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The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal

Wilfried F. Voss — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:57:36 +0000

Click on image to buy from Amazon.Com

The story of Clark Rockefeller is a stranger-than-fiction twist on the classic American success story of the self-made man-because Clark Rockefeller was totally made up. The career con man who convincingly passed himself off as Rockefeller was born in a small village in Germany. At seventeen, obsessed with getting to America, he flew into the country on dubious student visa documents and his journey of deception began.

Over the next thirty years, boldly assuming a series of false identities, he moved up the social ladder through exclusive enclaves on both coasts-culminating in a stunning twelve-year marriage to a rising star businesswoman with a Harvard MBA who believed she’d wed a Rockefeller.

The imposter charmed his way into exclusive clubs and financial institutions-working on Wall Street, showing off an extraordinary art collection-until his marriage ended and he was arrested for kidnapping his daughter, which exposed his past of astounding deceptions as well as a connection to the bizarre disappearance of a California couple in the mid-1980s.

The story of The Man in the Rockefeller Suit is a probing and cinematic exploration of an audacious imposer-and a man determined to live the American dream by any means necessary.

About the Author

A journalist for thirty-five years, Mark Seal is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Death in Africa, about the murdered wildlife filmmaker and naturalist Joan Root. Seal was a 2010 National Magazine Award finalist for his Vanity Fair profile on Clark Rockefeller. He lives in Aspen, Colorado.

Review

When Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was a child, he dreamed of getting out of his small village. A poor immigrant, he wanted to be educated, classy and have a life of adventure. He knew that to pursue his dreams, he must go to America.

He lives with many host families but wears out his welcome in Boston. So, he changes his identity and enrolls in another college in Wisconsin. There, he secures a green card through a quickie marriage and divorce, which doesn’t trigger anything with immigration. Quite odd and something I believe would be harder to pull off in our present day.

From there, he moves into the guesthouse of Ruth Sohus, but her son and his wife vanish after a few months. He, once again, changes names and identities, and manages to get a high-profile job on Wall Street – a job he wasn’t qualified for.

When a detective arrives asking him questions about the Sohus’, who are missing, he disappears once again. This time, he emerges in New York City as Clark Rockefeller, who has an extensive art collection. There he meets and marries Sandy Boss, a wealthy socialite. They remain married for years, even having a daughter. But when Sandy realizes that she has been married to an imposter, she asks for a divorce.

Clark decides to kidnapp his daughter and that seemed to be his undoing. When captured, a thorough investigation takes place, following his crime of deceit. Along his journey, he always made sure to join the church – from there, he could gain entrance to many social circles and clubs. From there, people didn’t question his identity.

A man who would stop at nothing for identity and fame, and by the time he admitted it, he had people convinced he was Rockefleller. He was very intelligent and devious. Mark Seals has definitely done his homework, this novel is filled with many details, including pictures. A man who desired wealth and class, a man who desired the American Dream, is now serving a sentence for kidnapping and wanted for murder. A compelling and astonishing read. – Wendy L. Hines, Amazon.Com Customer Review

The elusive man with a big name

Boston.Com Book Review – June 2, 2011 (Excerpt)

Bostonians are by now familiar with the strange tale of the German fabulist Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who for two decades fooled everyone around him, including his wife, into believing he was a Rockefeller.

In the summer of 2008, the slight man with the big name riveted New England and much of the world when he kidnapped his daughter from Back Bay and sent police and the FBI on a breathless manhunt.

Now a much darker chapter in the life of the con artist once known as Clark Rockefeller is expected to unfold as he prepares to face murder charges in the death of a San Marino, Calif., man he knew in the early ’80s.

Los Angeles County authorities have offered few details about what led to the killing of John Sohus, a 27-year-old computer programmer. But a new book by veteran reporter and Vanity Fair contributing editor Mark Seal provides an intriguing, frightening theory of what may have happened to Sohus and his wife, Linda, who both went missing in 1985.

Backed by details the public has not heard, Seal argues in “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit’’ that Gerhartsreiter wanted the couple out of the way so he could have a clear path to the assets and property Sohus stood to inherit from his alcoholic mother. [Read the full article...]

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Queen of Misfortune

A Lady Jane Grey Novel by Peter Carroll

A Love Story of Almost Shakespearean Dimension!

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Good Business in Greenfield, Massachusetts: Jim's Tree Service

Wilfried F. Voss — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:14:05 +0000

This post is part of an article series on businesses in Greenfield, Massachusetts and Franklin County, Massachusetts. Click here to see all posts on the same subject.

Jim’s Tree Service

It’s this time of the year in New England when you start to think about winter, especially being prepared for the heating season. This last winter we used less than 250(!) gallons of heating oil. In fact, we had it filled a few days before last Christmas, and the tank is still just above one quarter. We accomplished that by using our wood-stove and burning wood that came from the property. Now that we had used most of our own firewood we needed to order more from a local service. A neighbor had recommended Jim’s Tree Service of Greenfield, Massachusetts.

