20:41,500 to bring some of her ill-gotten gains to prison with her. 536 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:43,792 Coats, jewelry, furniture. 537 00:20:43,792 --> 00:20:47,000 She's seen as a kind of Robinhood figure. 538 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,375 - As a footnote to this story, 539 00:20:48,375 --> 00:20:50,208 Carnegie actually pays the debts 540 00:20:50,208 --> 00:20:52,042 of some of the people defrauded in Cleveland, 541 00:20:52,042 --> 00:20:53,375 which has led people to speculate 542 00:20:53,375 --> 00:20:54,583 that there may have been more of a connection 543 00:20:54,583 --> 00:20:56,125 between Carnegie and Cassie 544 00:20:56,125 --> 00:20:57,458 than we were led to believe. 545 00:20:58,708 --> 00:21:01,125 - All that pretending has to be exhausting. 546 00:21:01,125 --> 00:21:03,083 Luckily, our next con artist 547 00:21:03,083 --> 00:21:04,292 is able to pull a fast one 548 00:21:04,292 --> 00:21:05,875 barely breaking a sweat. 549 00:21:05,875 --> 00:21:07,292 [dramatic music] 550 00:21:07,292 --> 00:21:09,375 - Arguably, one of the most famous road races 551 00:21:09,375 --> 00:21:10,958 in the entire United States 552 00:21:10,958 --> 00:21:12,333 is the Boston Marathon. 553 00:21:12,333 --> 00:21:15,792 And Bostonians love their marathon. 554 00:21:15,792 --> 00:21:17,958 [starter gun firing] [audience cheering] 555 00:21:17,958 --> 00:21:21,500 Now, while there's tons of civilian competitors, 556 00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:24,917 it's usually pretty seasoned professional runners 557 00:21:24,917 --> 00:21:27,042 who ultimately win these races. 558 00:21:27,042 --> 00:21:28,375 - [Dan] Then in 1980, 559 00:21:28,375 --> 00:21:30,708 one unexpected runner changes the game, 560 00:21:30,708 --> 00:21:33,417 and suddenly a newcomer is making history. 561 00:21:33,417 --> 00:21:35,375 [audience cheering] - Rosie Ruiz 562 00:21:35,375 --> 00:21:36,500 from New York City 563 00:21:37,875 --> 00:21:40,833 heading down Parapet Street 564 00:21:40,833 --> 00:21:43,917 for what appears to be a new American record time. 565 00:21:45,708 --> 00:21:48,083 A young Cuban woman stuns the world 566 00:21:48,083 --> 00:21:49,375 when she becomes the first woman 567 00:21:49,375 --> 00:21:51,667 to cross the finish line in that year's race. 568 00:21:51,667 --> 00:21:55,250 Her time is the third-fastest recorded for a marathon 569 00:21:55,250 --> 00:21:58,083 by a woman in human history. 570 00:21:58,083 --> 00:21:59,458 [audience cheering and clapping] 571 00:21:59,458 --> 00:22:01,708 And she's a complete unknown. 572 00:22:01,708 --> 00:22:03,750 - Rosie is given the traditional wreath of laurels 573 00:22:03,750 --> 00:22:06,917 and a gold medal, complete with a large diamond stud. 574 00:22:06,917 --> 00:22:09,750 She calls it the best day of her life. 575 00:22:09,750 --> 00:22:11,458 - [Dan] This appears to be one heck of a case 576 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:12,625 of beginner's luck, 577 00:22:14,125 --> 00:22:15,667 or is it? 578 00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:19,375 - People start getting suspicious almost immediately. 579 00:22:19,375 --> 00:22:21,458 The marathon places spotters along the route 580 00:22:21,458 --> 00:22:23,375 and none of them remember seeing her 581 00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:25,083 at the checkpoints along the way. 582 00:22:25,083 --> 00:22:26,583 We missed her at all our checkpoints. 583 00:22:26,583 --> 00:22:29,750 - Then things get really suspicious 584 00:22:29,750 --> 00:22:31,375 when commentator Kathrine Switzer, 585 00:22:31,375 --> 00:22:33,833 who is an actual marathon hero, 586 00:22:33,833 --> 00:22:36,917 starts asking Rosie questions about her finish. 587 00:22:36,917 --> 00:22:39,583 - Is someone coaching you or advising you? 588 00:22:39,583 --> 00:22:41,375 - No, I advise myself. [laughing] 589 00:22:41,375 --> 00:22:42,833 [dramatic music] 590 00:22:42,833 --> 00:22:44,958 - Rosie tells her that it's only the second marathon 591 00:22:44,958 --> 00:22:46,333 she's ever run, 592 00:22:46,333 --> 00:22:47,625 that the first was the New York Marathon 593 00:22:47,625 --> 00:22:49,042 and that she finished that one 594 00:22:49,042 --> 00:22:51,917 in two hours and 56 minutes. 595 00:22:51,917 --> 00:22:52,667 - And Switzer is baffled. 596 00:22:52,667 --> 00:22:53,958 She's like, "How did you manage 597 00:22:53,958 --> 00:22:55,167 between New York and Boston 598 00:22:55,167 --> 00:22:58,083 to shave 25 minutes off of your time? 599 00:22:58,083 --> 00:23:00,208 That's an incredible feat, how'd you do that?" 600 00:23:00,208 --> 00:23:02,625 And Ruiz says, "I just trained myself." 601 00:23:02,625 --> 00:23:05,417 - [Kathrine] Have you been doing a lot of heavy intervals? 