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| Photo Credit: Charlotte Alter |
Meet author Mark Chiusano, a Newsday alum and PEN/Hemingway honoree, as he discusses his book, The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos. Chiusano tells the full story of Santos, from his humble years spent in Brazil, to glamorous nights on the west side of Manhattan, to the stunning small-time scams employed to ease his slippery climb up the American society ladder.
COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY
America has grown used to larger-than-life politicians: Teflon Don, AOC, MTG, Dark Brandon, and all the rest have injected DC politics with an unmistakable edge of celebrity flair and tabloid intrigue. Yet in 2022, a new player on the national scene outshone them all. George Anthony Devolder Santos, and his revolving door of pseudonyms, shed glaring new light on how far we all let our politics slide as his claimed resume was shred to bits in the wake of a longshot run to office from New York's 3rd Congressional District. From Wall Street gigs to an amateur volleyball career, from embellished claims of Jewish heritage to a fabricated 9/11 story involving his mother's death, Santos' legend continued to grow as his web of lies evaporated in real time. And the only thing wilder than this charlatan embedding himself in the warm, consequence-evading arms of our nation's capital was the Queens con artist's refusal to bow his head in shame. The Santos show continues, as he joins the ranks of high-wattage fakers like Anna Delvey and Elizabeth Holmes.
