Victor merry (* 4 January 1890 in "† 11. March 1947 in Springfield (Missouri)) were a well-known trick cheat and Hochstapler. It became world-wide admits as the man, who sold the Eiffelturm.

Lustigs family ranked among the elevated middle class. Its training was good, so that it at least five languages flowing controlled. With 19 years merry was struck down with a controversy over a girl by a competitor, it carried thereby a characteristic scar off between left eye and left ear. After its school time he spent time in the prison because of smaller criminal offences some.

Before the First World War merry on the large overseas steamers its money with frauds earned itself with luck and packs of cards. With the outbreak of the First World War this pecuniary resource triumphed however. In the year 1920 Victor merry went into the USA, where he called himself count Victor merry. With its knowledge of human nature and his aristokratischen occurrence he brought his Schwindeleien to perfection. Among its victims among other things aluminium Capone ranked. It sold alleged money printing machines and pretended safe Tipps with horse bets, in order to make itself with the employments from the dust. Its largest coup succeeded to it 1925, when it sold Paris the Eiffelturm. After this had recognized the fraud, he was ashamed so much that he did not go to the police, and merry tried the coup a second time. Its buyer went however to the police, whereupon the swindle flew up.

Victor merry fled back into the United States. There it was shifted on the In the Remsen County (Oklahoma) it was arrested, could convince the Sheriff Richards however to release it in the exchange against a money printing machine to the special price. The Sheriff checked up the trick too late, it pursued merry until Chicago, where it seized it in one. Merrily it kept however the nerves and explained to the Sheriff that he would have wrongly served the machine. It succeeded to it, the Sheriff with technical Kauderwelsch in winding, until itself this in agreement with the fact explained that merry would come to Oklahoma and it the equipment explains again. In order to calm it down, merry gave it a bundle to 100$-Noten, around it for the journey "compensates". Thereby however short time concerned was later arrested counterfeit money, Sheriff Richards.

In the year 1934 the Secret service set up a special commission, which should uncover the origin of the counterfeit money, which the USA inundated. In the suspicion a pharmacist stood named William of Watt, which had already falsified labels for Whiskey bottles during the Prohibition. There was however no reference to the place of residence of Watt, only its contact man was well-known - count Victor merry. Merrily it was arrested and confessed that Watt it falsified the prints stated however that he did not have to do anything with the whole thing. It had however a key for a safe-deposit box to Time the Square with itself, in whatever US Dollar wrong beside 51.000 prints were found.

Merrily one accused and one arrested in New York. Still on day before its process the escape succeeded to it by means of a rope from sheets. After 27 days it was again arrested in Pittsburgh. On 5 December 1935 the process was made for it, principal witness was thereby the William of Watt arrested a short while before. Merrily to 15 years prison was condemned and sent after Alcatraz. To 9. It got sick to March 1947 with pneumonia and died two days later. According to legend aluminium Capone is to have used itself personally for Lustigs protection in the prison. The official should be gestolpert when filling out the certificate of death over the point "occupation". Since allegedly nothing better occurred to it, he registered "salesmen".

Sales of the Eiffelturms

In the twenties after the First World War Paris boomte. Victor merry seizes the plan in the spring 1925 to sell the Eiffelturm after it had read a newspaper article over its renovation needyness. The idea was not completely impossible at this time. The Eiffelturm was built 1889 for those for Paris world exhibition and should be originally diminished 1909 again. The tower did not fit in opinion that Paris citizen into the townscape and was accordingly badly maintained. Merrily spent themselves as a government official and let advertisements for the sales of the Eiffelturms falsify.

He sent invitations away to sales negotiations at six Paris In the prestigious hotel de Crillon to the Place de la Concorde should take place a confidential meeting. The hotel was as well-known meeting place of diplomats and politicians perfect a camouflage. All six dealers published to the Termin.Victor merry understood itself as a deputy general manager of the post office Ministry. He explained the prospective customers that they were selected due to their Reputation as honest businessmen. Subsequently, it implemented that the Eiffelturm was to be torn off and sold as scrap iron. Due to the public discussion which can be expected it wants to hold the conversations first confidentially, until all questions are clarified. It led the to the tower, in order to estimate their behavior and its interest. Subsequently, he explained that he up to the following day expect requirements. At this time it was already clear it that he would lock the trade with Andre Poisson, an uncertain man, who expected from the purchase of the Eiffelturms the ascent in that Paris commercial world. The uncertainty Poissons was at the same time also a danger for the plan, because its wife drew suspicion.

In order to eliminate these, merry a further meeting set. There it changed the topic, became confidential and told Poisson, how badly it as a civil servant earn and that it would up-improve its income gladly. Poisson was with corrupt state employees trusts, so that he understood immediately that merry demanded a bribe. This convinced it in the long run of the authenticity of sale.

After conclusion of the trade merry with its Kompagnon Dan Collins set off immediately to Vienna. Against all expectations he did not find a message in the newspapers over the fraud. Poisson had been so ashamed that he did not dare, to go to the police. Later merry turned one month therefore to Paris back around exactly the same swindles again to accomplish. This time the buyer drew however for suspicion and went to the police, whereupon merry had to flee.

Fraud on aluminium Capone

In the year 1926 count Victor visited merrily aluminium Capone and stated, it could double a sum of 50.000$ in 60 days. Capone was distrustful, trusted however in its power and entered into the play. Merrily the money deposited in a Banksafe in Chicago and drove to New York. After 60 days it returned to Chicago, fetched the money and went to Capone. He explained to him that its plan had failed. It apologized word-rich and alluded to its bad financial situation, afterwards returned it the 50,000 dollar at aluminium Capone. This was speechless - he had counted either on 100,000 dollar or the total loss of the money. Capone lived honest act calm in constant distrust and was not therefore on in such a way one - in its eyes -. So surprised he handed merry to 5000$ over, in order to help it from its clamp.

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