Mel Weinberg

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)[1]
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(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.[2] 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.[3]

His story was portrayed in the 2013 film American Hustle, with Christian Bale playing Irving Rosenfeld, a character based on Weinberg.[4][5]

Weinberg was born in The Bronx, the son of Helen and Harry Weinberg.[6] His mother was of Swiss descent and his father was of Russian Jewish ancestry.[7] After dropping out of school in grade nine, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1942 to 1946.[8] He retired to Titusville, Florida.[9][10] He died on May 30, 2018, aged 93.[11][12]

  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.