602 00:23:05,417 --> 00:23:06,708 - Someone else asked me that. 603 00:23:06,708 --> 00:23:09,042 I'm not sure what intervals are. [laughing] 604 00:23:09,042 --> 00:23:13,500 What are they? 605 00:23:13,500 --> 00:23:15,125 - Other things aren't adding up. 606 00:23:15,125 --> 00:23:17,042 It's a hot day in Boston 607 00:23:17,042 --> 00:23:20,667 and she's run 26.2 miles, 608 00:23:20,667 --> 00:23:23,333 and even her hair isn't sweaty. 609 00:23:23,333 --> 00:23:25,458 - [Dan] Still nobody can imagine Rosie 610 00:23:25,458 --> 00:23:27,875 or really anyone cheating the marathon. 611 00:23:27,875 --> 00:23:30,583 That is until witnesses begin to emerge, 612 00:23:30,583 --> 00:23:31,875 including one woman 613 00:23:31,875 --> 00:23:34,583 who starts putting two and two together. 614 00:23:34,583 --> 00:23:36,375 - She saw Rosie during the marathon, 615 00:23:36,375 --> 00:23:38,000 but not on the street. 616 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,375 - She saw her on the T, 617 00:23:39,375 --> 00:23:42,417 which is the [laughing] subway system in Boston. 618 00:23:42,417 --> 00:23:45,542 Rosie told her that she had hurt her ankle 619 00:23:45,542 --> 00:23:47,875 at about the 10-mile mark 620 00:23:47,875 --> 00:23:50,250 and she had dropped out of the race. 621 00:23:50,250 --> 00:23:52,333 - Other people say they saw Rosie 622 00:23:52,333 --> 00:23:55,875 reenter the race at the Kenmore Square stop, 623 00:23:57,083 --> 00:23:59,792 which is about a mile away from the finish line. 624 00:24:00,917 --> 00:24:03,042 - The testimony of all of these people 625 00:24:03,042 --> 00:24:04,375 and all these eyewitnesses 626 00:24:04,375 --> 00:24:07,708 confirmed that Rosie Ruiz was a con artist 627 00:24:07,708 --> 00:24:09,583 and unbelievably lied 628 00:24:09,583 --> 00:24:11,750 about winning the Boston Marathon. 629 00:24:11,750 --> 00:24:14,292 - [Dan] Although her victory is officially taken away, 630 00:24:14,292 --> 00:24:16,708 she holds on to something else. 631 00:24:16,708 --> 00:24:19,375 - Rosie refuses to give up her medal 632 00:24:19,375 --> 00:24:22,083 and claims she won it fair and square. 633 00:24:22,083 --> 00:24:23,500 - I ran the whole race. 634 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:25,375 - And she has kind of cemented her legacy 635 00:24:25,375 --> 00:24:28,625 as making her name synonymous with cheating. 636 00:24:28,625 --> 00:24:30,875 - But I hope it's all cleared up very soon. 637 00:24:30,875 --> 00:24:35,375 - Rosie Ruiz keeps her gold medal for another 39 years, 638 00:24:35,375 --> 00:24:37,417 until the day she dies. 639 00:24:41,542 --> 00:24:43,333 - Death is supposed to be the final chapter, 640 00:24:43,333 --> 00:24:44,625 but for one con man, 641 00:24:44,625 --> 00:24:47,250 it's the perfect cover story. 642 00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:49,417 [birds singing] [dynamic music] 643 00:24:49,417 --> 00:24:51,542 - In 2005, Michael Gordon, 644 00:24:51,542 --> 00:24:53,667 who's on vacation in New Zealand, 645 00:24:53,667 --> 00:24:55,833 hiking on Mount Maunganui. 646 00:24:55,833 --> 00:24:58,458 Suddenly, he stops dead in his tracks 647 00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:00,375 when he sees the couple 648 00:25:00,375 --> 00:25:01,625 that are walking right in front of him. 649 00:25:01,625 --> 00:25:02,875 [dramatic music] 650 00:25:02,875 --> 00:25:05,417 The man looks like his brother, Harry, 651 00:25:05,417 --> 00:25:08,125 who he hasn't seen in five years. 652 00:25:08,125 --> 00:25:11,750 - The only difference is this man has blue eyes, 653 00:25:11,750 --> 00:25:13,208 and the woman who he is with 654 00:25:13,208 --> 00:25:16,000 is definitely not his wife. 655 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,375 And he asks him, "Harry, is that you?" 656 00:25:19,375 --> 00:25:22,375 The man quickly responds, "Of course, 657 00:25:22,375 --> 00:25:24,875 but look, it's not convenient to talk now." 658 00:25:26,458 --> 00:25:28,208 - [Dan] As Michael watches this man and woman 659 00:25:28,208 --> 00:25:29,375 walk away down the trail, 660 00:25:29,375 --> 00:25:31,625 he still can't be certain if this is real, 661 00:25:32,917 --> 00:25:35,500 because his brother, Harry, died five years ago. 662 00:25:36,375 --> 00:25:37,625 [rewind whirring] 663 00:25:37,625 --> 00:25:39,583 [dramatic music] 664 00:25:39,583 --> 00:25:41,042 - It's the year 2000, 665 00:25:41,042 --> 00:25:44,292 Harry Gordon is a 51-year-old millionaire businessman 666 00:25:44,292 --> 00:25:46,000 who runs an engineering firm. 667 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,333 He's married to his lifelong sweetheart, Sheila, 668 00:25:49,333 --> 00:25:50,542 but then he gets involved 669 00:25:50,542 --> 00:25:52,375 in a get-rich-quick scheme 670 00:25:52,375 --> 00:25:54,375 with the Ukrainian mafia, 671 00:25:54,375 --> 00:25:56,458 and it goes south. 