David Lamar

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For another person known as "the Wolf of Wall Street", subject of a 2013 film, see Jordan Belfort.
David Jr Lamar
David Lamar circa 1913
Bornc. 1877
United States
DiedJanuary 12, 1934 (aged 56–57)
United States
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Con man; swindler; impersonator

David Lamar (c. 1877 – January 12, 1934) was a con man known as the Wolf of Wall Street.

Biography[edit]

David Lamar[1] was born circa 1877.[2] (various birth dates can be found; his 1934 obituary reports he was 65 years old) [3]

Criminal career[edit]

He appeared in New York City about 1893.[4] In the 1890s "he had a Fifth Avenue house and was known for his trotting horses, his diamond studded walking stick, his appearances as a man about town."[5]

In 1899, Lamar claimed one of his most famous victims was 25-year-old John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Working through George Rogers, secretary to Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Lamar convinced the younger Rockefeller to buy stock in U.S. Leather, using money he had borrowed from his father. As Rockefeller Jr. was buying, Lamar was selling, and the younger Rockefeller lost nearly $1 million.[6]

On July 9, 1903,[7] when his coachman James McMahon appeared in court to testify against Lamar on an assault charge, McMahon was stabbed and beaten by members of the Eastman Gang as he entered the courthouse and he was unable to testify.[8]

His obituary noted two brazen swindle attempts in which he hired two men as "hold up experts" in suits he brought against the U.S. Steel Corporation and the Great Northern Railroad and the Northern Pacific Railroads; his "experts" were exposed as frauds.[5]

A 1913 profile of him remarked that he appeared to be wealthy at times and broke other times.[4] That same year in New York, Lamar was indicted and charged with impersonating Congressman A. Mitchell Palmer.[9][10]

During 1915, Lamar acted as an agent for Franz von Rintelen, a captain in the intelligence wing of the German Imperial Navy who operated covertly in New York City. Lamar promoted strike action and work stoppages in munitions factories by means of the Labor's National Peace Council.[11] From offices at 55 Liberty Street, Captain von Rintelen spent US$500,000,[12] much of which went to Lamar, whose reports of his success were greatly exaggerated.[12]

For impersonating a Congressman, Lamar was sentenced to two years to the Federal Atlanta Prison in May 1916.[13] In October 1916, while serving his Atlanta Prison sentence, he was working as a tailor.[14]

In 1923 after losing an appeal on a conspiracy charge, he fled New York City and was found 8 months later in Mexico and sent to the Essex County Penitentiary in North Caldwell, New Jersey,[15][16] for one year for being involved in strikes in munition factories; he was released in 1924.[17] In 1924 his first wife divorced him and retained custody of their daughter Dorothy. On November 22, 1925, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, he married a stage and screen actress Edna Eck aka Edna Fretch;[15] in August 1926 he was served with a subpoena in regard to alleged stock manipulation of Consolidated Distributors [Motor parts];[17] after Lamar's demise—according to his attorney—Lamar had not been in the money since 1929.[5]

Lamar died in a New York City Hotel room of heart disease[5] January 13, 1934.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ His real surname was Levy. See his obituary in the Reading Eagle January 14,1934 .p.1 accessed November 17, 2018
  2. ^ Heribert von Feilitzsch (January 2015). The Secret War on the United States in 1915: A Tale of Sabotage. Henselstone Verlag LLC. p. 67. ISBN 9780985031763.
  3. ^ ""Wolf of Wall Street" Dies". Reading Eagle. January 14, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record, Volume 11 By Frank E. Carter July 19, 1913 Detroit Michigan
  5. ^ a b c d Reading Eagle, January 14, 1934. p. 1 accessed November 17, 2018
  6. ^ Chernow, Ron (1998). Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Random House. p. 356. ISBN 0-679-43808-4.
  7. ^ The evening world., July 30, 1903, Night Edition, Image 1 accessed November 17, 2018
  8. ^ Asbury, Herbert. The Gangs of New York New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927. ISBN 1-56025-275-8
  9. ^ Hearings. United States Congress. 1913. Very well; I desire to testify now, then, that two years ago, when I first used the name of Riordan, I told the man I used it with at the end of, say, three conversations, that were all within a period of two days, that I was David Lamar. That man was Mr. Charles Steele. Mr. Ledyard has testified here, and the committee will see it—I can call their attention to it—Mr. Ledyard says he knew of these conversations between Mr. Riordan and Mr. Steele. So that two years ago, if my testimony is to be believed, Steele knew it was not David Lamar he was talking with but that it was Riordan
  10. ^ "Accused Appears in Washington Court, Document Is Not Served on Him". The New York Times. July 24, 1913. Retrieved 2009-07-18. Considerable mystery surrounds a sealed indictment against David Lamar which has been forwarded from the Federal Court in New York City to District Attorney Wilson of Washington. Mr. Lamar has been in this city for several days, and his counsel, Henry E. Davis, was instructed by Mr. Wilson to produce his client before United States Commissioner Anson H. Taylor this morning at 10 o'clock.
  11. ^ Tuchman, Barbara W. The Zimmermann Telegram (New York: NEL Mentor, 1967), p.71.
  12. ^ a b Tuchman, p.71.
  13. ^ The day book., May 24, 1916, NOON EDITION, Image 4 About The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917 accessed November 17.2018
  14. ^ The Hattiesburg news., October 09, 1916, LAST AND HOME EDITION, Page 3, Image 3 accessed November 17,2018
  15. ^ a b Evening Star December 7,1925 p.32 accessed November 17,2018
  16. ^ "Atlantic City Gazette-Review 18 Feb 1924, page 2". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  17. ^ a b https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1926-08-18/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1918&index=14&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=David+DAVID+lamar+Lamar+LAMAR+prison&proxdistance=5&date2=1929&ortext=David+Lamar+prison&proxtext=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 Evening star. [volume], August 18, 1926, Page 3, Image 3 accessed November 17, 2018]
  18. ^ "David Lamar 'Wall Street Wolf,' Dead". Hartford Courant. January 14, 1934. Retrieved 2009-07-18. The mysterious Stock Market operations of the "Wolf of Wall Street" have been ended by death.[permanent dead link]

Sources[edit]

  • Tuchman, Barbara W. The Zimmermann Telegram. New York: NEL Mentor, 1967.
  • von Feilitzsch, Heribert The Secret War on the United States in 1915: A Tale of Sabotage, Labor Unrest and Border Troubles. Amissville: Henselstone Verlag, 2015
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