It was a time of unregulated madness.
This rip-roaring tale of greed, financial corruption, dirty politics, over-the-top and under-the-radar deceit, illicit sex, and a brilliant and wildly charming con man on the town, then on the lam, is not only a rich and detailed account of a man and an era; it\'s a fascinating look.
Enter a slick, smooth-talking, charismatic lawyer named Leo Koretz, who enticed hundreds of people to invest as much as $30 million--upward of $400 million today--in phantom timberland and nonexistent oil wells in Panama.
And nowhere was it madder than in Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties.
The Associated Press It was a time of unregulated madness.
Chicago Tribune This cautionary tale of 1920s greed and excess reads like it could happen today. brings the Chicago of the 1880s and 90s to life. . .
Jobb vividly . . .
The Christian Science Monitor A masterpiece of narrative set-up and vivid language .
A Story that seems to be as American as it can get, and it s told well. . .
The New York Times Book Review Captivating .
Karen Abbott, author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy Intoxicating and impressively researched, Jobb s immorality tale provides a sobering post-Madoff reminder that those who think everything is theirs for the taking are destined to be taken. ? A rollicking tale that is one part The Sting, one part The Great Gatsby, and one part The Devil in the White City.
Leo Koretz was the Bernie Madoff of his day, and Dean Jobb shows us that the American dream of easy wealth is a timeless commodity.
As bedecked partygoers thronged to the Drake Hotel s opulent banquet rooms, corrupt politicians held court in thriving speakeasies and the frenzy of stock market gambling was rampant.
As Model Ts rumbled down Michigan Avenue, gang-war shootings announced Al Capone s rise to underworld domination.
This rip-roaring tale of greed, financial corruption, dirty politics, over-the-top and under-the-radar deceit, illicit sex, and a brilliant and wildly charming con man on the town, then on the lam, is not only a rich and detailed account of a man and an era; it s a fascinating look at the methods of swindlers throughout history.
Enter a slick, smooth-talking, charismatic lawyer named Leo Koretz, who enticed hundreds of people to invest as much as $30 million upward of $400 million today in phantom timberland and nonexistent oil wells in Panama.
And nowhere was it madder than in Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties.
It was a time of unregulated madness