672 00:25:56,458 --> 00:25:58,250 [dramatic music] 673 00:25:58,250 --> 00:25:59,625 - [Dan] Drowning in debt, 674 00:25:59,625 --> 00:26:01,875 Harry decides the best course of action 675 00:26:01,875 --> 00:26:04,042 is to fake his own death. 676 00:26:04,042 --> 00:26:05,542 [boat engine roaring] 677 00:26:05,542 --> 00:26:07,542 - One night, Harry takes out his speedboat 678 00:26:07,542 --> 00:26:09,292 on the Carua River estuary. 679 00:26:09,292 --> 00:26:11,333 He scuttles it on the beach. 680 00:26:11,333 --> 00:26:12,583 [boat crashing] 681 00:26:12,583 --> 00:26:14,625 - He leaves his wallet, his cellphone, 682 00:26:14,625 --> 00:26:16,500 and there's two empty bottles of champagne. 683 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:18,625 Then he smashes one of the windows. 684 00:26:18,625 --> 00:26:20,000 And he hops in a van, 685 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,792 which has in it $100,000 of cash. 686 00:26:23,958 --> 00:26:26,750 - The police find his wallet, his ID, 687 00:26:26,750 --> 00:26:29,625 his cellphone, the empty bottles of champagne, 688 00:26:29,625 --> 00:26:31,208 and the busted window. 689 00:26:31,208 --> 00:26:34,167 Investigators conclude that he likely had a collision 690 00:26:34,167 --> 00:26:36,667 with a navigation marker and drowned. 691 00:26:38,083 --> 00:26:40,333 - [Dan] With investigators convinced he's gone for good, 692 00:26:40,333 --> 00:26:42,167 Harry makes his next move. 693 00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:43,375 [dramatic music] 694 00:26:43,375 --> 00:26:45,333 - Harry spends 25 grand 695 00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:46,625 to get a new passport 696 00:26:46,625 --> 00:26:49,042 and changes his name to Rob Motzel. 697 00:26:49,042 --> 00:26:53,042 He also buys a pair of blue contact lenses. 698 00:26:53,042 --> 00:26:55,500 - He then spends the next many months 699 00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:57,625 hopping from Spain to England, 700 00:26:57,625 --> 00:27:00,375 before finally settling in Auckland, New Zealand. 701 00:27:00,375 --> 00:27:01,542 For the next five years, 702 00:27:01,542 --> 00:27:03,375 he lives under his false identity 703 00:27:03,375 --> 00:27:05,333 working in construction. 704 00:27:05,333 --> 00:27:07,708 - He eventually marries in 2005, 705 00:27:07,708 --> 00:27:09,042 as Rob Motzel, 706 00:27:09,042 --> 00:27:11,125 telling her nothing about his real identity. 707 00:27:12,750 --> 00:27:15,125 - [Dan] Life as Rob Motzel seems to be working out, 708 00:27:16,208 --> 00:27:17,458 until a chance encounter 709 00:27:17,458 --> 00:27:19,750 threatens to unravel it all. 710 00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:21,375 - After Harry's brother, Michael, 711 00:27:21,375 --> 00:27:23,208 spots him on that New Zealand trail, 712 00:27:23,208 --> 00:27:24,792 the first thing Michael does 713 00:27:24,792 --> 00:27:27,708 is call Harry's real wife, Sheila, 714 00:27:27,708 --> 00:27:29,167 and rats him out. 715 00:27:29,167 --> 00:27:29,958 [phone ringing] 716 00:27:29,958 --> 00:27:32,042 - Sheila calls the authorities 717 00:27:32,042 --> 00:27:34,208 and lets 'em know her husband's alive 718 00:27:34,208 --> 00:27:35,833 and living in New Zealand. 719 00:27:35,833 --> 00:27:37,667 [dramatic music] [sirens blaring] 720 00:27:37,667 --> 00:27:39,458 - [Dan] An international manhunt ensues 721 00:27:39,458 --> 00:27:43,042 and Harry decides to return to Sydney to face the music. 722 00:27:43,042 --> 00:27:44,917 Police immediately nab him, 723 00:27:44,917 --> 00:27:47,250 and soon realize he's not the only Gordon 724 00:27:47,250 --> 00:27:48,625 with a knack for deception. 725 00:27:50,417 --> 00:27:51,917 - Investigators determine 726 00:27:51,917 --> 00:27:54,208 that there was a lucrative life insurance policy 727 00:27:54,208 --> 00:27:57,542 that his wife, Sheila, attempted to cash in on 728 00:27:57,542 --> 00:27:59,958 only a short time after his death. 729 00:27:59,958 --> 00:28:03,042 The insurance claim is for $3.5 million. 730 00:28:04,167 --> 00:28:05,208 - After this discovery, 731 00:28:05,208 --> 00:28:07,208 police raid Sheila's home, 732 00:28:07,208 --> 00:28:08,708 and they uncover paperwork 733 00:28:08,708 --> 00:28:10,917 calculating the compound interest 734 00:28:10,917 --> 00:28:13,375 on 3 1/2 million dollars. 735 00:28:13,375 --> 00:28:14,958 - There's just one catch, 736 00:28:14,958 --> 00:28:19,000 they wouldn't pay out the full cash value without a body, 737 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,042 and all she got was 25 grand. 