Con Men: Fascinating Profiles of Swindlers and Rogues from the Files of the Most Successful Broadcast in Television History

by 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace (Introduction)

60 Minutes brings its award-winning journalistic skills and unmistakable broadcast style to the page, delving into its archives to present stories on one of the program's most popular the con man. Con Men exposes a truly eclectic group of swindlers and the extraordinary characters of ABSCAM, pyramid-scheme millionaires and stock-market crooks, snake-oil salesmen and art forgers. Many of them are diabolical -- all of them are intriguing. Here 60 Minutes captures each one in vivid self-proclaimed con man Kirby Hensley, the illiterate purveyor of church ministries to millions via mail-order; Clifford Irving, who fabricated Howard Hughes's "autobiography" for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the Reverend R. J. Rudd, whose bogus spa treatments promised a cure for cancer; Sante and Kenneth Kimes, the notorious mother and son grifters convicted of murdering wealthy Manhattanite Irene Silverman; and John Ackah Blay-Miezah, who, in one of the simplest yet most extravagant cons of all, claimed to hold the key to a fortune of billions and convinced others to put up millions so that the fund could be "unlocked." These and many other colorful stories translate perfectly to the page, brought to life by the trademark bite and humor of 60 Minutes. Featuring an introduction by Mike Wallace, with insights into the evolution of the show's coverage of cons, and intriguing updates on the outcome of each of the stories, Con Men delivers the intelligent reporting and insightful wit that has made 60 Minutes the most successful broadcast in television history. 60 Minutes is the only television broadcast to be the most-watched show in America in three separate decades. Since its debut in 1968, the critically celebrated program has won seventy-three Emmy Awards -- the most for any news program -- as well as nine Peabody Awards for exceptional television broadcasting. According to Nielsen, an average of nearly fifteen million viewers tuned in to the show Sunday evenings during the 2001-2002 season, not to mention the millions who watch it overseas and listen on simulcast radio.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2003

Reviews

[Mark Bunch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this quick read..... a easy read on what 60 minutes did best. Read about Dennis Levine- wall street shark-Learn about the fall of Barings bank. Discover the network marketing game of Van Etten in Raleigh NC. Well worth the time to see what one is up against in the unreal business world. The world of the con.

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read. Nothing mind blowing. A bit dry, and some of the stories never had a final follow up as to what happened to these people.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic characters, kind of dull writing. Still, it's interesting to hear about all the different kinds of con men the show has investigated, and to see a different angle on some people I already knew about (like the guy whose derivatives trading brought down Barings Bank).