Hustling Hitler

All his life journalist Walter Shapiro had heard outlandish stories about his great-uncle Freeman Bernstein. He assumed they were exaggerated family lore---Jewish revenge fantasies dreamt up to entertain the kids. Only when he started to research Freeman's life, did he realize that his family was actually holding back---there were even more stories to tell. From a ragtag childhood in Troy, New York, Freeman made his way through life as a vaudeville manager (where he met his wife, May Ward, who became Mae West), boxing promoter, stock swindler, card shark, and the self-proclaimed "Jade King of China". Then, on February 18, 1937, he was arrested by the LAPD outside of Mae West's apartment in Hollywood. The charge? Grand larcency---for cheating Adolf Hitler and the Nazi government. Freeman had promised to ship thirty-five tons of embargoed Canadian nickel to the Furher. When the cargo arrived, the Germans found only huge, useless quantities of scrap metal and tin. The fake shipment was a huge blow to their economy, war preparations, schedule, and ego. Hitler did not take the bait-and-switch lightly and sent the police after him. But Freeman Bernstein had the last laugh. He swindled Adolf Hitler---and got away with it!.