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Mel Weinberg

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American con artist and Abscam informant (1924–2018)
Mel Weinberg
Born(1924-12-04)December 4, 1924
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 2018(2018-05-30) (aged 93)
Titusville, Florida, U.S.
Known forInformant in Abscam FBI sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s
Spouses
  • Mary O'Connor (1944–1962)
    Marie Weinberg (died. 1982)
Evelyn Knight ​ ​(m. 1982; div. 1998)​

Melvin Weinberg (December 4, 1924 – May 30, 2018) was an American con artist, charlatan and federal government informant who is known for his involvement in a sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s known as Abscam. At the time of the scandal, he was a convict hired by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct the operation in exchange for a sentence of probation on pending charges and a payment of $150,000. The two-year investigation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property and corruption of prominent businessmen, but later evolved into a public corruption investigation. The FBI, aided by the Justice Department were able to videotape various politicians and other officials accepting bribes from a fictitious Arabian company in return for various political favors. This led to the convictions of seven members of the United States Congress, among others.

His story was portrayed in the 2013 film American Hustle, with Christian Bale playing Irving Rosenfeld, a character based on Weinberg.

Weinberg was born in The Bronx, the son of Helen and Harry Weinberg. His mother was of Swiss descent and his father was of Russian Jewish ancestry. After dropping out of school in grade nine, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1942 to 1946. He retired to Titusville, Florida. He died on May 30, 2018, aged 93.

References

  1. "Abscam Con Man Mel Weinberg Is Stung by His Wife's Shocking Charges—and Sudden Death". People.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  2. "Special Report". Usdoj.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  3. "The Investigations at a Glance; Origin Disclosure Results Inquiries Under Way". The New York Times. February 10, 1980.
  4. "Abscam Con Man: 'American Hustle' Wrong, Jennifer Lawrence Too Hot". ABC News. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  5. "Mel Weinberg: The Real American Hustler". Sky News. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  6. "The Miami News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  7. Greene, Robert W. (2 December 2013). The Sting Man: Inside Abscam. Penguin. ISBN 9780698144446. Retrieved 5 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  8. "American Hustle: the man behind the scam". Telegraph.co.uk. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  9. "Swindler behind Christian Bale's Oscar-nominated role in "American Hustle"". Cbsnews.com. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  10. Jennifer Sangalang and Pam Harbaugh, Florida Today (5 February 2014). "Florida home to original American hustler". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  11. "'American Hustle' Con Man: Mel Weinberg's Final Days (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  12. McFadden, Robert D. (June 6, 2018). "Mel Weinberg, 93, the F.B.I.'s Lure in the Abscam Sting, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
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