Victor Lustig: Master Confidence Man

11 Pages 2854 Words

g to deal with the threat of losing. After a series of successful bets Victor’s inside source was leaving and there was only the opportunity for one more bet. Of course Victor’s mark made his last bet a substantial one and conveniently for the first time he lost. Victor walked away with $30,000 of this Montreal banker’s money.
Victor was brilliant when it came to the art of persuasion. For example, Lustig convinced not just one person, but three to buy a machine that could duplicate money. The machine was called a Rumanian Box and was essentially a wooden box with slots, buttons, and knobs on it for appearance sake. Lustig carefully picked his mark and staged a fool proof “demonstration” of the effectiveness of his product. He then answered any questions that the marks had quickly and confidently impressing them with his knowledge of how the product worked and his use of technical language. Victor’s first mark was a wealthy man who was looking for a way to keep his fortune. Victor saw the opportunity to take adva...