Jan Lewan | |
|---|---|
 Lewan at Sundance Film Festival in 2017 | |
| Born | Jan Lewandowski August 15, 1941 Bydgoszcz, Poland |
| Nationality | Polish, American |
| Other names | Polka King, Dowski |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, Polka band leader and Tour Guide |
| Criminal charge(s) | Mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, racketeering |
| Criminal penalty | concurrent:
|
| Criminal status | imprisonment completed in 2009 |
| Children | 2 |
Jan Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: [lɛvanˈdɔfskʲi]; born 15 August 1941 in Bydgoszcz, Poland)[1] known professionally as Jan Lewan, is a Polish-American songwriter and polka band leader. The Grammy Award-nominated musician was convicted of fraud charges in 2004, for financial crimes described by The Morning Call as a "classic Ponzi scheme".[2]
Lewan's life has been depicted in multiple films, first in the 2007 TV documentary Mystery of the Polka King, the 2009 documentary film The Man Who Would Be Polka King, and the 2017 American comedy film The Polka King, in which Lewandowski is portrayed by Jack Black,[3][4][5] which was released on Netflix on January 12, 2018.[6]
- ^ "Jan Lewan age, height, weight, net worth 2022, wife, kids, gay, girlfriend, biography, wiki | MD Daily Record". 18 July 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
morningcallwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Polka, Ponzi and prison: Jack Black stars in Netflix film about Hazleton's Jan Lewan". The Morning Call. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "How 'The Polka King' Turns A Real-Life Con Artist Into One Of Jack Black's Most Endearing Roles". MoviePilot.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (December 5, 2016). "Sundance 2017: Robert Redford, New Rashida Jones Netflix Series, 'Rebel In The Rye' & More On Premiere, Docu, Midnight & Kids Slates". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "January premieres on Netflix". Screencrush. Retrieved 2017-12-13.