738 00:28:22,417 --> 00:28:24,917 - And they also find a card in Harry's handwriting 739 00:28:24,917 --> 00:28:26,958 written to his wife that says, 740 00:28:26,958 --> 00:28:28,625 "Our goals this year, 741 00:28:28,625 --> 00:28:29,708 stay out of jail 742 00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:31,542 and get the money." 743 00:28:31,542 --> 00:28:32,958 [gavel banging] 744 00:28:32,958 --> 00:28:34,708 - [Dan] Sheila serves five months of house arrest, 745 00:28:34,708 --> 00:28:38,042 while Harry is sent to actual prison for 15 months, 746 00:28:38,042 --> 00:28:40,167 charged with false representation. 747 00:28:41,375 --> 00:28:44,333 - Apparently it's kind of illegal to fake your death 748 00:28:44,333 --> 00:28:46,417 and disappear for five years. 749 00:28:46,417 --> 00:28:47,208 Who knew? 750 00:28:49,083 --> 00:28:52,458 - If faking your own death sounds like a bold move, 751 00:28:52,458 --> 00:28:55,333 wait until you see the lengths one woman goes to 752 00:28:55,333 --> 00:28:56,792 just for a signature. 753 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,542 - In April of 2024, a young woman, Erica Nunez, 754 00:29:01,542 --> 00:29:05,000 shows up at a bank in Bangu, Brazil. 755 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,500 And she is wheeling a man 756 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,708 into the bank in a wheelchair. 757 00:29:09,708 --> 00:29:12,792 - Erica claims that the man in the wheelchair 758 00:29:12,792 --> 00:29:14,833 is her Uncle Paolo, 759 00:29:16,292 --> 00:29:19,750 who is there to co-sign a loan for her. 760 00:29:19,750 --> 00:29:22,000 - She's looking to get about 17,000 reals, 761 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,333 which is about $3,400. 762 00:29:24,333 --> 00:29:26,000 And she takes out his ID. 763 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,792 But to put it mildly, from the beginning, 764 00:29:28,792 --> 00:29:32,125 this man is obviously not well. 765 00:29:32,125 --> 00:29:33,458 [dramatic music] 766 00:29:33,458 --> 00:29:34,708 - As he's there in the chair, 767 00:29:34,708 --> 00:29:37,125 Uncle Paolo's head keeps rocking back 768 00:29:37,125 --> 00:29:39,708 and going in all different directions. 769 00:29:39,708 --> 00:29:40,917 She tries to put a pen in his hand 770 00:29:40,917 --> 00:29:42,708 and clearly he can't get a grip on it, 771 00:29:42,708 --> 00:29:45,542 so she pretty much grabs his hand 772 00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:48,542 in an attempt to sign for him. 773 00:29:48,542 --> 00:29:50,000 - [Dan] The teller gets suspicious 774 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:51,875 and starts questioning Erica. 775 00:29:51,875 --> 00:29:53,625 - Erica assures the teller 776 00:29:53,625 --> 00:29:54,750 that he's always like this. 777 00:29:54,750 --> 00:29:56,500 He doesn't speak very much. 778 00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:59,750 She even asks him, "Do you wanna go back to the hospital?" 779 00:29:59,750 --> 00:30:01,375 He doesn't answer. 780 00:30:01,375 --> 00:30:04,292 - [Dan] That's because Uncle Paolo is dead. 781 00:30:06,375 --> 00:30:08,000 - The concerned bank staff 782 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,625 immediately call the authorities, 783 00:30:09,625 --> 00:30:11,208 who of course come to the bank 784 00:30:11,208 --> 00:30:12,875 and arrest Erica. 785 00:30:12,875 --> 00:30:15,083 - Erica's defense is that Uncle Paolo 786 00:30:15,083 --> 00:30:17,667 was alive when they entered the bank, 787 00:30:17,667 --> 00:30:20,000 but no one is buying that. 788 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,458 - When the body gets to the coroner, 789 00:30:22,458 --> 00:30:24,208 he determines that Uncle Paolo 790 00:30:24,208 --> 00:30:27,667 had actually died hours before, earlier that day. 791 00:30:27,667 --> 00:30:31,375 - In Brazil, it turns out the "Weekend at Bernie's" defense 792 00:30:31,375 --> 00:30:32,458 does not hold water. 793 00:30:34,958 --> 00:30:36,500 - It may not have worked for Erica, 794 00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:39,417 but sometimes the right corpse in the right hands 795 00:30:39,417 --> 00:30:40,333 can change history. 796 00:30:44,333 --> 00:30:46,250 - Deception is typically the tool of swindlers and schemers, 797 00:30:46,250 --> 00:30:48,875 used to line pockets and cover tracks. 798 00:30:48,875 --> 00:30:49,875 But every now and then, 799 00:30:49,875 --> 00:30:52,375 a con is pulled not for profit, 800 00:30:52,375 --> 00:30:53,875 but for the greater good. 801 00:30:53,875 --> 00:30:54,708 [cannon firing] [dramatic music] 802 00:30:54,708 --> 00:30:56,292 [explosion booming] 803 00:30:56,292 --> 00:30:57,542 [missiles whooshing] 804 00:30:57,542 --> 00:30:59,500 - It's the spring of 1943, 805 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:01,917 World War II is raging. 