The Business Man

While in Montreal on other `business`, the Count decided to make a Vermont banker named Linus Merton a marked man. Lustig arranged to have another thief pick the Merton`s pocket. Twenty-four hours later, Lustig played the hero and returned the wallet with all its content intact. This slick move was just to win the banker`s confidence.

The Count brought Merton in on a scheme that he was using to earn money. Lustig claimed that his cousin Emil worked at a bookie joint and was able to intercept the race wires. As a result, Emil could find out the winners to every horse race several minutes before the local betting windows were closed. It was a guaranteed win, at least for the first few days. With Merton on a winning streak, Emil announced that he had been forced to quit his job because his wife was ill and they had to move ASAP. The pressure was now on for Merton to make one last bet. Of course, he placed it and lost. Lustig took the banker for $30,000.