Back in 1925, Victor Lustig was drinking his morning coffee and reading the daily press. An unusual newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower caught his attention.
The metal construction of the famous tower was rapidly rusting. An excessively expensive restoration was the only answer. The government could not afford the money for the much-needed renovation. At the end of the article, they proposed selling the tower as the only reasonable choice.
We know little about Lustig himself because the prison interviews he gave to journalists are diametrically opposed.
He was allegedly born in a town called Hostine which was once in Austria-Hungary. Today, it is within the borders of the Czech Republic. In an interview, he described his family as “the poorest villagers in the city”. In another interview, he introduced them as members of the royal family. He even stated in the same interview that his father was the mayor.
He studied at a university in Paris and was fluent in Czech, English, German and Italian. Lustig was never been an intrusive person. At a young age, he learned that charm and poetry were his greatest weapons.
Gambling was one of his greatest passions as he could pull off scams with ease thanks to his nimble fingers. His favorites were poker and blackjack. According to the magazine “True detective mysteries”, the deck of cards in his hands “was the only one that could not talk”.
He “worked” under many false names, but his trademark was a 3-centimeter scar on his cheek. Apparently a memento from someone who didn’t fall for his charm. This “mark” on Lustig’s face was the reason later the police called him “Scar face” (“Face with a scar”).
Selling the Eiffel Tower became Victor Lustig’s life venture.
First, he created a fake identity, then he created a fake ID with the emblem of the government department in charge of public buildings. He invited five of the largest Parisian companies involved in iron processing to the Crilon Hotel in Paris, which was a popular place for business gatherings.
He made a show for the representatives of these companies to whom he pitched the story that the Eiffel Tower would be sold for scrap metal. Of course, this was a controversial purchase that required discretion.
Lustig soon chose his victim, Andre Poison, from the 5 representatives. He was a man with little self-confidence. Andrea wanted to leave his mark on Parisian society.
When they met later, Andrea Poison admitted that he had serious doubts about the whole business. Lustig then presented himself to him as a poor civil servant who, in exchange for a slightly larger amount of money, would agree to “arrange” the job of the century for his company. Poison swallowed the story and got down to business.
Soon Lustig was on the train to Vienna. A few days later, when Poison was confronted about his naivety, Lustig was far away. In order to maintain his reputation, the unfortunate entrepreneur did not report the entire case to the police.
Lustig realized that the lack of fraud news was actually good news. He returned to Paris and tried to repeat the “sale” of the Eiffel Tower. However, the new victim was less proud and immediately reported the fraud to the police. Lustig has already fled to America.
“Lustig’s money” met its end when his jealous girlfriend reported her beloved “The Count” to the federal agency as an act of revenge.
Victor Lustig was finally caught in 1935 and sentenced to 20 years in Alcatraz. Twelve years later, he contracted pneumonia. He died two days later, seeking medical attention and medication. They say the guards at the prison thought he was bluffing.
