1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of I Heart Radio. Hiz 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 1: what up, Elizabeth? Nothing? Um, I wanted to tell you something, 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: but oh my god, thank you. So I'm so glad 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: you noticed. Yeah. I made it myself. I plucked them myself. 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: It's really I can tell the bloodstains. Yeah, you go 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: do something first time. You can't always winning. Uh, do 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: you want to know what's ridiculous? Oh? Yeah, girl, I've 8 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: been waiting to tell you this. George Washington's death. That's no. No, 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: I know that sounds disrespectful for the nation's first president. 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm not saying that. I'm not making fun of his death, 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: but rather, I'm kind of making fun of the state 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: of medicine at the time, because George Washington went out 13 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: and did this thing that like my mother and millions 14 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: of other mothers have told you, which is, don't wear 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: wet clothes or you'll catch your death. We wet clothes. Well, 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: that's essentially what happened to Washington. The story goes, he's out, 17 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: he's like riding around on horseback and Mount Vernon. It's raining, cats, dogs, 18 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: and everything else. He rides back to his house for dinner, 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: but he's a hard head like me. He refuses to 20 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: change out of his wet clothes, like I want to 21 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: eat my steak wet, right, So he's sitting there, he's 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: doing it. He gets sick, he gets a sore throat. 23 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: His doctors like, well, clearly we need to drain him 24 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: of nearly half of his blood, and so they do. 25 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: They drain him of forty percent of dudes blood. Now 26 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: drained out, zombie Washington starts circling the drain. Right, he's 27 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: about to die. Physicians aren't done. They're like, oh, though, 28 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: this is we need him to gargles butter, molasses and 29 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: uh looking around, vinegar butter. He's garland, butter, vinegar and molasses. 30 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: And when that doesn't work, surprise, surprise, doctors are like, 31 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: you know what it is. We need to feed him beetles. 32 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: So they feed him beetles, and then, surprisingly, eating beetles 33 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: does not save the nations for his president. Three days 34 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: after he gets sick, George Washington up and dies. So 35 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: my point is, listen to your mother, don't sit around 36 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: and wet clothes. It's a good, okay, ridiculous, And don't 37 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: eat beetles. That is ridiculous. Do you want to know 38 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: what else is ridiculous. I'm here for dedicating your incredible 39 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: talent to forging, only to be forged. Yes, this is 40 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: a ridiculous crime. A podcast about absurd and outrageous capers, heists, 41 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: cons it's always murder free and ridiculous that you know. 42 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: I love a good art crime because for the most part, 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: they're not violent or destructive. And since I'm convinced that 44 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: much of the art world is a cover for money laundering, 45 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: I usually don't feel so bad. I do feel bad. 46 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: It's like a beloved or famous piece of art that 47 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: normally lives in a publicly available space is stolen or away. Yeah, 48 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: but if it's like taken away to a Russian oligarchs mansion, yeah, 49 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: that's terrible. Yeah. I don't like for the public to 50 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: be robb to access to beautiful, important or historical items. 51 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: We've talked about. Yes, let us keep our cara. But 52 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: a private collector getting scammed count me in. Yeah. U. 53 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 1: One of the great types of art crimes is forgeries. Yeah. 54 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: And did you know that it's estimated that between and 55 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: of paintings in museums around the world are fakes. Yeah? 56 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: I actually did that interview the FBI art guy. That's right, 57 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: you saying that, and that blew my mind when I 58 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: so pretend I just heard that. Holy wow. So what 59 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: fascinates me about forgeries is that the perpetrators, they have 60 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: artistic talent completely, you know, but the artist in their 61 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: own rights, sometimes their own work just doesn't resonate with 62 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: the world, or maybe they don't have the right contacts 63 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: to get recognition sure, or they're still alive. Other times 64 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: they can basically only work from assignment, you know what 65 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: I mean, Like, so they can only copy the art. Yeah, 66 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: so they're not true artists. Um, they take direction. Let 67 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: me tell you about a true artist. He had incredible 68 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: talent on his own, but he was also an incredible mimic. 69 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: And after World War Two, this artist went to Paris. 70 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: One day in Lady Malcolm Campbell was visiting his house 71 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: and saw an ink drawing on the wall. She said 72 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: she was certain it was a Picasso and she wanted 73 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: to buy it, and he didn't tell her that it 74 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: was his own work. He charged her less than the 75 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: equivalent of like a hundred bucks for it. Not a 76 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: bad payday on a drawing for an unknown artist. It 77 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: pays to have rich friends. Is basically that he pretending 78 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: like he also didn't know if it was a Picasso. 79 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: Do we know that he He doesn't say one way, 80 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: Oh yes, you know, just like like kind of he 81 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: passes it off as the real thing. But then he 82 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: realizes that his copycat skills are his real talent. So 83 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: he's broke, he's struggling, and he's able to make some 84 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: cash and make someone happy. So it's a win win. Here, 85 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: she thinks, like I scored, I had this beautiful Picasso drawing. 86 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: Who was this man, sarin Um. This man was Wilfred Brimley. Yes, 87 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: his name was Elmir do Hori. I referred to him 88 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: as I referred to him as elmerd Hori before when 89 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: I told you about Clifford. But I realized that that's 90 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: not how you say his name. Um. So he was 91 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: the artist that Clifford Irving wrote the book about. He 92 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: wrote a book called Fake exclamation Point, The Story of 93 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: Elmir de Hori, the Greatest art forger of our Time. Um, 94 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: I told you oas hoax fake. I told you that 95 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: Tori was a piece of work and deserved his own episodes. 