I called a few weeks ago, but Jim was on vacation, and I left a message. Nevertheless, a nice lady called back that same day, assuring us that she had written down our information, and that Jim would call us back the next Monday. Needless to say, but Jim called, and I ordered two yards of seasoned hardwood. The price per yard seemed a little high, but I can say that the quality of the wood was accordingly. Jim delivered the wood promptly. First, I was surprised that he had asked for cash, and he needed it before he would dump the wood on our property. But thinking about it, it made sense. It is unfortunate that some people start negotiating the price even if they had already agreed on a price.

I also asked Jim to take a look at two trees on our property that needed some pruning. One big branch hung closely to the driveway after some severe rainfalls in the spring. We agreed on a price, and the work was done a few days later. Jim’s group consisted of three people who worked quick and precise without any major damages. I also appreciated the persistent clean-up that continued while the branches were cut, and that included raking of small debree.

Over all, I would hire Jim’s Tree Service at any time when I need tree work or firewood.

Business:

Jim’s Tree Service
115 Homestead Avenue
Greenfield, MA 01301

(413) 774-7590

Vote:

Two Thumbs Up!

Note: This post reflects my personal opinion, and may not necessarily be shared by others. The circumstances as described may not be typical for the business referenced in this post.

Nevertheless… If you live in Greenfield or the Franklin County of Massachusetts, and have a similar experience with this or another business, please feel free to either contact me through this website, or leave a comment below.

Dubious Business in Greenfield, Massachusetts: Toyota & Ford of Greenfield

Wilfried F. Voss — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:46:09 +0000

This post is part of an article series on businesses in Greenfield, Massachusetts and Franklin County, Massachusetts. Click here to see all posts on the same subject.

Toyota & Ford of Greenfield

Yesterday (August 25, 2010) I received a handwritten letter in the mail. The writing was definitely female, and there was no return address. I was curious, because usually I don’t receive letters from women other than my wife, and I know my mother-in-laws handwriting.

Inside the envelop was the clip of a newspaper and a sticky note with more handwriting, saying: “Wilfried, check this out! J.”

The (faked) newspaper displayed in large letters: “Dealer stuns competition by announcing $29 Down and $99 a Month!” The dealer in question is Toyota & Ford in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The “article” also lists opening times and phone numbers.

You can tell it’s a fake newspaper, because there is absolutely no reference on top or bottom of the page that you usually find. So, someone took the time to address probably several hundreds of envelopes and sticky notes (the handwriting is genuine), stick on a stamp, and mail them.

Needless to say, I have no idea who “J.” is, and I have received a similar offer before from another car dealer in town, which makes me believe that there is either a service in the neighborhood, specialized in such dubious marketing methods, or one of the sales guys, with a strange sense of doing business, moved from one dealer to another.

I personally feel that the guys at Toyota & Ford of Greenfield are insulting my intelligence, and that alone is reason enough for not to buy a car from them. Actually, just today I test-drove a Subaru Forrestor, because I am, in fact, looking for a new used car. Still, I don’t believe the guys at Toyota & Ford of Greenfield knew about that. Again, I received a similar mailing before.

My thinking, too, is that I wouldn’t dare making business with them. First, they seem to be desperate, considering the low-level of business ethics they display through their marketing methods. I wouldn’t trust them at all. Secondly, I learned from a friend who tried to get her Toyota serviced due to a recall, that she was told, she didn’t need to have her car fixed. Since that was not the only issue with them, she is not very satisfied with their service.

Perpetrator:

Toyota & Ford of Greenfield
1 Main Street
Greenfield, MA 01301

(413) 772-0231

Vote:

Two Thumbs Down!

Note: This post reflects my personal opinion, and may not necessarily be shared by others. The circumstances as described may not be typical for the business referenced in this post.

FastNetLearning.Com – Where To Complain And How To Get Your Money Back

Wilfried F. Voss — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:20:59 +0000

If you are a victim of the FastNetLearning.Com scam, please use the following link:

Click on Image to switch to the Complaint Board.

This forum contains lots of complaints about this Fast Net Learning scam (Home Income Profit), but you can also find entries where some people have advised on where to report the scam, and others have posted on how they managed to get a refund.

Please do not attempt to cancel your account through this website. As I wrote in my post The Curse Of Revealing A Scam, I am merely reporting about the scam. Currently, I am receiving about two cancelations per day, and I am unable to help if people are not reading my posts and find that I am not associated with the scam.