806 00:31:03,542 --> 00:31:04,750 [gun firing] 807 00:31:04,750 --> 00:31:06,875 The Germans are gaining momentum, 808 00:31:06,875 --> 00:31:10,417 and the Allies realize that they need a foothold 809 00:31:10,417 --> 00:31:11,333 in southern Europe. 810 00:31:12,458 --> 00:31:14,875 - The Allies are planning to invade Sicily, 811 00:31:14,875 --> 00:31:16,792 but they're gonna need the element of surprise 812 00:31:16,792 --> 00:31:18,333 to pull this off. 813 00:31:19,542 --> 00:31:21,750 - [Dan] British intelligence come up with an idea 814 00:31:21,750 --> 00:31:24,375 to create the greatest military con 815 00:31:24,375 --> 00:31:25,958 since the Trojan Horse. 816 00:31:26,708 --> 00:31:28,375 [dramatic music] 817 00:31:28,375 --> 00:31:31,208 - The plan is to leak false information to the Nazis 818 00:31:31,208 --> 00:31:34,292 that the Allies plan to invade Greece and Sardinia. 819 00:31:34,292 --> 00:31:36,625 So while Hitler diverts military resources 820 00:31:36,625 --> 00:31:38,208 towards Greece and Sardinia, 821 00:31:38,208 --> 00:31:40,250 the Allies will attack through Sicily. 822 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,042 - It's a pretty brilliant fake out, 823 00:31:45,042 --> 00:31:47,167 because the Nazis will assume 824 00:31:47,167 --> 00:31:48,708 that the real invasion 825 00:31:48,708 --> 00:31:49,875 is just the decoy. 826 00:31:51,167 --> 00:31:53,042 - [Dan] Just how are the British going to get news 827 00:31:53,042 --> 00:31:54,792 of this bogus attack 828 00:31:54,792 --> 00:31:56,875 into the hands of the Third Reich? 829 00:31:56,875 --> 00:31:58,083 With a little help 830 00:31:58,083 --> 00:32:00,917 from a 35-year-old Navy intelligence officer, 831 00:32:00,917 --> 00:32:02,708 you may have heard of. 832 00:32:02,708 --> 00:32:04,333 - Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, 833 00:32:04,333 --> 00:32:06,875 who will later write the great "James Bond" novels, 834 00:32:06,875 --> 00:32:07,958 he comes up with an idea 835 00:32:07,958 --> 00:32:09,375 from a spy novel that he's just read 836 00:32:09,375 --> 00:32:12,792 called "The Milliner's Hat" by Basil Thomson. 837 00:32:12,792 --> 00:32:14,875 - There's a plot device in that book 838 00:32:14,875 --> 00:32:18,250 where misinformation is planted on a corpse. 839 00:32:18,250 --> 00:32:22,292 So Fleming thinks, "Hey, we could borrow this idea." 840 00:32:24,167 --> 00:32:26,958 - What they're gonna do is put false attack plans 841 00:32:26,958 --> 00:32:28,417 on a corpse 842 00:32:28,417 --> 00:32:31,375 who will be dressed as a fallen British officer. 843 00:32:31,375 --> 00:32:33,708 - British intelligence are going to float the corpse 844 00:32:33,708 --> 00:32:34,875 off the coast of Spain 845 00:32:34,875 --> 00:32:36,750 so that Nazi sympathizers will pick it up 846 00:32:36,750 --> 00:32:38,833 and find the information. 847 00:32:38,833 --> 00:32:40,750 - Spain at this point is fascist, 848 00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:42,250 and the thinking is that, 849 00:32:42,250 --> 00:32:44,542 if they can just get the right person 850 00:32:44,542 --> 00:32:46,083 to pick up this corpse, 851 00:32:46,083 --> 00:32:49,083 that eventually it will get to Hitler. 852 00:32:49,083 --> 00:32:51,917 - They decide to call this mission of deception 853 00:32:51,917 --> 00:32:53,208 Operation Mincemeat. 854 00:32:55,375 --> 00:32:57,125 - [Dan] First things first, 855 00:32:57,125 --> 00:33:00,333 get ahold of arguably the most important part of the plan. 856 00:33:01,875 --> 00:33:03,208 - From a morgue, 857 00:33:03,208 --> 00:33:05,875 they secure a body of a Welsh transient, 858 00:33:05,875 --> 00:33:07,917 who apparently has no next of kin. 859 00:33:07,917 --> 00:33:09,083 They give him a good shave 860 00:33:09,083 --> 00:33:11,125 and a good military haircut, 861 00:33:11,125 --> 00:33:13,500 and then they put a uniform on him 862 00:33:13,500 --> 00:33:14,708 that has wear and tear 863 00:33:14,708 --> 00:33:18,333 as if he was flying and got ejected into the water. 864 00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:21,500 - Every detail matters, 865 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:23,708 so they need to make him of a sufficient rank 866 00:33:23,708 --> 00:33:24,833 that he would have access 867 00:33:24,833 --> 00:33:26,750 to these kinds of secret plans. 868 00:33:26,750 --> 00:33:29,375 Because he's fictitious, he needs a common-enough name 869 00:33:29,375 --> 00:33:30,708 that it will be almost impossible 870 00:33:30,708 --> 00:33:32,333 for the Germans to trace him. 871 00:33:32,333 --> 00:33:35,833 - So they name him Major William Martin 872 00:33:35,833 --> 00:33:37,250 of the Royal Marines. 