George C. Parker is one of the greatest con man in U.S. history. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Parker preyed on new immigrants arriving to America who were looking for their slice of the American pie. He paid stewards on ships headed to Ellis Island to identify potential targets. The stewards would scope out passengers with loads of cash and a gullable spirit.
Parker opened real estate offices and produced authentic looking documents to prove that he owned various real estate and monuments in New York City. One of Parker’s most successful con’s was to sell the Brooklyn Bridge. Parker claims he sold the bridge twice a week for seven years. The sale prices varied but went as high as $ 50,000. The victims would only know they were conned when the police stopped them from putting up toll barriers on the bridge.
Parker moved into “selling” public landmarks like the original Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty and Grant’s Tomb. With Grant’s Tomb, Parker posed as Grant’s grandson to convince victims to buy the landmark. Parker even sold many successful shows and plays, all of which he had no legal ownership stake in.
Law enforcement convicted Parker three times for fraud. In one arrest, he escaped the courthouse by calmly walking out wearing a sheriff’s hat and coat that had been set down by another sheriff. After Parkers third conviction, they sentenced him to life in prison at Sing Sing in 1928. Parker spent the last eight years of his life incarcerated. He entertained guards and fellow inmates with tales of his exploits.
Today when you hear the phrase, “and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you”, it originates from Parker and his hoaxes. According to The New York Daily News “In 2006, someone sold pieces of the Brooklyn Bridge for $14.95, along with a certificate of authenticity to prove that the lumber was from the bridge.” Thousands of people bought the lumber. In reality, the lumber was from the construction site of another bridge. Some things never change, huh? Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