FTC Website - Click to open new window

You can also file an official complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media. Your complaints can help them detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. The FTC enters all complaints it receives into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide. How much personal information you provide is up to you. To learn how they safeguard your personal information, please read their Privacy Policy. If you don’t provide your name and certain other information, it may be impossible for them to refer, respond to, or investigate your complaint.

Chris Malta Website - Click to open new window

Also, here is a short video which should help folks deal with their bank: http://www.chrismalta.com/ScamTip1aff.asp

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The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

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pulse360 – A Leader In Fake Content Links?

Wilfried F. Voss — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:44:17 +0000

pulse360 – in their own words “The Leader in Content Targeted Sponsored Links on the Web’s Best Sites – is a leading provider of links that lead to web sites with blatantly fabricated content. See below a few references I found on the Internet.

For the love of god, I don’t want whiter teeth

Note: Interesting article, especially since msnbc.com and pulse360 are business partners… The same ads, the reporter is complaining about, appear on the same web page as his article.

And so we come to the networks, the most irresponsible and hypocritical of our cast. Let’s take Pulse360, the ad network that serves up many of TBM’s scam ads, as another case study. I talked to Jaan Janes, the CEO of Pulse360, for an infuriating 45 minutes. My objective: figure out whether these kinds of ads comply with Pulse360’s ad guidelines. Janes repeatedly said that every ad and its corresponding site is hand-screened at Pulse360, primarily to ensure that contact information is visible on the site. But they do not call every phone number to see whether anybody actually picks up the line. (They say they do spot checks.) Logic implies that if the ads are personally screened and then end up in the network, they comply with the guidelines.

As found on msnbc.com…

Q: How do you stop a pulse 360 ad from popping up?

A: Some Pulse ads are downright fake. There’s a weight loss one that lists the woman as from my home town “Susi from xxx lost 40 pounds!!”, but when I was out of state, I noticed the same ad listing the woman from the town I was now in..

It just gets the city your IP is from and inserts that into the ad. Deception makes me want to buy!!!

I clicked the ad and it’s totally bogus. They even use Rachael Ray’s likeness but spell her name wrong.

In the about us page, it even say’s “We know we mis-spelled Rachael’s name, but it was too late to fix it.” To late to fix it, but not too late to write text right underneath it saying it was too late to fix it????!!!!

Nice integrity!

As found on wiki.answers.com.

Are Alexa.com Ads by Pulse360-Kanoodle Violating FTC Truth in Advertising?

A few months ago, the web information company Alexa redesigned their website and since then I’ve been noticing these incredibly distasteful advertisements pitching weight loss products, wrinkle removers and suspicious get rich quick schemes. While these type of advertisments are nothing new on the internet, what stood out to me was each advertisement appears to be placed by a person who is located in the same city as myself.

If you look up any of these blogs in Google, there are numerous bloggers warning that these flogs (as Jay Weintraub calls them)are blatant by scum of the earth affiliate marketers (Lincoln Adams’s affectionate term for the unethical blackhat set) scams.

WashingtonPost.Com – Unwillingly Supporting A Scam?

Wilfried F. Voss — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:54:46 +0000

This article is part of a series on Online fraud. Read more…

As I had written in a previous post, reading the New York Times and The Washington Post, both Online, on a regular basis has become my regular morning habit. Recently I noticed that The Washington Post has found another clever way of increasing their revenues by offering local ads. These ads are designed to read the viewer’s IP address and determine the physical location. All this could be interpreted as a clever marketing trick, but my admiration for the Washington Post’s new ways to create Online revenues faded quickly as soon as I found out that the location information was not used to provide real local ads, but to modify the ad’s message in a very misleading way. To make things worse, these ads are, in my very personal opinion, designed to defraud unsuspecting viewers.

Today I wrote an e-mail to the washingtonpost.com:

From: Wilfried Voss

Date: January 8, 2010 9:59:25 AM EST

To: letters@washpost.com

Subject: Fraudulent ads on washingtonpost.com

To whom it may concern;

I would be interested in your position regarding the posting of fraudulent ads on washingtonpost.com, especially those posted through pulse360. I have seen ads promoting the “Google Profit Library” which is a proven scam. And it doesn’t stop there. There are more ads such as “[Your Hometown Here] Local Mom Tricks To Whiter Teeth” and “[Your Hometown Here] Warning!” Replace “[Your Hometown Here]” with the location of your IP address.

The ads posted by pulse360 give the impression they have been posted by local businesses. As a matter of fact, the ads are modified according to the viewer’s IP address, and thus displaying false information that cannot be explained as being special marketing features.

I, personally, am disturbed that the Washington Post acts as an accomplice in a scheme that is designed to defraud hundreds of thousand of Americans.

I am awaiting your response. I also reserve the right to post this e-mail and any further communication on my blog.

Regards,
Wilfried Voss
http://www.frogenyozurt.com

We will see whether or not I receive a response, and if yes, I will post it/them here.

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