873 00:33:38,125 --> 00:33:40,083 - To really bring this all home, 874 00:33:40,083 --> 00:33:43,208 they flesh out this entire fictitious backstory, 875 00:33:43,208 --> 00:33:46,042 and they even plant on him the photograph 876 00:33:46,042 --> 00:33:48,250 of a really lovely young woman 877 00:33:48,250 --> 00:33:51,500 who is his imaginary fiance. 878 00:33:52,458 --> 00:33:54,167 - They are so thorough with this. 879 00:33:54,167 --> 00:33:56,375 They plant love letters. 880 00:33:56,375 --> 00:33:57,542 [pages rustling] 881 00:33:57,542 --> 00:34:00,125 He has receipts for their wedding rings. 882 00:34:00,125 --> 00:34:02,625 They also try to take pictures for his ID badge, 883 00:34:02,625 --> 00:34:04,667 but they can't take a picture of the corpse 884 00:34:04,667 --> 00:34:07,208 because he's, you know, dead. 885 00:34:07,208 --> 00:34:09,542 - So they find another officer 886 00:34:09,542 --> 00:34:11,208 who looks similar enough 887 00:34:11,208 --> 00:34:12,750 and take photographs of him 888 00:34:12,750 --> 00:34:14,292 and use that to make the ID. 889 00:34:15,417 --> 00:34:17,125 - The last thing that they do 890 00:34:17,125 --> 00:34:20,125 is they plant the plan for the invasion in a briefcase, 891 00:34:20,125 --> 00:34:22,500 which is then handcuffed to the corpse's wrist, 892 00:34:22,500 --> 00:34:25,000 because if you handcuff a briefcase to someone's wrist, 893 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,625 you know [laughing] there is something important 894 00:34:27,625 --> 00:34:28,917 in that briefcase. 895 00:34:28,917 --> 00:34:30,625 [handcuffs clacking] 896 00:34:30,625 --> 00:34:31,917 [boat engines roaring] 897 00:34:31,917 --> 00:34:34,417 - [Dan] With every little detail of the charade in place, 898 00:34:34,417 --> 00:34:37,625 on April 30th, it's time to send Major Martin 899 00:34:37,625 --> 00:34:38,708 behind enemy lines. 900 00:34:39,750 --> 00:34:41,625 [suspenseful music] 901 00:34:41,625 --> 00:34:44,042 - And the body is now floating in the ocean 902 00:34:44,042 --> 00:34:45,417 just off the coast of Spain, 903 00:34:45,417 --> 00:34:48,125 with the hopes that it will be discovered 904 00:34:48,125 --> 00:34:50,000 and the plan will be set in motion. 905 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,375 [water flowing] 906 00:34:51,375 --> 00:34:52,875 - He is in the water, 907 00:34:52,875 --> 00:34:56,333 so there are a lot of potential problems that could arise. 908 00:34:56,333 --> 00:34:58,792 What if the plans that are in the briefcase 909 00:34:58,792 --> 00:35:00,792 get obliterated by the water 910 00:35:00,792 --> 00:35:02,375 and the ink all smears? 911 00:35:02,375 --> 00:35:06,042 What if the body just gets eaten by some sea creature? 912 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:10,875 [pensive music] [waves crashing] 913 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:14,042 - The Spanish authorities end up picking up the body 914 00:35:14,042 --> 00:35:14,958 from the water 915 00:35:14,958 --> 00:35:16,750 and the secret documents 916 00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:19,208 that are attached to it as well. 917 00:35:19,208 --> 00:35:22,917 - The documents are opened up covertly, photographed, 918 00:35:22,917 --> 00:35:25,500 and sent off to the Germans in Spain. 919 00:35:25,500 --> 00:35:28,750 This intel makes it all the way up the chain of command, 920 00:35:28,750 --> 00:35:30,208 ultimately to the Third Reich. 921 00:35:30,208 --> 00:35:31,542 [dramatic music] 922 00:35:31,542 --> 00:35:34,542 - The Germans gobble up Operation Mincemeat 923 00:35:34,542 --> 00:35:35,833 like it's dinner. 924 00:35:35,833 --> 00:35:38,625 Hitler buys it and he starts diverting his troops 925 00:35:38,625 --> 00:35:40,500 to Greece and Sardinia. 926 00:35:40,500 --> 00:35:43,542 He actually doubles the number of troops in Sardinia, 927 00:35:43,542 --> 00:35:45,750 and this leaves Sicily wide open. 928 00:35:47,625 --> 00:35:50,333 - The Allied forces bombard the Nazis, 929 00:35:50,333 --> 00:35:51,708 completely win the day, 930 00:35:51,708 --> 00:35:53,292 take over Sicily, 931 00:35:53,292 --> 00:35:56,208 and finally have that firm stronghold in Southern Europe 932 00:35:56,208 --> 00:35:58,375 as they had planned to have the entire time. 933 00:36:01,083 --> 00:36:02,708 - Operation Mincemeat is considered 934 00:36:02,708 --> 00:36:04,875 one of the greatest and most successful deceptions 935 00:36:04,875 --> 00:36:06,417 of World War II. 936 00:36:06,417 --> 00:36:08,583 It turns the tides in the Allies' favor 937 00:36:08,583 --> 00:36:10,375 and delivers a humiliating blow to Hitler. 938 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:16,500 - Trickery and scams aren't exclusive to mankind, 939 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:18,292 the animal kingdom is rife with creatures 940 00:36:18,292 --> 00:36:20,667 that just can't be trusted. 