Mel Weinberg | |
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Born | |
Died | May 30, 2018 Titusville, Florida, U.S. | (aged 93)
Known for | Informant in Abscam FBI sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s |
Spouses |
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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 probation. 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. [2]
His story was portrayed in the 2013 film American Hustle, with Christian Bale playing Irving Rosenfeld, a character based on Weinberg. [3] [4]
Weinberg was born in The Bronx, the son of Helen and Harry Weinberg. [5] His mother was of Swiss descent and his father was of Russian Jewish ancestry. [6] After dropping out of school in grade nine, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1942 to 1946. [7] He retired to Titusville, Florida. [8] [9] He died on May 30, 2018, aged 93. [10] [11]
Mel Weinberg | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | May 30, 2018 Titusville, Florida, U.S. | (aged 93)
Known for | Informant in Abscam FBI sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s |
Spouses |
|
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 probation. 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. [2]
His story was portrayed in the 2013 film American Hustle, with Christian Bale playing Irving Rosenfeld, a character based on Weinberg. [3] [4]
Weinberg was born in The Bronx, the son of Helen and Harry Weinberg. [5] His mother was of Swiss descent and his father was of Russian Jewish ancestry. [6] After dropping out of school in grade nine, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1942 to 1946. [7] He retired to Titusville, Florida. [8] [9] He died on May 30, 2018, aged 93. [10] [11]