96 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: Here it is so I should add that the best 97 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: information on. This guy comes from Clifford Irving's book. Is 98 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: it reliable though well to con man making two conman 99 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: making one great story. It calls into questions the materials 100 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: presented as fact, but let's just say it is and 101 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: enjoy the ride. So elm Arta Hori was actually born 102 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: Elmer Albert Hoffman in Budapest, Hungary, in n six So 103 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: he liked to tell people that he was from this 104 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: family of aristocrats like bankers, financiers, top government officials, my mother, 105 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: the countess. He was actually from a very lovely, very 106 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: middle class Jewish family, and um, they believed in his talent, 107 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: so they sent him off for formal training at the 108 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: nagy Banya Artist Colony. I'm probably not saying that right 109 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: in Romania when he was only sixteen years old. Ye, 110 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: based on how you said, I thought it was in Japan, 111 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: so probably not. I'm totally saying it wrong. I'm sure 112 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: of it that that's my hidden talent. Um. So then 113 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: he goes on to study at the Academy Hineman in 114 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: Munich and then at Academy Lean in Paris, so he 115 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: gets trained as a classical painter. In these places. There's 116 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: a problem with that though no one's paying for class card. No, 117 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: all these new experimental avant garde movements Cubism, Expressionism are 118 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: all the rage in this kicking it. At that point, 119 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: most of what he learned is outdated, it's useless, and 120 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: the art community is just like, why, we don't even 121 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: care about the focus anymore. So the economy is also 122 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: taking of time um, and it's starting to look like 123 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: being an artist just isn't a way for him to 124 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: make a living. But he's dedicated most of his life 125 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: to it so far. Enter crime, always Door. Committed a 126 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: bunch of minor crimes in Geneva in the late twenties 127 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: and then into the nineteen thirties, just a little petty 128 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: stuff here and there. And then at the beginning of 129 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: World War Two he went back to Hungary. Dicey, right, 130 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: so he picked the other side. Well, he had a 131 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: friendship there with this British journalist that was believed to 132 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: be a spy, and so that raised red flags and 133 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: he gets sent to a prison for political dissidents in Transylvania, 134 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: and I have my suspicions about why they really sent 135 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: him there, but more on that later. So while he's there, 136 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: he paints a portrait of the prison camp officer, and 137 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: they sparked this friend ship. He's just blown away by 138 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: his talent. So they eventually released a Hory. But then 139 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,239 Speaker 1: he gets him prisoned in a concentration camp for being 140 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: gay and Jewish. And I think that's how he wound 141 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: up in the Transylvanian prison in the first place. This 142 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: World War one. He's at the during World War two. Okay, okay, 143 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: So he gets sent to a concentration camp. He's tortured. 144 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: They break his leg and then they transfer him because 145 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: of this like terribly broken leg, they transfer him to 146 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: a Berlin prison hospital. He escaped because he noticed that 147 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: the gate entrance to the hospital was open, so he 148 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: like he's in pain, he grabs some crutches and just 149 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: makes a break for it. Right, He goes out and 150 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 1: he goes to the homeless some of his friends. They 151 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: take him in and then he makes his way back 152 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: to Hungary and he learns that his family home has 153 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: gone and his parents have been killed. It's horrible. So 154 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: at the end of the of World War two, there's 155 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: Dory selling fake Picasso sketches because who cares, That's what 156 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: I say. But when you survive what hes vibe, I say, 157 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: do whatever you want. He goes to Paris and then 158 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: he's selling like these fakes. Good. Great, you get to 159 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: do whatever you want. If you can count some rich 160 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: person out of a few francs, more power to I 161 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: don't care. So the thing about Doris fake artwork, though, 162 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: is that um he didn't try to reproduce existing works. 163 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: He created new pieces in the style of famous artists. 164 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: So he created works that did not exist but look 165 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: like like they exactly. So he knew he was a 166 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: great mimic. He started selling what he were calling Picasso 167 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: pieces to art galleries all over Paris. He said that 168 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: he was a displaced Hungarian aristocrat and he's just trying 169 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: to survive by selling what was left of his family's estates. 170 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: This is what my family has left. Or he'd say 171 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: that he got the Picasso, gave them to me. He 172 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: was my friend before the war. I just want to 173 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: I want to sell them. We all hung out. He 174 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: sold a bunch of them of fakes in Sweden and 175 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 1: that gave him enough cash to get a one way 176 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: ticket to Rio de jannarro In. Say yes, cash out, 177 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: my brother, he will survive and I love him for that, 178 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: like he's just he's he cannot hold him down. So 179 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: he still tried to make it as an artist with 180 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: his own work. But in the meantime the fakes were 181 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: like paying the bill for him. So he visits the 182 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: US on a three month visa. He's able to get 183 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: a show there at the Lillanfeld Galleries in New York 184 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 1: in and that was all his own work. Per Art News, 185 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: this is what they said, Doris pieces struck quote the 186 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: well known chord of the School of Paris, which is 187 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: a way of saying yawn, not into it. He only 188 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: he sold one piece at the show. Um, like these 189 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: would be good in a motel, right, So, despite how 190 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: cruel the New York art world had been to him, 191 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 1: he decides to make a go of it there. Um. 192 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: He overstayed his visa and he lived in the US 193 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: for the next twelve years, just by a smith. Um. 194 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: He moved from New York to l A to Chicago 195 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: to Miami, selling all his forgeries all good art markets 196 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: and in America, right, he sells to galleries, museums, even 197 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: major A list celebrities. And by that I mean Ja 198 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: jacobor yeah girl, He's moved beyond just Picasso sketches into 199 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: serious works. He created fake originals from Madigliani, Matisse, and Renoir. 200 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: The Madigliani's are fantastic, by the way, Yeah, they're incredible, 201 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:31,199 Speaker 1: They're beautiful. He created so many Madigliani pieces that Kenneth Wayne, 202 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: the director of the Madigliani Project, had trouble compiling a 203 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: comprehensive catalog of the artist's work. He's just doing there 204 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: are too many fakes distort through. So in seven uh 205 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: Dori he goes to the Pearls Gallery in New York 206 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: and it's open. It was opened by these brothers, Klaus 207 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: and Frank. Pearls were these really well known European art dealers. 208 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: They opened it in nineteen thirty seven and they displayed 209 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: significantly P. E. R. L S. So they had all 210 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: these really significant works of contemporary art they really brought out. 211 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: They kind of helped foster Alexander Calder's work, George brock Brock, 212 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: and they had all of this. So Dori sold to 213 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: quote unquote Picassos to Klaus Pearls, and later on in 214 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: ninety two, he's in l A. Dori is selling his 215 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: forgeries to galleries. There he ends up walking into the 216 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: Frank Pearls gallery. So one of the brothers has a 217 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: gallery in Beverly Hills, and one of the brothers meaning 218 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: they're related, So Frank, so Frank Pearls. He's really interested 219 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: in the pieces that Dori has, but he starts noticing 220 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,679 Speaker 1: that there are similarities between the pieces that it were 221 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: supposed to be created by different artists. Like he's just 222 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: seeing these little threads. This is what Clifford Irving said 223 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: in his book Fake Quote. The longer Pearls looked at 224 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: the pictures, the more concerned he became. It was clear 225 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: that something was wrong, and Pearls, worrisome of expression, discomforted Elmir. 