About the Book
A rollicking tale that is one part "The Sting, "one part "The Great Gatsby, " and one part "The Devil in the White City." Karen Abbott, author of "Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy" In a time of unregulated madness, nowhere was it madder than in Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. It was the perfect place for a slick, smooth-talking, charismatic lawyer named Leo Koretz to entice hundreds of people to invest as much as $30 million--upwards of $400 million today--in phantom timberland and nonexistent oil wells in Panama. It was an ingenious deceit, one that out-Ponzied Charles Ponzi himself. In 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 and then on the lam, "Empire of Deception "proves that the American dream of easy wealth is truly a timeless commodity. Captivating . . . Dean Jobb tells the story of Leo Koretz, a legendary con artist of Madoffian audacity, with terrific energy and narrative brio. Gary Krist, author of "Empire of Sin" A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it s history that captures America as it really was--and always will be. A great read. Douglas Perry, author of "Eliot Ness" Reads like a Gatsby-Ponzi mashup . . . Kudos to Jobb for unearthing this overlooked story and bringing to life a charming, witty, naughty, iconic American crook. Neal Thompson, author of "A Curious Man" The granddaddy of all con men, Leo Koretz gives Jobb the opportunity to exhibit his impressive research and storytelling skills . . . A highly readable, entertaining story. "Kirkus Reviews" "
Review :
An absolutely rollicking tale that is one part "The Sting," one part "The Great Gatsby," and one part "The Devil in the White City." Impressively researched and brilliantly told, "Empire of Deception" vividly recreates the unscrupulous side of 1920s Chicago where greed, deception, and corruption ran amok, and where one Leo Koretz, a charismatic and enigmatic con man, charmed them all . . . including me. Karen Abbott, author of "Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy" This lively, entertaining, and depressingly relevant history of a man and his con reads like a novel and will be enjoyed by fans of popular history as well as true crime. "Library Journal," starred review The granddaddy of all con men, Leo Koretz gives Jobb the opportunity to exhibit his impressive research and storytelling skills . . . The author keeps readers on edge following the scam's collapse and the worldwide manhunt, as they wait to see if Koretz might just get away with it . . . A highly readable, entertaining story offering a solid education for any one lacking scruples and wanting to make money. "Kirkus Reviews " A guilty-pleasure reminder that the most audacious bad guys have always been the most entertaining. In Dean Jobb s hands, the free-for-all 1920s, a sweet spot in the history of greed and corruption, reads like a Gatsby-Ponzi mash-up. What makes Koretz s unscrupulousness outshine Charles Ponzi s and even Bernie Madoff s is how, after he s cornered, he hits the road and brazenly crafts a deluxe new life for himself in remote Canada, which launches a massive manhunt led by an obsessive Chicago lawman. Kudos to Jobb for unearthing this overlooked story and bringing to life a charming, witty, naughty, iconic American crook. Neal Thompson, author of "A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert Believe It or Not! Ripley" Begin with a Bernie Madoff, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing con man, pursued by a power-hungry prig of a public prosecutor; add the great hog-trough feeding frenzy of 1920s Chicago; stir with great writing and enterprising research; and there you have it: A wonderfully entertaining read! Michael Lesy, author of "Wisconsin Death Trip" "Empire of Deception" is a sure thing--a book guaranteed to entertain and make you rich (in knowledge, that is). Dean Jobb has found a fascinating yet little-known jazz-age tale and told it with style and smarts. Get in on the action. Jonathan Eig, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Get Capone" Peppered with contemporaneous photos depicting the key players and the swanky places, phony stock certificates, newspaper headlines, and even a 'wanted' posted, "Empire of Deception" is a jaw-dropping, rollicking good read. "Booklist " The unique features of Dean Jobb s book about Leo Koretz are his lively description of the people involved and the slippery slope that grew with each fraudulent step. The book makes the people come alive, presenting a movie in words. " Empire of Deception" demonstrates the dangers of unverified promises of great wealth and is an invaluable lesson on how investors can protect themselves. Professor Tamar Frankel, author of "The Ponzi Scheme Puzzle" A captivating tale of high-flying financial chicanery in 1920s Chicago. Dean Jobb tells the story of Leo Koretz, a legendary con artist of Madoffian audacity, with terrific energy and narrative brio. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Gary Krist, "New York Times" bestselling author of "City of Scoundrels" This highly readable account of a major swindle in the Roaring Twenties in Chicago will convince any sensible reader that when it comes to investing in crackpot schemes, nobody ever learns anything by experience. Leo Koretz did exactly what Bernie Madoff did, and came to the same end, as did his investors. A dramatic read, and a useful lesson! Michael Korda, author of" Charmed Lives" Dean Jobb s exploration of financial shaman Leo Koretz's shameless scheming is a great read, but it's also so much more than that. A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it s history that captures America as it really was--and always will be. Douglas Perry, author of" Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero" Except to those being swindled, swindlers make wonderful, swaggering copy, and Dean Jobb has made splendid use of the material in this juicy retelling. His story of conman Leo (or Lou, or Al, or whatever name he chose to use) and his pathetically gullible and mostly rich victims perfectly captures the flavors of Chicago (and New York! and Nova Scotia!) in the Roaring Twenties. What a great caper movie this would make! Marq de Villiers, author of "Our Way Out: Principles for a Post-Apocalyptic World ""
"An absolutely rollicking tale that is one part "The Sting," one part "The Great Gatsby," and one part "The Devil in the White City." Impressively researched and brilliantly told, "Empire of Deception" vividly recreates the unscrupulous side of 1920s Chicago where greed, deception, and corruption ran amok, and where one Leo Koretz, a charismatic and enigmatic con man, charmed them all . . . including me." --Karen Abbott, author of "Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy" "This lively, entertaining, and depressingly relevant history of a man and his con reads like a novel and will be enjoyed by fans of popular history as well as true crime." --"Library Journal," starred review "The granddaddy of all con men, Leo Koretz gives Jobb the opportunity to exhibit his impressive research and storytelling skills . . . The author keeps readers on edge following the scam's collapse and the worldwide manhunt, as they wait to see if Koretz might just get away with it . . . A highly readable, entertaining story offering a solid education for any one lacking scruples and wanting to make money." --"Kirkus Reviews " "A guilty-pleasure reminder that the most audacious bad guys have always been the most entertaining. In Dean Jobb's hands, the free-for-all 1920s, a sweet spot in the history of greed and corruption, reads like a Gatsby-Ponzi mash-up. What makes Koretz's unscrupulousness outshine Charles Ponzi's and even Bernie Madoff's is how, after he's cornered, he hits the road and brazenly crafts a deluxe new life for himself in remote Canada, which launches a massive manhunt led by an obsessive Chicago lawman. Kudos to Jobb for unearthing this overlooked story and bringing to life a charming, witty, naughty, iconic American crook." --Neal Thompson, author of "A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley" "Begin with a Bernie Madoff, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing con man, pursued by a power-hungry prig of a public prosecutor; add the great hog-trough feeding frenzy of 1920s Chicago; stir with great writing and enterprising research; and there you have it: A wonderfully entertaining read!" --Michael Lesy, author of "Wisconsin Death Trip" ""Empire of Deception" is a sure thing--a book guaranteed to entertain and make you rich (in knowledge, that is). Dean Jobb has found a fascinating yet little-known jazz-age tale and told it with style and smarts. Get in on the action." --Jonathan Eig, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Get Capone" "Peppered with contemporaneous photos depicting the key players and the swanky places, phony stock certificates, newspaper headlines, and even a 'wanted' posted, "Empire of Deception" is a jaw-dropping, rollicking good read." --"Booklist " "The unique features of Dean Jobb's book about Leo Koretz are his lively description of the people involved and the slippery slope that grew with each fraudulent step. The book makes the people come alive, presenting a 'movie in words.'" Empire of Deception" demonstrates the dangers of unverified promises of great wealth and is an invaluable lesson on how investors can protect themselves." --Professor Tamar Frankel, author of "The Ponzi Scheme Puzzle" "A captivating tale of high-flying financial chicanery in 1920s Chicago. Dean Jobb tells the story of Leo Koretz, a legendary con artist of Madoffian audacity, with terrific energy and narrative brio. A thoroughly enjoyable read." --Gary Krist, "New York Times" bestselling author of "City of Scoundrels" "This highly readable account of a major swindle in the Roaring Twenties in Chicago will convince any sensible reader that when it comes to investing in crackpot schemes, nobody ever learns anything by experience. Leo Koretz did exactly what Bernie Madoff did, and came to the same end, as did his investors. A dramatic read, and a useful lesson!" --Michael Korda, author of" Charmed Lives" "Dean Jobb's exploration of financial shaman Leo