941 00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:22,542 [upbeat music] 942 00:36:22,542 --> 00:36:26,208 - Becoming a butterfly is dangerous business. 943 00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:29,417 They begin life as vulnerable caterpillars. 944 00:36:29,417 --> 00:36:31,625 And they're even more fragile 945 00:36:31,625 --> 00:36:33,833 when they're inside their chrysalids. 946 00:36:33,833 --> 00:36:36,375 They liquefy their tissues 947 00:36:36,375 --> 00:36:40,708 and reform them into the shape of an adult butterfly. 948 00:36:40,708 --> 00:36:43,083 - There's nothing it can do to protect itself. 949 00:36:43,083 --> 00:36:44,333 So it's very important 950 00:36:44,333 --> 00:36:45,833 that this caterpillar chooses 951 00:36:45,833 --> 00:36:47,458 just the correct spot 952 00:36:47,458 --> 00:36:49,875 to perform this transition. 953 00:36:49,875 --> 00:36:51,167 - [Dan] To most red ants, 954 00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:53,000 caterpillars are lunch. 955 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,417 But not the blue butterfly caterpillar. 956 00:36:55,417 --> 00:36:57,500 This one flips the script. 957 00:36:57,500 --> 00:37:00,125 - After a few days of feeding on leaves, 958 00:37:00,125 --> 00:37:03,625 this caterpillar drops from its host plant to the ground, 959 00:37:03,625 --> 00:37:07,125 hoping that a red ant will stroll by. 960 00:37:07,125 --> 00:37:08,833 - [Dan] Then the caterpillar pulls off 961 00:37:08,833 --> 00:37:11,125 one heck of a costume change. 962 00:37:11,125 --> 00:37:12,875 - First off, she takes in a bunch of air 963 00:37:12,875 --> 00:37:14,292 and she inflates herself, 964 00:37:14,292 --> 00:37:17,208 so she then resembles the queen red ant. 965 00:37:17,208 --> 00:37:18,958 And she can create a sound 966 00:37:18,958 --> 00:37:21,000 that resembles a distress call, 967 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,333 so all the ants are attracted 968 00:37:23,333 --> 00:37:24,667 to come to her defense. 969 00:37:25,833 --> 00:37:27,250 - [Dan] Ever the rescuers, 970 00:37:27,250 --> 00:37:29,500 the worker ants pick up the fake queen 971 00:37:29,500 --> 00:37:31,208 and bring her into the colony. 972 00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:34,917 - The caterpillar continues to chirp out 973 00:37:34,917 --> 00:37:36,250 the queen's distress call, 974 00:37:36,250 --> 00:37:38,208 hoping that the rest of the colony 975 00:37:38,208 --> 00:37:39,250 will be drawn to her 976 00:37:39,250 --> 00:37:41,125 and accept her as the queen. 977 00:37:41,125 --> 00:37:42,875 This is a pretty nervy thing to do 978 00:37:42,875 --> 00:37:46,875 because these red ants could just kill and eat her. 979 00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:48,250 - So long as the caterpillar 980 00:37:48,250 --> 00:37:51,042 continues emitting the right sounds, 981 00:37:51,042 --> 00:37:53,667 it has free reign to wreak havoc. 982 00:37:53,667 --> 00:37:54,708 [ominous music] 983 00:37:54,708 --> 00:37:57,125 - Most caterpillars are herbivores, 984 00:37:57,125 --> 00:37:59,250 but this one is a carnivore. 985 00:37:59,250 --> 00:38:01,708 So she begins eating the ant larvae 986 00:38:01,708 --> 00:38:04,500 and whatever ants get in her way. 987 00:38:04,500 --> 00:38:07,167 - By the time she's pretty much eaten the entire colony, 988 00:38:07,167 --> 00:38:08,750 within about six months, 989 00:38:08,750 --> 00:38:12,542 she will reach a hundred times her original size. 990 00:38:12,542 --> 00:38:15,208 At this point, she begins to pupate 991 00:38:15,208 --> 00:38:16,542 and becomes a chrysalis. 992 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:18,000 - And now she's safe, 993 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,375 because pretty much anything that could've eaten her, 994 00:38:20,375 --> 00:38:21,875 she's already eaten them. 995 00:38:23,833 --> 00:38:26,625 - [Dan] Nearly a year later, in the springtime, 996 00:38:26,625 --> 00:38:30,167 the caterpillar performs her final act. 997 00:38:30,167 --> 00:38:31,417 - All she has to do now 998 00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:33,750 is find her way out of the ant nest, 999 00:38:33,750 --> 00:38:36,042 spread her wings and take to the skies. 1000 00:38:36,042 --> 00:38:38,792 [dramatic music] 1001 00:38:39,750 --> 00:38:40,875 - Next up, 1002 00:38:40,875 --> 00:38:42,833 a bait and switch that proves even zoos 1003 00:38:42,833 --> 00:38:45,208 have a few tricks up their sleeves. 1004 00:38:45,208 --> 00:38:47,542 [upbeat music] 1005 00:38:47,542 --> 00:38:49,500 - Of all the animals you would see at the zoo, 1006 00:38:49,500 --> 00:38:52,500 giant pandas are the number-one attraction. 