226 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: Pearls questioned Elmir about his address and other detailed personal information, 227 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: causing Elmir's nervousness to grow. Pearls then calmly placed the 228 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: pictures back into the portfolio, tied the strings, and then 229 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: suddenly through the mat at Elmir. Elmir was shocked by 230 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: the unexpected action and was uncertain what to do next, 231 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: until Pearls ordered him to get out. To Pearl's surprise, 232 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: Elmir asked, after being thrown out of the gallery, whether 233 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: he thought the drawings were well done, Pearls replied, they 234 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: certainly fooled me for a few minutes before ordering the 235 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: counterfeiter away again at somehow weirdly heartbreaking that He's like, 236 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: were they at least good? When he gets tossed out 237 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: of the gallery, you have more heart than I do 238 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: in that. To me, that just sounds like, come on, now, 239 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: what are we doing here? More and more galleries are 240 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: becoming suspicious because it's like there's little whispers right. So 241 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: in order to get around this, he comes up with 242 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: a bunch of aliases and starts doing all of his 243 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: deals through the mail bad So what are some of 244 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: his alias's Elmer Hoffman, Lament her Hoffman, Baron de Hory, 245 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: Hory Cury, Harry Hory, Baron rain All Rain or Rain 246 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: all Compe, They herd Sog, Baron de Bougaday, Baron von Bay, Elmer, Laslow, Dorey, 247 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: Dory Bouten, Dory Bouten, Cassue Robert or Cassue, Charles, Louis 248 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: Curiel or Curiel Charles. He's he's just rolling the dice 249 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: on these randoms. The awesome. In the mid fifties, he 250 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: gets busted for the first time, not criminally, but in 251 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: his world. Um, so he doesn't get tossed out of 252 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: a gallery, but he gets marked as a con man 253 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: in the art world. I thought, busted up. No, well, 254 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: he sold a Matisse supposed Matisse drawing to the fog 255 00:14:56,040 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: Museum at Harvard, and when the sale was finalized, he said, oh, 256 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: you know what, I also if you like those, I've 257 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: got a Madigliani and a Renoir if you're interested in 258 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: And they're like, so the curator is like, all right, 259 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: let me lays him out. He takes She takes a 260 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: closer look, and then just like Frank, pearls too much 261 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: of a stylistic similarity between the Batists that should they 262 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: just purchased and the Madigliani and the ren Walk. So 263 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: she refuses his offer, and not just that. Then she 264 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: gets on the phone. She's starts reaching out to all 265 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 1: the other museums. Hey, did you recently buy any art 266 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: from like a smooth talk in European fella going by 267 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: the name of e Renal. And then with those calls, 268 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: the word gets out when we come back, I'll tell 269 00:15:37,280 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: you how Elmire dealt with this development, Zaren We're back. Hey, 270 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: you look at us, good ads right by the way, 271 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: I spent some of your money on this. Yeah, I'm 272 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: gonna put your purse back in cand in my pocketbook. 273 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: All right, well we'll see. Uh where where where was 274 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: I before? We were so rudely interrupted by those phenomenal lots? 275 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: Had just gotten busted down by those right. So he's 276 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: selling Elmir do Hori, selling paintings inspired by famous artists, 277 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: passing them off as designer originals, not designer and fosters. 278 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: So he gets called out by a curator at Harvard, 279 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: and now everyone's wise to him. So a Chicago art 280 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: dealer named James Faulkner, he bought some paintings from door 281 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: in and then he found out they were fake. So 282 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: he pressed charges for mail and telephone fraud because remember 283 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: you said federal lawsuit, right, Um, don't do crime in 284 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: the U S. Mail, Never stop your CMO. I'm not 285 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: sure what became of that lawsuit, but he decided to 286 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: head down Mexico way out of here. He goes to 287 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: Mexico City. He moves there, but he gets caught up 288 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: with the cops there too, only this time it was 289 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: Elmir getting conned because the Mexican police said that they 290 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: thought he was involved in a man's murder, and he's like, 291 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 1: I have I've never met the guy you're talking about. 292 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: I have no idea that, right, I'm a different kind 293 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: of crimer. So then the police try and extort him 294 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: and his lawyer. Door pays his lawyer with one of 295 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: his paintings, and the Federal him so he's like whatever, 296 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: I'm out of here. He leaves Mexico City comes back 297 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: to the United States. When he gets back, he sees 298 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,239 Speaker 1: that the galleries were selling his forgeries for way more 299 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: than he sold them for. Now. It just goes to 300 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: show that the art dealers are willing to look the 301 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: other way if they can make some money. If everyone 302 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: kind of there's like the open secret of these aren't real. Yeah, 303 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: they don't want other people to know that. But he's 304 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: also so Dori seeing this. But he's also a person 305 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: of interest with the FBI, right, so he tries to 306 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: lay low. He gets this like really meager apartment in 307 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: l A. Tries to make a go of it as 308 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: a legit artist and in order to sell paintings like 309 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: we had to paint what the people wanted. Um and 310 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: that meant, according to Clifford Irving's book, mostly paintings of 311 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 1: pink poodles for interior decorators. Not what I thought you 312 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: were going to say, Well, like, what a wild time 313 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: for interior decord totals? Was the pink poodle the live 314 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: Laugh love Decalivin's day? Yes, I think so. Yeah. So 315 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: things got bad in l A. It was a dark 316 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: time for him, so he decided to move back to 317 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: New York. According to Clifford Irving to Hoary through a 318 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: party while living in New York, lavish super edgy stars 319 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 1: like Marilyn Monroe show up, this Arthur Miller Monroe. Yes, 320 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: so she's like she's out there with this kind of 321 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: like um crowd. Uh. And it was there that he 322 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: met his future long term accomplice for non Legro, Yes, 323 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: now legro he Okay, I have to pull up a 324 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: pickle on His name is fern Lgro like grow the fern. Okay, 325 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: So for non Legro right, Uh, this is what he 326 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: looks like, right, He's like, he looks like he's like 327 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: if Shooter Jennings and Rick Rubin had a kid and 328 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: and the kids smells like mildew and they let River 329 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: Phoenix raise him. Yes, it's amazing, So we'll put that 330 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: picture up. So for non Legro, Legro he's a gay 331 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,479 Speaker 1: man who married an American woman in order to get 332 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: US citizenship. He was born in Egypt ninety one, so 333 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: he's like, you know, thirty years younger than uh elmir uh. 334 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: So from that moment on, Dehor and Lagro they're inseparable. 