1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the Short Stuff. I'm Josh and 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: that's Chuck and we're flying solo today and that's okay 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: because we've got something to say. Mostly this is short stuff. 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: You really bailed on that one, didn't you. Uh. This 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: is about selling the Brooklyn Bridge, which I I think 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: I had heard that this was a thing in history 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: at some point, but big thanks to the New York Times, 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works dot com and n y C Walks 9 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: dot com to bring it's the story of George C. Parker, 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: a man who sold the brook the Brooklyn Bledge many 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: times over, as well as some other notable New York 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: places you know yet see would be okay with mo Man, 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: oh man, He's gonna become a regular part of the show, 14 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: I think so. Yeah. George C. Parker was like a 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: con man extraordinaire, like this guy. Supposedly he at least 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: he claimed to have sold the Brooklyn Bridge multiple times 17 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: a week, every week for years. That's how good he was, 18 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: which is probably no, that is almost certainly not true. 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: But it is documented that he did sell successfully sell 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: the Brooklyn Bridge to a number of suckers over the years. 21 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: Like it wasn't just a one time thing just once 22 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: would have made a legion, but the fact that this 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: guy did it over and over again is really something. Yeah, 24 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: and apparently this used to be a thing, and not 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: just the Brooklyn Bridge. But you were in a situation 26 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: in the you know, sort of latest eighteen hundreds in 27 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: New York City where you had millions of immigrants coming 28 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: through uh Ellis Island who were hopeful. Many of them 29 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: were poor, but not all of them because you have 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: to have some money to buy the Brooklyn Bridge, although 31 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: sometimes they sold these things for like not very much money, 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: which is even sadder. Uh. So they were they were targets. 33 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: They were sort of greenhorn targets. And some of them 34 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: did have money though, and they would use I think 35 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: like um, I guess scouts or something. What would you 36 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: call that, someone to kind of like informant informants at 37 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: Ellis Island that could maybe be paid off to pass 38 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: along information like, Hey, this immigrant came in. They think 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: America is the land of opportunity. They're really excited and 40 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: they got a little cash in their pocket. Right. So 41 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: the whole jam was with Parker's Brooklyn Bridge scam was 42 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: he would find one of these people a well, healed 43 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: immigrant who just thought of America as the land of opportunity, 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: and um, I thought that this was a golden opportunity. 45 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: He would find them and show them, you know, some 46 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: sort of deed that said that he owned the Brooklyn 47 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: Bridge and he wanted to unload it, so he would 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: sell it to somebody and and just basically tell them like, 49 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: it's not just sown in the Brooklyn Bridge, which is 50 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: amazing enough. You can charge a toll and you could 51 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: make your money back in like a month and then 52 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: just get rich from air. And that was how apparently 53 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: he actually attracted people. Yeah, and all this stuff is 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: so it's very easy in two to say, well, why 55 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: didn't they say, well, why aren't you doing this? Weren't 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: you making this money? Why aren't there tolls and things 57 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: like that? And who knows the answer. I think it 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: was just a different time period. Um. As far as 59 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: tolls on the bridge, uh, they did used to charge 60 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: when it first opened. It cost a penny to cross 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: by to to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge by foot, 62 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: uh and nicol if you had a horse uh and 63 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: a rider ten cents for a horse and wagon and 64 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: then uh extra money for farm animals if you were, 65 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, toting your farm animals, which is very funny 66 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: to think about now, Uh, across across the brick, it's 67 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: pretty funny. So there was there was at least a 68 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: history where an immigrant may have heard that this was 69 00:03:55,400 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: the case. Uh, they stopped doing this in and I 70 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: think even the roadway tolls went away in nineteen eleven, 71 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: so you know, they didn't stop it until eighteen ninety one. 72 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: So if it's EWO or three, then you could sort 73 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: of forgive someone for believing it. Yeah. Plus they were 74 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: still charging those roadway tolls for for decades longer. So yeah, 75 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: I think the very presence of tolls on the Brooklyn 76 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: Bridge made people think like, Okay, yeah, this is the thing. 77 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: This guy owns this bridge. I'm going to take over 78 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: this enterprise from it. Yeah. And another thing you have 79 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: to think about is the Brooklyn Bridge is very large, 80 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: and it would be very easy to walk someone up 81 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: there and maybe even show them a toll booth without 82 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: arousing suspicion, without getting caught, without uh you know, them 83 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: necessarily thinking they needed to go over and verify anything 84 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: with the toll bridge. Yeah. Imagine also if you had 85 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: an inn with one of the toll booth operators you 86 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: can introduce as your employee. You know, I'm bringing in money. 