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" "

Product Description: [Read by Johnny Heller] This book reveals the personal story behind the federal government's most successful Mafia investigation. Bob Cooley was the Chicago Mafia's ''mechanic'' - a fixer of court cases. During the 1970s and '80s, Cooley bribed judges, court clerks, and cops to keep his Mob clients - hit men, bookies, racketeers, and crooked pols - out of jail...read more

A provocative account of a criminal underworld's secret takeover of American politics, business, and entertainment reveals how a cadre of powerful men, led by Chicago attorney Sidney 'The Fixer' Korshak, who was the key figure behind some of the shadiest deals of the twentieth century, has infiltrated every aspect of American society. Reprint.

Offers a collection of forty sermons founded on the Christian year and the Bible (view table of contents)