335 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: After they meet at this car, I don't know, I 336 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: don't think they were a couple. Umdhri seems like he 337 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: was just like his older mentor sort of. Um he's 338 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: but anyway, so he's got likedor's got Lagro being all 339 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: super groovy riding around with him. Good cover is like, 340 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: you know what, let's move back to Miami. I like 341 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: you look, screams Miami. So he convinces him to go 342 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: down there with him and act as his quote unquote 343 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: agent art agent. So Lagros was like, yeah, you know what, 344 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: and um, I'll take a cut. That's more than an 345 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: agent a little bit, right. So they moved to Miami. 346 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 1: They start traveling all over selling these forgeries. Lagro was 347 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: the face of the deals and Dhari just kept turning 348 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: them out. So um. In Miami, Lagro met a French 349 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: Canadian teenager named Real Lissard. Yeah, and Lagro and Lessard 350 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: they hook up and become lovers. Look, Lessard also becomes 351 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: an accomplice in this. So now it's Lagro and Lessard 352 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: who are the faces. They're the ones selling the paintings 353 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: swan around the art world. Door creates these fake masterworks 354 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: Lagro and Lessard. They're selling them all over the world 355 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 1: for like the next thirteen years. Right. They create fake 356 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 1: stamps of authenticity. Uh. They acquired old art books and 357 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: swapped out the pictures of actual works with art of 358 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: art with the copies of his forgeries. You know. Um, 359 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: when one time Lagro crosses the US border and his 360 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:17,239 Speaker 1: luggage gets inspected and um, customs officers they called an 361 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,640 Speaker 1: art experts to verify you know that what these were. 362 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,879 Speaker 1: He's telling customs they're just copies there, that's you know. 363 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: Then the experts look at them and they're like, no, 364 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: these are authentic. So they fool the experts and Lagro 365 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: has to pay attack. So he did. But he wanted 366 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: that to happen because that got him actual US customs 367 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: documentation verifying the optics. Yeah. Yeah, so nineteen nine to 368 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: Hori is tired of like this loud violently relationship between 369 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,719 Speaker 1: Lagro and Lasard, like they're just yeah, it's a very 370 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: fiery thing. He's not. He's like there for very much. 371 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,160 Speaker 1: So uh Dri goes back to Europe. He's like, I'm 372 00:21:58,160 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: out of here. Who does he run into in Paris? 373 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: Lagadah spills a secret to Lagro. He's like, look, I 374 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: still have a collection of fake painting stored in New York. 375 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: And then Lagro but they're like in this locker you 376 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: can't get into. So Lagro figures out how to steal 377 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: them and sell them, and then convinces Dhry, like, get 378 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: back in the game, start painting, We'll sell them. You 379 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: can't help it. So in nineteen six they get back 380 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: into it. In nineteen sixty two, Lagro and Lasard they 381 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: convinced Hori to move to Ibiza. Right, but see Abisa 382 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 1: wasn't the party in vacation destination then that it is now? No, 383 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: not Then At that time it was like a really 384 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: poor rural island. Well it was like a haven for 385 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: artistic exile. So the cost of living was really so 386 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: cheap at that point. Yeah, it was like this misfits 387 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: art commune. The landscape totally unspoiled because they don't have 388 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: all this like development, living super cheap. Artists and thinkers 389 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: who felt like they didn't have a place elsewhere in 390 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: the world went there and created a family. Um. It 391 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 1: was also attractive for criminals and con artists to hang 392 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 1: out because Franco was still in power then, so it 393 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 1: was like a hideaway out of the reach of interpal 394 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: So Franco was good for that way. So Lagro and 395 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:23,239 Speaker 1: Leguard they rent Dhri this gorgeous villa Anybisa, but they 396 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: put him on a small allowance of about like four 397 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: a month to keep him working creating more forged works 398 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: of art. It was enough to let him live comfortably 399 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: and like also be free of risk. Did they live there, No, No, 400 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: they had this like absolutely lavish life in Paris. Oh yeah, 401 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: they they're living off the money that they're breaking in. Yeah. 402 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: And so Dori he never gained financial independence, but he 403 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: enjoyed the company of this like incredible colorful community. Right. 404 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: Lagro tells a different version of this. He said that 405 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: Dare tricked him into believing he was a destitute and 406 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: desperate aristocrat needing mercy, and in fact he was a 407 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: con man who was wanted by interpolse this long list 408 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: of aliases, all these crimes. Um. According to Lagro, Dori 409 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: was compromised by convictions and expulsions from France, Switzerland, Italy, 410 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: Federal Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, US, Canada. I don't believe 411 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: you know, so Dori is like no, actually, um, I 412 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: made a mistake in taking Lagro into my confidence because 413 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: he took advantage of exactly exploited. So nineteen sixty four Door, 414 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 1: he's fifty eight years old, tired of the forgery business, 415 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: his works getting kind of sloppy, hand line is weakening. 416 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: And apparently he always looked old, like people said like 417 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:40,639 Speaker 1: there were quotes and people who were just like he 418 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: kind of just always looks like an old man. He 419 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: was the thoms A Gura of the art world. Well, 420 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: in galleries they start alerting inter Poll and Lagro is 421 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: like when Interpo did things, Yes, it's like getting a 422 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: little hot. So Lagros sends Doory to Australia for a 423 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: year to hide out, and then he and Lessard they 424 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: go to zero. Let's just be glamorous about this. You 425 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: need to go to Demming's New Mexico. We're going to 426 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,719 Speaker 1: go to. They always like send him in the opposite direction. 