Koretz's shameless scheming is a great read, but it's also so much more than that. A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it's history that captures America as it really was--and always will be." --Douglas Perry, author of" Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero" "Except to those being swindled, swindlers make wonderful, swaggering copy, and Dean Jobb has made splendid use of the material in this juicy retelling. His story of conman Leo (or Lou, or Al, or whatever name he chose to use) and his pathetically gullible and mostly rich victims perfectly captures the flavors of Chicago (and New York! and Nova Scotia!) in the Roaring Twenties. What a great caper movie this would make!" --Marq de Villiers, author of "Our Way Out: Principles for a Post-Apocalyptic World "
"Dean Jobb has written an absolutely rollicking tale that is one part "The Sting," one part "The Great Gatsby," and one part "The Devil in the White City." Impressively researched and brilliantly told, "Empire of Deception" vividly recreates the unscrupulous side of 1920s Chicago where greed, deception, and corruption ran amok, and where one Leo Koretz, a charismatic and enigmatic con man, charmed them all . . . including me." --Karen Abbott, author of "Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy" "The granddaddy of all con men, Leo Koretz gives Jobb the opportunity to exhibit his impressive research and storytelling skills . . . The author keeps readers on edge following the scam's collapse and the worldwide manhunt, as they wait to see if Koretz might just get away with it . . . A highly readable, entertaining story offering a solid education for any one lacking scruples and wanting to make money." --"Kirkus Reviews " "A guilty-pleasure reminder that the most audacious bad guys have always been the most entertaining. In Dean Jobb's hands, the free-for-all 1920s, a sweet spot in the history of greed and corruption, reads like a Gatsby-Ponzi mash-up. What makes Koretz's unscrupulousness outshine Charles Ponzi's and even Bernie Madoff's is how, after he's cornered, he hits the road and brazenly crafts a deluxe new life for himself in remote Canada, which launches a massive manhunt led by an obsessive Chicago lawman. Kudos to Jobb for unearthing this overlooked story and bringing to life a charming, witty, naughty, iconic American crook." --Neal Thompson, author of "A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe It or Not!" Ripley" "Begin with a Bernie Madoff, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing con man, pursued by a power-hungry prig of a public prosecutor; add the great hog-trough feeding frenzy of 1920s Chicago; stir with great writing and enterprising research; and there you have it: A wonderfully entertaining read!" --Michael Lesy, author of "Wisconsin Death Trip" ""Empire of Deception" is a sure thing--a book guaranteed to entertain and make you rich (in knowledge, that is). Dean Jobb has found a fascinating yet little-known jazz-age tale and told it with style and smarts. Get in on the action." --Jonathan Eig, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Get Capone" "The unique features of Dean Jobb's book about Leo Koretz are his lively description of the people involved and the slippery slope that grew with each fraudulent step. The book makes the people come alive, presenting a 'movie in words.'" Empire of Deception" demonstrates the dangers of unverified promises of great wealth and is an invaluable lesson on how investors can protect themselves." --Professor Tamar Frankel, author of "The Ponzi Scheme Puzzle" "A captivating tale of high-flying financial chicanery in 1920s Chicago. Dean Jobb tells the story of Leo Koretz, a legendary con artist of Madoffian audacity, with terrific energy and narrative brio. A thoroughly enjoyable read." --Gary Krist, "New York Times" bestselling author of "City of Scoundrels" "This highly readable account of a major swindle in the Roaring Twenties in Chicago will convince any sensible reader that when it comes to investing in crackpot schemes, nobody ever learns anything by experience. Leo Koretz did exactly what Bernie Madoff did, and came to the same end, as did his investors. A dramatic read, and a useful lesson!" --Michael Korda, author of" Charmed Lives" "Dean Jobb's exploration of financial shaman Leo Koretz's shameless scheming is a great read, but it's also so much more than that. A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it's history that captures America as it really was--and always will be." --Douglas Perry, author of" Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero" "Except to those being swindled, swindlers make wonderful, swaggering copy, and Dean Jobb has made splendid use of the material in this juicy retelling. His story of conman Leo (or Lou, or Al, or whatever name he chose to use) and his pathetically gullible and mostly rich victims perfectly captures the flavors of Chicago (and New York! and Nova Scotia!) in the Roaring Twenties. What a great caper movie this would make!" --Marq de Villiers, author of "Our Way Out: Principles for a Post-Apocalyptic World "
