Article Brooklyn Bridge Scams
Summary: The “selling the Brooklyn Bridge” scam has been around almost as long as the Bridge itself. The article describes the origins of the “selling” scam as well as Steve Brodie’s own unique Bridge scam.
Posted by: Elliot Feldman
When construction ended on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the scams began. Throughout the years, the Bridge was said to have been “sold” many times. “Selling the Brooklyn Bridge” soon became a part of American lexicon as a metaphor for the ultimate in gullibility or the ultimate in salesmanship.
George C. Parker
The supposed originator of this 19th century scam was George C. Parker, although others have also laid claim to it, convincing suckers or “marks” that they could make a fortune charging tolls for bridge access. Parker, however, claimed to have sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for years. Some of his victims even went so far as to erect traffic barriers.
A side note: Parker’s other claims to fame have included “selling” Grant’s Tomb, while posing as the General’s grandson.
Unfortunately for Parker, his past deeds caught up with him and it was his third major fraud conviction. A progenitor of the three-strike sentence, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Steve Brodie
In 1886, not long after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, another famous scam was perpetrated by a Brooklyn bookie named Steve Brodie. According to the story, Brodie’s scam originated in a bet with a Brooklyn bartender named Chuck Connors. The bookie wagered Connors that he could jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and survive the fall.
Steve Brodie ultimately won the bet and wound up becoming a major New York City celebrity and legend.
It was discovered years later that Brodie had actually pushed a dummy off the Bridge and hid under a pier.
A side note: Chuck Connors himself was a scam artist, also known as “the Mayor of Chinatown” because he was known for conducting scam visitor walking tours of New York’s Chinatown complete with fake opium dens.
David McCullough
Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough doesn’t believe George C. Parker or any of the other “selling the Brooklyn Bridge” perpetrators. In his book, “The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge”, McCullough further states that the myth of the “selling the Brooklyn Bridge” scams may have originated with the real conflict between Manhattan and Brooklyn for ownership of the Bridge.
Robert P. McCulloch
In 1968, the world famous landmark, the London Bridge was really sold to wealthy American Robert P. McCulloch; and then shipped in pieces to Arizona, where it was reassembled and still stands today in Lake Havasu.
References
- http://www.neatorama.com/2007/07/02/legendary-landmark-scams/
- “For you, half price”, Gabriel Cohen, New York Times.
- “We can show the world how to build bridges”, Gary Sturgess, The Australian.
- http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0809032.html
- http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0175489/bio
- http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbrooklynbridge.htm