427 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: So by nineteen sixty six, more and more of the 428 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: paintings are proving to be fake. There's an art collector 429 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: who was duped by the trio of them, an oil 430 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: tycoon named Alger Meadows of the General American Oil Company, 431 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: and his wife is the one who convinced him to 432 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: start an art collection. Like they were traveling. Yeah, he's 433 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:34,120 Speaker 1: wearing a big cowboy hat like mid century movies. That's 434 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: like the mark in Europe is always the Texan with 435 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: oil money and his wife going over there, like they're 436 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: in every movie. They start, they start getting French Impressionists 437 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: and like post Impressionist paintings. News breaks across the country 438 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 1: within the art community about the discovery of all the fakes, 439 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: and he's like, am I evictim? So Lagro like he's like, 440 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 1: look when Lagros sold him. He's like, these have been 441 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: authenticated by Ziffinispaires. You see this um the Art Dealers 442 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: Association of America, they put their hat on, they stepped in. 443 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 1: They looked at fifty eight of the French paintings in 444 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: Meadows home in Dallas, and they determined that thirty eight 445 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: of them were faked and taste and like most of 446 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: the paintings have been purchased from Lagro for about two 447 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: million dollars. Right, don't forgetors living on four months in Abisa. 448 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,880 Speaker 1: I knew you were. And it's that hair that hat. 449 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: Meadows found out that UM pieces that were in s 450 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: m u's Meadows Museum we're also forgeries. Remember Klaus Pearls 451 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: Pearls visited the Meadows Museum and saw the master works 452 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: on display and that they were actually Doris fakes, and 453 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: he proclaimed aloud forgeries altogether forgeries so he could tell Meadows. Um. 454 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 1: He gave the museum a million dollars to replace the 455 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: fakes and did never tell anyone about like I was, 456 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: I was never here. Um. He then was like, you 457 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: know what, guys, we're gonna go get this. They want there, 458 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: like I'm demanding his arrest and prosecution. So Legro was like, 459 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: so he hides out in the pizza at the villa, right, 460 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: but then he says, you know what, I actually I 461 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: own this place. You gotta get out of here. He 462 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: tries to evict Tory. What in the world is Elmire 463 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: going to do when we get back from this break. 464 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: I'll let you know which fellow con man came into 465 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: his life. He's Aaron. Are you ready to put some 466 00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: beef in this? Oh my god, I got my hot 467 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,879 Speaker 1: beef injector right here. Well we're talking Texas oilman. So 468 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:06,680 Speaker 1: here's the beef. When we laughed off elmir Door, he 469 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: was in the crosshairs of beefy Texas oilman. Alger Meadows. 470 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: He'd been Meadows duped by Dhris fakes. He wants justice. Lagro. 471 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: He's trying to boot do Hori from the lavish villa. 472 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: Right that guy Door is living like this interesting life 473 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: among the wealthy and eccentric in Ibizza. He's friends with 474 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: international movie stars Aristocracy zaren. I want you to picture it. 475 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: It's nineteen sixty six. You're at a swinging party on 476 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: the vast patio of a villa in Ibizza that overlooks 477 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 1: the blue waters of the Mediterranean. The sun is out. 478 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: People are lounging about in groovy swim costumes and calftans 479 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: that they picked up in Algiers. Just across the water, 480 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: there's a man making fish stew. It's a real party. 481 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: I mean there's fish, so you're just they're visiting a friend, 482 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: a wealthy failed son lay about that you went to 483 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: prep school with. Yeah, I'm double fist and looking for him. 484 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: You're also a wealthy lay about fail son. You've decided 485 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: to surf your way around the globe all on daddy's time, 486 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: So you're cool moondoggye surf buddies. They don't know about 487 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: your rich family, and they don't know that you've skipped 488 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: off to a Beatsa to see your old pal. So 489 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: there you, guys are. You're on this giant patio, sitting 490 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: under an umbrella, drinking red wine. You're staring at a 491 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: bodacious blonde in a tiny bikini. She's surrounded by a 492 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: bunch of men, but she looks terribly bored. You like squint, 493 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: and you realize who she is. Ursula andrews, Oh damn right, 494 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: So you elbow your friend, but he just like nods 495 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: his head slightly. Two of these two other women, one 496 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: you recognize right away. That's Marlena Dietrich. She's an aging 497 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: beauty at this point still before me. I mean, she's 498 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: like a beauty's aging. I thought, you're not beautiful to me. 499 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: She's not an aging beauty to me. She's so, ALRL, 500 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: what what are you doing here? So she's still performing, right, 501 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: but she's plagued by health issues and like the creeping 502 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: threat of time aging. Zeren, just admit it. It's okay. 503 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: We're all aging, you know, we're all born to die. 504 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: Zeron um. So she's reclining on this lounge chair. She's 505 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: wearing like a turban with a matching velvet cap. Tan. 506 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: You watch she reaches in a pocket and pulls out 507 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: a couple of pills and washes him down with champagne. 508 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: Oh my girl, hand roll of smoke and watch her 509 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: do it again. The other woman looks familiar, but you 510 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: can't quite place her. She's blonde, and she's like tan 511 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: and sporty. Her laugh is almost musical. And your friend 512 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: says that her name is Nina van Pollent. She's a 513 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: Danish singer. Okay, okay, okay. So then next next to 514 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: Nina is a man. He's wearing like a loose linen 515 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: top that's all unbuttoned. Um. He's reclining on a lounge 516 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: chair looking out at the sea. You watch as an 517 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: old man approaches him. The old man's a small fellow 518 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: with like a cheerful face, but sad eyes. He's decked 519 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 1: out in a cravat and a Kashmere sweater. So all 520 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: the fabrics are so luxurious on this patio. So you 521 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: try and listen in, but there's too much chatter from 522 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: the people around you. And like you ask your friend 523 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: who those men are? You're tired of looking at Ursula Andrews. 524 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: Who are those men? He's like the guy laying down 525 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: as Clifford Irving. He's a writer, that old guy. He's 526 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: a painter. Everyone loves him. So you just watched Elmer 527 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: Dohr make his last gasp effort looking for help from 528 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: someone who would later be a fellow con artist, Clifford. 529 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: Here's what Clifford Irving had to say. Quote. At the 530 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: time I wrote the book, Elmir was in trouble a 531 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: Texas oil tycoon Alger Hurtle Meadows had bought more than 532 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: forty paintings from the two villains who were selling Elmir's works. 