in the tradition of Catch Me if You Can, the story of a man who got away with as much as he could, and then blew it big-time...Fun While it Lasted is the whirlwind story of Bruce McNall's life as a player. McNall started in the ancient con business. Soon, he branched out into horse racing, movies (The Fabulous Baker Boys), and major league sports as owner of the L.A. Kings hockey team. McNall was the toast of Los Angeles, attending glamorous parties and living the life of a celebrity. Eventually, however, he had to borrow huge amounts of money, and ultimately his empire collapsed amid charges of fraud and deception. He was sent to prison for bilking banks out of more than $200 million. Here is a tale of how McNall convinced Wayne Gretzky to play for his Kings; how he helped Merrill Lynch start a coin fund that eventually lost millions of dollars; and how he played fast and loose in Hollywood. McNall's memoir is a compelling look at life at the top, and how hard and fast one can fall.
Fun While it Lasted
My Rise and Fall in the Land of Fame and Fortune
1 of 1 copy available
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
May 15, 2007 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- File size: 250577 KB
- Duration: 08:42:02
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
May 19, 2003
When McNall was a kid, his dad wasn't emotionally available, and, as a result, McNall grew up with a need to be liked. An oversized need, actually, which is why, he says, he defrauded several financial institutions out of $236 million. As a teenager, McNall was fascinated by ancient coins and soon became one of the world's leading collectors and dealers. Later, he got into horse racing, creating ownership syndicates that included the rich and famous. He bought a movie production company, a Canadian football team and the L.A. Kings hockey team. He brought Wayne Gretzky to the U.S. and, in 1992, was appointed chairman of the National Hockey League. Alas, ethics weren't a part of McNall's voyage to millionairedom. He abused his position to buy ancient coins well below the wholesale price, smuggled coins out of Tunis, paid under-the-table commissions and, before long, graduated to fraud. Taking payment for coins he had not purchased and using assets that didn't exist to secure loans, McNall was essentially operating a loan pyramid. By the time the FBI came to call, his company had nine different sets of books. McNall got 70 months for his crimes and offers a detailed but unconvincing account of the rigors of minimum-security federal prison camps. In fact, McNall is unconvincing as anything other than a white-collar conman, and his story, while sufficiently dramatic, doesn't provide enough backbone to give him credibility, never mind sympathy. (July 9)Forecast:McNall, who operated and currently lives in L.A., thanks Michael Eisner for "pushing me to tell it all." Ads in
Variety and the
Los Angeles Times might drum up interest from the film crowd, though the book may not draw widespread interest.
-