87 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: Hand about fist here right. The other thing about the 88 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: Brooklyn Bridge too, And and like you said, people sold 89 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: other stuff, monuments, plots of land and parks in New 90 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: York City, basically anything you can imagine that they didn't own. 91 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: But the Brooklyn Bridge in particular was like the scam 92 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: because it was such a monument in America at the 93 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: time of the turn of the twentieth century. Like there 94 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: was the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, and 95 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: that was like the two big symbols of America. So 96 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: people wanted to own it as well. The idea of 97 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: owning this huge symbol of America. I just got off 98 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: the boat from Croatia and now I'm I own one 99 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: of two symbols of America. Um, you could imagine how 100 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: somebody would jump at that opportunity if they if they 101 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: really thought that this guy was legit. Sure, and I 102 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: think a lot of times he would just do it 103 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: to make a few hundred bucks at a time to 104 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: some real greenhorn. But apparently it's legend, has it he 105 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: got up to fifty tho dollars, which I did not 106 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: fail to do the calculation. Did you happen to do that? Shamefully? Now, 107 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: I don't know why we didn't do that. Let's let's 108 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: just say it's ten million dollar. Yeah, it's a lot 109 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 1: of money today. Yeah, I'll bet I'm right. Should we 110 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: take a break, Yes, let's take a break and figure 111 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: out how much they are? If you want to know, 112 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: then you're in luck. Just Chuck Shore. So we're back, Chuck, 113 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: And I was essentially right, Oh well, how much was it? Uh? 114 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: So I said ten million? Right, you said ten million. Uh, 115 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: it turns out it's um, it looks like it's about 116 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: fifty million. Now no, no, I'm sorry. Let's see one, 117 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: two three, it's five million zero five million. That's a jeez. 118 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: He really took somebody then. Yeah, imagine Lucy five million 119 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: dollars buying the Brooklyn Bridge. Because again, like you're an immigrant, 120 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: you're not really kind of hip to how things work here. 121 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: Yet imagine going to the cops and then being like 122 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: you're you're joking, like you just gave somebody five million 123 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: dollars to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. Like that had to hurt. 124 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: Like to add insult to injury. Yeah, and you know 125 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: there was some wife in that decision that was going, 126 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: you idiot, that's every penny we have, and some husband 127 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: going it'll be worth it, right. I also just bought 128 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: some magic beans. Right. Uh. Here's one thing that's pretty 129 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: interesting is this became so common because it wasn't just 130 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: George Parker doing this. Um. There's one story that we 131 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: couldn't quite get to the bottom of that there was 132 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: someone named William mcclownde a k a I O U 133 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: O'Brien who did this. But then other people have said no, 134 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: that was actually an alias Parker. But there were definitely people. 135 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: This was a not the most common thing, but it 136 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: was a grift that other people did to the extent 137 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: that eventually on Ellis Island they had signage up and 138 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: pamphlets that said, like, these things are not for sale. 139 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to America, do not try and buy the Statue 140 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: of Liberty. Yeah. The thing I've seen bandied about is 141 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: you can't buy public buildings or streets. And I was like, 142 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: is it is that true? And I looked it up 143 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and I don't know if it's true. Chuck, Well, what 144 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: do you mean? But which one. Public buildings are streets 145 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: that they handed out pamphlets Llis Island. Don't you think 146 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: that somebody would have saved that pamphlet and there'd be 147 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: an image of it on the internet somewhere. I don't know. 148 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: That's your reasoning, that's part of it. It also appears 149 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: in one book in one New York Times article. In 150 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: the New York Times article prints it from a quote 151 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,079 Speaker 1: from somebody else who also wrote a book about But 152 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: did the Paper of Record? Yeah, but I mean New 153 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: York Times. It's also Friday at five the New York Times. Sometimes. Okay, 154 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: all right, well, who knows it makes for a good story, 155 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: though it is a good story. But aren't those the 156 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: most fun? To just be sure? I know that it 157 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: did get harder to sell these public buildings. I think 158 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: they were trying to do that up through like the 159 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. But um, you know, people became a little 160 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: more wise to this thing over the years. Even though 161 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: Parker I believe, in his day sold uh the Statue 162 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: of Liberty, Madison Square, Garden, Grant's tomb Uh in the 163 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: met not bad amazing. No, imagine buying the met too. 164 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: You get all the art inside too, you're not going 165 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: to move the art no arts included. Oh no. What 166 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: I would have said is no, you know, you don't 167 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: own the art, but you can you get a lot 168 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: of money for charging for the art to be there. Right, 169 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: that's true. What happened to him though he got caught right, Yeah, 170 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: he finally didn't. Apparently there was a four strikes in 171 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: your out law in New York at the time called 172 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: the Bomb's Law, and um, they said that if you 173 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: were convicted of a fourth felony, that judge had no 174 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 1: choice but to give you life in prison. And that's 175 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: what happened to uh to mr Parker. He passed a 176 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty dollar check that bounced supposedly, the only 177 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 1: in Evening Times said that it bounced back with startling elasticity, 178 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: which is hilarious. Um, and he served the rest of 179 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: his life in Sing Sing Sings prison as a result. 180 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: After all of those griffs and scams, he got life 181 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: in jail for a hundred and fifty dollar bounced check. 182 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: You know, there are four strikes in baseball at the time, 183 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: so that all makes sense. Okay, now it makes sense. 184 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. Wait a minute, is that true? Wouldn't 185 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: that be funny if that's how the judicial system worked? Like, Wow, 186 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: what's baseball doing? Right? What's baseball I have to say about? 187 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: Is the three strikes or four? That's what we'll do. Yeah, 188 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: you can steal first I guess. Oh wait, you couldn't 189 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: steal figures. I think this one ended, uh in just 190 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: the best way possible. I think it ended about thirty 191 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: seconds too late. Uh as short stuff is out, everybody. 192 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 193 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 194 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 195 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: favorite shows. H