533 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: Meadows donated them to SMU, but first he showed them 534 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: at a Galla party in Dallas. When you can view 535 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: Elmire's paintings in a group Matisse, Picasso, Madigliani, etcetera, there's 536 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: something more obviously wrong with them than just seeing one 537 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: or two, the discerning I can see that the same 538 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: hand guided the brush. Paintings disappeared from the walls of 539 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: art galleries and museums and were hurried off to back 540 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: rooms and sellers to weather out the storm. Worse, the 541 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: French police launched their own investigation into his work. Elmir 542 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: was frightened. He came to Miani Beazza and said, I'm 543 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 1: going to tell you who I am and what I've done, 544 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: and you'll be shocked. Well I wasn't shocked. I was 545 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: surprised and amused. He proposed that I write some magazine 546 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: articles in a book that would help him with his 547 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: legal fees and give him a nest egg for the 548 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 1: dangerous future. I called my publishers in New York, McGraw hill, 549 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: and they snapped it up. So he's gotten McGraw hill 550 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 1: doing his bidding back then, is this kind of really 551 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: good writer? Yeah, he's a great writer. So August eight 552 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: door he gets convicted by the Spanish court for crimes 553 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: of homosexuality not being able to show means of legitimately 554 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: supporting himself, which like, that's a crime, and so we've 555 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 1: got to like that that's a crime and consorting with 556 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: known criminals, referring to LaGrow. So he gets sentenced to 557 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: two months and an Abizsa prison. Why was he not 558 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,959 Speaker 1: charged with forgery? Well, there was no proof he ever 559 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: created any of the art in question on Spanish, Soil 560 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: was just about to say they didn't find the man 561 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: or the studio. Well, and also he denied ever signing 562 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: the fakes with the artist's name, which is a key 563 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: legal point because it's not a crime to imitate an 564 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: artist until you put the name on it, right, So 565 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: it's only signing the name that makes it a forgery. 566 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: It wasn't possible to prove if the artist signatures that 567 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 1: appeared on the paintings were done by Dori who denied it, 568 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: or Lagro. Oh that's an interesting rinkle actually, because you'd 569 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: have a really hard time proving it without like either 570 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: a confession or somebody saying I watched him do it, 571 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: and that exactly so Dori. He gets released from prison 572 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: in October of sixty eight and expelled from Abisa for 573 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: a year. So by the end of that year he 574 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: comes back and he is a celebrity on the island. 575 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 1: They love him. He's already a beloved local character, but 576 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: the whole mess makes him an absolute star's phenomenal. Oh yeah, 577 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 1: they're like he got busted. This is great, he's even 578 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 1: more interesting now, Yes, exactly. So this is what Irving 579 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: had to say. Many of us artists expats were poor 580 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: to varying degrees. And I remember I once asked Elmer 581 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: to lend me a hundred dollars, telling him i'd pay 582 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 1: him back when a check from my publisher arrived. He'd 583 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,320 Speaker 1: heard that story so many times before from so many others. 584 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: With great reluctance, he loaned the cash to me, and 585 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: he was flabbergasted. When I repaid the loan a few 586 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: weeks later, tears came to his eyes. That's because he 587 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: was always being used. He was gay, and he liked 588 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: young men, so he had to pay one way or 589 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 1: another all the time for friendship and love. So here 590 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: he's got this great community, but they're always people like 591 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: taking a piece of him, and Clifford Irving like they 592 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: connect because he's just like there, he's seeing him as 593 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: just a person to person um and outside of out 594 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 1: that I think right. And so here though, so we 595 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: have like this troubled time nineteen sixty nine, though, Doory 596 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: meets Mark Forgy, who was twenty one, twenty years old. 597 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: He meets him on the beach in a bisa, and 598 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: the two became very close. Doory taught Forgy about art 599 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: and graceful living, just because Dory had taste well and 600 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: he had just this incredible, vast knowledge of art history 601 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,760 Speaker 1: just as everything with that, the finer things in life exactly, 602 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: So he just kind of like leads Forgy. In an 603 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: interview with The New York Times, for he was quoted 604 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: as saying he was more of a father than my 605 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: actual father. He was concerned with my future. And so 606 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: finally he's got someone who's like seeing what he gives 607 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: and then giving back. Yeah. So Clifford Irving's book becomes 608 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: an eventual success, and in nineteen seventy four it was 609 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,839 Speaker 1: adapted into an Orson Wells movie, f for Fake. No Way, 610 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: Yes Way for Fake is a docu drama, So that 611 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 1: means that Dry and Irving actually appear in it. Oh 612 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:04,879 Speaker 1: my god. The whole thing is like a film essay 613 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: where Wells muses on the value of art. I've never 614 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: seemed I read a bunch of quotes from this we 615 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: need to have our ridiculous crime film Club. Yes, we 616 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 1: do so. In the movie, Dori asks what makes his 617 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 1: work inferior to the works by the artists he was 618 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: supposedly inspired by. M His stuff fooled experts worldwide, and 619 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: they brought joy to the owners for a fraction of 620 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 1: the cost of the real thing. But then that's presuming that, 621 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: like they enjoyed the art itself and not just the 622 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: prestige of owning a name. Yeah, that's that's leaving out 623 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: a big part of it. So Wells said that since 624 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,280 Speaker 1: most of the art world is based on duplicity, illusion 625 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:48,720 Speaker 1: and trickery, did Dori and his accomplices actually do anything wrong? Well? Wrong, 626 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: and these are great, you know, I mean, I know 627 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: what art was trying to say. I would say that 628 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:58,399 Speaker 1: if you're intentionally fooling somebody, you know that that is wrong. 629 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 1: But at the same time, the question of how wrong 630 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: is it. You're not really hurting them, And we are 631 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: all constantly being tricked into capitalist society and exploited and 632 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,400 Speaker 1: misled and so forth. So when you start to consider 633 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,719 Speaker 1: the full context of where this is occurring, this isn't 634 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: like in a kindergarten classroom and one child lie to 635 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 1: another child said this is food. Another kid ate it. Now, 636 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 1: like that would be a bad dropping millions of dollars 637 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: on artwork. You're not already kind of dancing with the devil, 638 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: like you know, like that it's questionable exactly, And you're 639 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,879 Speaker 1: trying to get over on them too. Like on both 640 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: sides you have people trying to get over on each other. 