1007 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:54,333 They're extremely rare. 1008 00:38:54,333 --> 00:38:56,500 The Chinese government is very restrictive 1009 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:58,500 of what zoos around the world 1010 00:38:58,500 --> 00:39:01,042 can actually have a panda on exhibit. 1011 00:39:01,042 --> 00:39:02,875 So to see one in captivity 1012 00:39:02,875 --> 00:39:06,208 is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 1013 00:39:06,208 --> 00:39:08,042 - [Dan] That's why a zoo in China 1014 00:39:08,042 --> 00:39:09,792 does the unbelievable 1015 00:39:09,792 --> 00:39:12,375 in an attempt to give the public what they want. 1016 00:39:13,125 --> 00:39:14,833 - It's May, 2024, 1017 00:39:14,833 --> 00:39:19,542 and the very proud folks at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province 1018 00:39:19,542 --> 00:39:22,125 announce that they have the great good fortune 1019 00:39:22,125 --> 00:39:25,542 of having two new baby panda pups. 1020 00:39:26,708 --> 00:39:28,042 - [Dan] Hordes of panda fans 1021 00:39:28,042 --> 00:39:29,667 crowd around the enclosure 1022 00:39:29,667 --> 00:39:32,333 for a glimpse at the zoo's star attractions. 1023 00:39:34,583 --> 00:39:37,583 - From a distance, they look, well, like pandas. 1024 00:39:37,583 --> 00:39:39,208 They're playful, they're chunky, 1025 00:39:39,208 --> 00:39:40,458 they're adorable. 1026 00:39:40,458 --> 00:39:42,125 - Now, they have the round pompom ears, 1027 00:39:42,125 --> 00:39:44,500 they even have the black patches around their eyes, 1028 00:39:44,500 --> 00:39:46,208 but if you really look, 1029 00:39:46,208 --> 00:39:48,125 something is off. 1030 00:39:48,125 --> 00:39:50,500 - People are really [laughing] starting to ask questions, 1031 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:53,167 like, "Is there something real weird about these pandas?" 1032 00:39:53,167 --> 00:39:55,875 [dramatic music] 1033 00:39:55,875 --> 00:39:58,042 - [Dan] That's when the zoo fesses up. 1034 00:39:58,042 --> 00:39:59,708 Real pandas are expensive, 1035 00:40:01,542 --> 00:40:03,667 and come with a mountain of red tape, 1036 00:40:03,667 --> 00:40:05,583 so they get a little creative. 1037 00:40:07,083 --> 00:40:09,375 - They got these Chow Chow dogs. 1038 00:40:09,375 --> 00:40:11,375 Now, this is a breed from Northern China 1039 00:40:11,375 --> 00:40:13,458 that has puffy fur, 1040 00:40:13,458 --> 00:40:15,417 they have this kind of lion-like mane, 1041 00:40:15,417 --> 00:40:17,292 this pushed-in face. 1042 00:40:17,292 --> 00:40:18,708 - They give 'em a little haircut 1043 00:40:18,708 --> 00:40:20,708 and they [laughing] do a little dye job, 1044 00:40:20,708 --> 00:40:25,417 and voila, they come out looking like pandas. 1045 00:40:25,417 --> 00:40:27,375 - The public is up in arms. 1046 00:40:27,375 --> 00:40:28,917 I mean, it's consumer fraud. 1047 00:40:30,500 --> 00:40:33,583 - And there are questions from animal rights groups 1048 00:40:33,583 --> 00:40:36,458 about whether or not this is animal abuse. 1049 00:40:36,458 --> 00:40:38,667 - So the zoo defended itself by saying, 1050 00:40:38,667 --> 00:40:41,208 "Listen, dogs are groomed all the time. 1051 00:40:41,208 --> 00:40:43,042 It's safe dye. 1052 00:40:43,042 --> 00:40:45,042 So everyone just calm down." 1053 00:40:45,042 --> 00:40:47,958 - In fact, instead of shrinking from the deception, 1054 00:40:47,958 --> 00:40:49,500 the zoo doubles down. 1055 00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:51,417 They embrace the lie. 1056 00:40:51,417 --> 00:40:52,667 - [Dan] Local officials rule 1057 00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:53,958 that as long as the zoo 1058 00:40:53,958 --> 00:40:56,875 posts a clear sign stating these aren't pandas, 1059 00:40:56,875 --> 00:41:00,042 they're not guilty of false advertising. 1060 00:41:00,042 --> 00:41:01,333 [bright music] 1061 00:41:01,333 --> 00:41:02,667 - A number of those attending the zoo 1062 00:41:02,667 --> 00:41:04,500 say they appreciate the hustle, 1063 00:41:04,500 --> 00:41:06,458 saying the zoo saw a need and got creative. 1064 00:41:06,458 --> 00:41:07,417 [dogs barking] 1065 00:41:07,417 --> 00:41:09,042 - Representatives from the zoo 1066 00:41:09,042 --> 00:41:11,042 actually said that they got this whole idea 1067 00:41:11,042 --> 00:41:14,500 to dye these puppies from the internet. 1068 00:41:14,500 --> 00:41:16,125 And everybody's pretty interested 1069 00:41:16,125 --> 00:41:18,333 and a whole lot of people have looked at those puppies. 1070 00:41:18,333 --> 00:41:19,958 So mission accomplished. 1071 00:41:21,333 --> 00:41:22,792 [dramatic music] 1072 00:41:22,792 --> 00:41:25,333 - From snake oil to massive bridges for sale, 1073 00:41:25,333 --> 00:41:27,708 enlisting the dead or faking your dead, 1074 00:41:27,708 --> 00:41:30,375 these are the cons so spectacular 1075 00:41:30,375 --> 00:41:32,958 they can only be called unbelievable.