641 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:37,319 Speaker 1: So that's why I don't feel too bad. They're trying 642 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: to get a deal. They're trying to go like when 643 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: they hear like, oh, you've got this Picasso and you've 644 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 1: fallen on hard times, they're exploiting this person has fallen 645 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: on hard time. So it turns out that person also 646 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: three one's deluding each other. Everyone's tricking each other. Scorpion 647 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: striking a snake. I don't care. So once again, but 648 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,240 Speaker 1: now as a celebrity, Dhry tries his hand at earning 649 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 1: a living as a legitimate artist, and he's now a 650 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 1: recognized figure in the art world and kind of well, 651 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: he's like this anti hero in the anti establishing. Yeah, 652 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:10,959 Speaker 1: he fooled everybody. They're loving this, but he wasn't able 653 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: to make the money that he was on his own 654 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: artwork as he was doing the forgeries. Um. And then 655 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: to make matters worse, France is again trying to extradite 656 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:24,400 Speaker 1: him from Spain. So he learns this from Mark Forgy, 657 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: and Hori says, I'm gonna overdose on sleeping pills and 658 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: he asks Forgy to respect his decision and not revive him. 659 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: And so Forgy he didn't want him to die, right, 660 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: so um, he takes him to the hospital, but he 661 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 1: dies in Forgy's arms at the hospital. Um. They've been 662 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: friends for six years, right, So it's December eleventh, ninety six. 663 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: He dies or does he? Wait? What death? His death 664 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 1: is shrouded in mystery. So here's what Clifford Irving had 665 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: to say. The story I heard from reliable sources was 666 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: that he had concocted a plan with his then boyfriend 667 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,480 Speaker 1: to fake his death. Elmir would take an overdose of 668 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:09,880 Speaker 1: sleeping pills at five minutes to ten, and the boyfriend 669 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 1: was supposed to come home at tend sharp to save 670 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: Elmir's life in a timely manner, but he didn't come 671 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,840 Speaker 1: back until midnight, and then it was too late. I 672 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: do know that Elmir was about to be extradited to France, 673 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 1: and he was fearful that for non Lagrox would have 674 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 1: him killed in prison. I knew Lagro a man with 675 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,160 Speaker 1: the scruples of a sewer rat, and he was certainly 676 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 1: capable of murder. Elmir thought that if he nearly committed suicide, 677 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: the Spanish authorities would take pity on him and cancel 678 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 1: the extradition to the Beast deal. It was a naive concept. 679 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 1: The Spanish government wanted to get rid of Elmir. They 680 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: were fascist, they don't care. So four, he's denying all this, 681 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: but there is that strong theory that it was basically 682 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 1: an accidental overdose that he wanted to just use it 683 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: as kind of cry for help. Now you can't extradite me. 684 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,520 Speaker 1: Why did dehy do? Why did he do what he did? 685 00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: Why did he get overall, not just with at the 686 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 1: end of his life, but like overall, I mean, it 687 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,839 Speaker 1: seems to me that he basically he gets a rough 688 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,000 Speaker 1: or unfair start in life in terms of all of 689 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 1: who he is and all of his identities and all 690 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:12,239 Speaker 1: of his his family's existence becomes reasons for him to 691 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: be challenged to continue existing. So then he, you know it, 692 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: could become a great artist at that point because he 693 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 1: has a lot to say, but instead he needs to survive, 694 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 1: so he learns to become a great imitator rather than 695 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: a great artist at that moment. From the point on, 696 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: he never really able to find his own voice, but 697 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 1: as as you said, a great mimic, so he becomes 698 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:33,839 Speaker 1: the booth beautiful choir singer ever. But it's not who 699 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,080 Speaker 1: do you want acquired? Everyone has their notions of why 700 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:38,880 Speaker 1: he did this, and it's like anyone who hears the 701 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:40,439 Speaker 1: story is going to come up with theirs. And since 702 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 1: we can't ask him, and if we could ask him, 703 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 1: there's no telling if he would tell the truth. Right, 704 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 1: Here's what Forgy said, that's who I believe Elmir was 705 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 1: always attempting mightily to champion the intrinsic merit of art, 706 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 1: as opposed to having a name tag on it. Huh, 707 00:40:56,719 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 1: I don't find that that part. I don't believe. This 708 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: is what Clifford Irving said. It's a World War two 709 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: refugee mentality, which is what you were saying. He never 710 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: thought he'd be rich, but he needed money to survive 711 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 1: and still keep some prideful identity as a painter. Survival 712 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,359 Speaker 1: is the name of the game. He justified by naming 713 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:15,840 Speaker 1: all the great artists in history who had copied and faked. 714 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: He knew his art history. There were many, and they 715 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:21,239 Speaker 1: were young and poor. They had to eat. So that's 716 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 1: you know, I'm but this is also this is what 717 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:27,640 Speaker 1: something else that Irving said about him. Alas our friendship ended, 718 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 1: many people thought my portrait of Elmir was sympathetic. I 719 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 1: certainly meant it to be. But Elmir didn't like that 720 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: I quoted some French dealer calling him quote a charming crook. 721 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: He didn't appreciate that kind of raw truth. The tail 722 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,319 Speaker 1: in cold black and White did not flatter him sufficiently. 723 00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:46,760 Speaker 1: He demanded I make changes. I refused. He stopped speaking 724 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:50,320 Speaker 1: to me personally. I loved Elmir as a friend, although 725 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: I didn't trust him, and I portrayed him as a sophisticated, elegant, intelligent, 726 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 1: sad and exploited man. I understood his plate. He was 727 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,399 Speaker 1: one of my first gay friends, and he and talked 728 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,840 Speaker 1: about the problems of being an older gay man that 729 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 1: was foreign to me before then. So they have this 730 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,239 Speaker 1: really interesting but I can see where he's crafted this 731 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 1: great illusion of who he is, and to cut to 732 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 1: the heart of it. He's a charming crook, is painful 733 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:17,440 Speaker 1: and also it I mean, it seems like dignity is 734 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:19,480 Speaker 1: the thing that he's been hanging onto it from the 735 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: point of being in the concentration camp on and that 736 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: isn't a direct attack on his dignity. Everything else is 737 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,160 Speaker 1: a is an attack on identity and things that are 738 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 1: more elusive and more like debatable in terms of someone 739 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:33,239 Speaker 1: else can have an opinion, but his dignity is his, 740 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:35,800 Speaker 1: and that challenges his sense of who he is and 741 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 1: his his dignity, which is the only thing that seems 742 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:40,239 Speaker 1: to that's the one. Yeah, Because if you craft an 743 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 1: illusion and someone comes after the illusion, you just wipe 744 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,759 Speaker 1: away into another. It doesn't matter. So Mark Forgy, he 745 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:48,439 Speaker 1: continues to honor and preserve the memory of his friend 746 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 1: and companion as caretaker of doris legacy. He created an 747 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: exhibit of DRI's work at the Hillstrom Museum of Art 748 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: in St. Peter, Minnesota, UH. He wrote a memoir for 749 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:02,880 Speaker 1: he did called The Forger's Apprentice, Life with the World's 750 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:05,879 Speaker 1: most Notorious Artist, and that was adapted into a play 751 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 1: and then a musical which is amazing. And then art 752 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: exhibits exist today specifically showcasing forgeries, and Forgy lends Dory 753 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: pieces to those. Um here's an incredible end cap for 754 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,800 Speaker 1: this story. Forgy at one point learned that there was 755 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: a business of forging forgeries, so paintings by Dory listed 756 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,880 Speaker 1: at a New Zealand auction house had to be taken 757 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,319 Speaker 1: down after it was discovered that the pieces were forgeries 758 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:43,840 Speaker 1: of Doris forgeries. The forgery the Forger. Well, and it 759 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:46,640 Speaker 1: doesn't help too that his partner's name is Forgy, and 760 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: I'm like stumbling around, so Forgy, the whole situation is 761 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 1: very Forgy. Forgy said the topic quote came up only 762 00:43:55,840 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: one time in conversation Forger Studio doing an impress. He said, 763 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 1: quote we both contemplated that for a moment and then 764 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:08,319 Speaker 1: laughed at the far fetched notion. Yeah, well, so auctioneer 765 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,840 Speaker 1: Andrew Griggs said, quote, we were astonished to find that 766 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:15,239 Speaker 1: there was a market in faking Faker's artwork, going on 767 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 1: to say that he'll be sure to alert others in 768 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:19,799 Speaker 1: the industry of the Khan. The paintings that were thought 769 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: to be Doris works were actually painted by Ken Talbot, 770 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:27,000 Speaker 1: a London bookmaker. This is what Clifford had to say 771 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 1: about Ken Talbot. Quote. Ken Talbot was a London crook 772 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:35,960 Speaker 1: and a bookmaker who in reproduced and published my nineteen 773 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 1: sixty eight biography Fake, calling it Enigma. His hardback edition 774 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:44,439 Speaker 1: includes a quote preface by Clifford Irving, not a word 775 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 1: of which I wrote, like they're all getting a piece 776 00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 1: of theirs come back to them, Bitter Medicine, an introduction 777 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 1: by Talbot himself that is mostly half truths and lies, 778 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:57,680 Speaker 1: and a center color section of supposed Dory paintings that 779 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:03,759 Speaker 1: Talbot busily tried to sell as genuine Tory fakes of Matisse, Picasso, Madigliani. 780 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: At all. I have no idea who painted them. Talbot 781 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:09,520 Speaker 1: was a dangerous man, and if he were still alive, 782 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 1: I wouldn't dare write these comments I gave this. I 783 00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:15,919 Speaker 1: give this eighty dollar book a second star only because 784 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:19,120 Speaker 1: it included my text that of the original Fake is 785 00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:23,160 Speaker 1: worth reading. Fake is for sale at five on Kindle 786 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,160 Speaker 1: and Nook. It's worth two stars because because my stuff 787 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:29,000 Speaker 1: sent it, by the way, by mine for five Kindle. 788 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:32,719 Speaker 1: I love the forgeries of a forgery. I mean this 789 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: is like when I do an impression of your doing 790 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:37,960 Speaker 1: an impression of your brother doing an impression of Steve Harvey. 791 00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:45,759 Speaker 1: It is it's like, it's this like, it's like it's 792 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:49,600 Speaker 1: just as wrong. So here's a good take on it. 793 00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 1: This is what reporter David Holzer of the Budapest Business 794 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: Journal had. The same. Hungarians delight in listing the admittedly 795 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:01,360 Speaker 1: startling number of their countrymen and women who have soared 796 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,800 Speaker 1: the heights of excellence in the world outside the country. 797 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:09,560 Speaker 1: Quite rightly, Dori exemplifies another kind of Hungarian genius, one 798 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: that makes his skill cunning and the survival instinct to 799 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,359 Speaker 1: make life tap dance to the tune only you here. 800 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,480 Speaker 1: This quality is best summed up in an expression taught 801 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:21,279 Speaker 1: to me by none other than Robin Marshall, editor of 802 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,480 Speaker 1: this newspaper. Hungarian is the only person who can go 803 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:28,400 Speaker 1: into a revolving door behind you and come out ahead 804 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: of you, he once told me, though he takes no 805 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 1: credit for having come up with the idea. For most 806 00:46:35,239 --> 00:46:38,040 Speaker 1: of his life, Elmir dehor came out of that revolving 807 00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:40,560 Speaker 1: door well ahead of those who thought they had got 808 00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:47,520 Speaker 1: one up on him, until well he didn't. Maybe it's 809 00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:50,600 Speaker 1: believed that door still has hundreds of thousands of forgeries 810 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 1: all over the The grand total of his sales has 811 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 1: approximated at like fifty million dollars. Damn, what's your ridiculous 812 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:04,280 Speaker 1: takeaway on the reel? My ridiculous takeaways? I hate Lagro 813 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,279 Speaker 1: but yeah, I mean you saw my instinct on him 814 00:47:07,440 --> 00:47:11,480 Speaker 1: the entire time. But on the reel, I think it's 815 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,440 Speaker 1: a darn shame that that, you know, like icon of 816 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:18,000 Speaker 1: clastic bone vivant types, can't just hang out with the rich. 817 00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:20,239 Speaker 1: You want to have this interesting stuff and just do it, 818 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:22,000 Speaker 1: Like why the rich have to get mad? Like, come on, 819 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:24,359 Speaker 1: you exploited people and you guys always get so mad 820 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,560 Speaker 1: when these people turn out to be Charlatan's you want, 821 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:31,879 Speaker 1: and doesn't make an even greater story that now you've 822 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,279 Speaker 1: got a door. Look, I got duped and then I 823 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:36,480 Speaker 1: don't know, I feel like there's some notoriety I do 824 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:40,560 Speaker 1: like having a like wanting to have the best forger's forgery, 825 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:42,800 Speaker 1: like having a door. I think that is really I 826 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:44,759 Speaker 1: would love to have a doughter and see if I 827 00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: can get you one, and if I can't get someone 828 00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:49,240 Speaker 1: to paint one, so that you can paint a door, 829 00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:51,680 Speaker 1: you can paint a what was the other guy's name, 830 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:56,600 Speaker 1: Ken Talbot Talbot Talbot of of Madigliani. Excellent, And that's 831 00:47:56,600 --> 00:48:01,360 Speaker 1: actually a picture of Steve Harvey. That's that's my tale 832 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 1: of Elmir door. That's it. That's it. Um. What's your 833 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,839 Speaker 1: ridiculous takeaway on Elizabeth? Oh, I think I've exposed all 834 00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:13,120 Speaker 1: of that, and my ridiculous takeaway, thank you, is that 835 00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,440 Speaker 1: I do want I want an Elmir Dori what I want? Uh? 836 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:19,920 Speaker 1: You can find us online at Ridiculous Crime on both 837 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,279 Speaker 1: Twitter for the talk and Instagram for the gawk, and 838 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:25,560 Speaker 1: email us at ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com if 839 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,719 Speaker 1: you'd like, download the I Heart app if you want 840 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:30,840 Speaker 1: to leave us something called a talk back. It's like 841 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,320 Speaker 1: a thirty second voicemail that we can't respond to. But 842 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 1: you know, we may play it on here an active 843 00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 1: revenge or I'll forge one, I'll mimic it. Tune in 844 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 1: next time. Ridiculous Crime is hosted by Elizabeth Dutton and 845 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:54,240 Speaker 1: Zaren Burnett, produced and edited by mayor of Beizza, Dave Kusten. 846 00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 1: Research is by Exhausted authenticators Marissa Brown and Andrea Song 847 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 1: sharpen Tier. The themes song is by Thomas fo Digliani, 848 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:07,080 Speaker 1: Lee and Travis Picasso. Fake Donte executive producers are co 849 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:09,840 Speaker 1: directors of the FBI Art Crime Unit, Ben Boland and 850 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:20,160 Speaker 1: Noel Brown Ride Say It one More Time, We Dequeous. 851 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:24,320 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of I Heart Radio. For 852 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 1: more podcasts to my heart Radio, visit the i heeart 853 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 854 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:30,160 Speaker 1: favorite shows.