by Glenn Beck
• They bonded over their mutual status. (Levin, 57)
• The lawyer told her that it was her destiny to hold in the palm of her hand the weal or woe of a country. (Levin, 57)
• A sign of Edith’s utter devotion: Official Report of the Second Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson, March 5, 1917.
• Grayson agreed with the president’s vision for the League of Nations and believed it would be an historic effort to end all wars: “The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is (Part 3),” August 19, 2014, http://nyti.ms/1tjdqoJ.
• It was Edith who managed his workflow. (Levin, 351–52)
• She had written every word. (Levin, 353–554)
• Nobody expected the president to agree to see them. James McCallops, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: The Unintended President, Nova Science, 2003.
• The two men discussed taking a wheelchair to the Capitol so that Wilson could announce his decision to the Congress in person. (Cooper, 319)
• Quitting now was out of the question. (Levin, 420–21)
• Her list had reached a total of fifty-four names. (Cooper, 319)
• His cane appeared to have been erased. (Chandler)
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The scene of Woodrow and Ellen Wilson with their daughters is invented. Wilson’s animus toward women is well documented in the historical record.
• Wilson’s conversation with Colonel George Harvey is invented, as are details of the dinner with Ellen Wilson.
• Cary Grayson’s encounter with Taft and Wilson is partially imagined, but otherwise based on Grayson’s own memoir, Woodrow Wilson: An Intimate Memoir.
• Wilson’s conversation with Grayson over the care of his sister is imagined, though it is based on Grayson’s own recollections and other published accounts.
• Grayson’s care of Ellen Wilson and their conversation is partially invented. It was Wilson who has been widely quoted as saying there was nothing “organically wrong” with his wife, an opinion shared or reinforced by his doctor.
• Edith Wilson’s first encounter with Woodrow Wilson is partially imagined, but based on her own memoir, Grayson’s memoir, and other historical sources.
• Wilson’s proposal to Edith is partially invented, but based on her own recollections in her memoir.
• The dialogue included in the scene describing Edith’s encounter with Colonel House is partially invented.
• The scene involving the arrest of women’s suffragists is partially imagined, but based on real events.
• Grayson’s care for Wilson is pieced together from various historical accounts, and the text of his letter warning of Wilson’s precarious health is found at the Woodrow Wilson library website: http://bit.ly/1niL9tK.
• Wilson’s conversations with Grayson and Edith on the train are partially imagined, but based on sources, including Phyllis Lee Levin’s book, as well as Cary Grayson’s and Edith Wilson’s memoirs.
• Details of Wilson’s stroke in the White House are taken from Edith Wilson’s “My Memoir.” There was also a play that reenacted the scene, Woodrow Wilson Suffers a Stroke, found here: http://bit.ly/1zc7Q8x.
• Grayson’s poststroke conversations with Edith Wilson are imagined, but based on Grayson’s memoir.
• The scene detailing Wilson’s consideration of resignation is imagined, though largely based on the historical record.
Chapter 4: Streets of Gold: Charles Ponzi and the American Scheme
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Blumenthal, Ralph. “Lost Manuscript Unmasks Details of Original Ponzi.” New York Times, May 2009.
Darby, Mary. “In Ponzi We Trust.” Smithsonian, December 1998.
Dunn, Donald. Ponzi: The Incredible True Story of the King of Financial Cons. Broadway Books, 2004.
Zuckoff, Mitchell. Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “Student.” (Zuckoff, 24)
• “Dearest Mother, your son has at last stumbled . . .” (Dunn, 28)
• “Your account is more of a bother to us than a benefit.” (Zuckoff, 89)
• “Our returns have been enormous already!” (Zuckoff, 115–16)
• “I can think of no more worthy cause . . .” (Zuckoff, 119)
• “A little dollar could start on a journey across the ocean . . .” (Zuckoff, 121–22)
• “She’s worried about my hat!” (Dunn, 154–55)
• “Tell me, can you come down to our offices?” (Dunn, 179)
• “I’m the man! I’m doing it!” (Dunn, 234)
• “I’ve given back more than two million.” (Dunn, 279)
• “Declares Ponzi is now hopelessly insolvent.” (Blumenthal)
• “How are your newspapers selling?” (Zuckoff, 236–37)
• “I might have.” (Zuckoff, 256)
• “After I am proved on the level . . .” (Zuckoff, 258)
• “Yes, I have agreed.” (Zuckoff, 280–81)
• “The man’s nerve is iron.” (Darby)
• “No man is ever licked” (Zuckoff, 281)
• “I do not anticipate that another Charles Ponzi will ever appear in the financial world.” (Blumenthal)
Notes on sourcing of specific facts, scenes, and characters:
• Satisfied with his letter to his mother, Carlo had a few more drinks. (Zuckoff, 21)
• He was impressed by the man’s skill. (Dunn, 11)
• Banco Zarossi became one of the fastest-growing financial institutions. (Dunn, 24)
• Mattress made from a sack of corncobs and husks. (Zuckoff, 30)
• He’d hinted that he’d worked for the Italian government. (Zuckoff, 79–81)
• Ponzi had already rented a large office and hired two stenographers. (Zuckoff, 88)
• The wife took fifteen dollars from her purse and handed it to Ponzi. (Zuckoff, 121–22)
• Ponzi told them that such information was a trade secret. (Darby)
• Ponzi thought he and Columbus were similar in many ways. (Zuckoff, 135)
• Ponzi concluded that the story could not have been better. (Darby)
• Ponzi was infuriated by the accusations. (Dunn, 246)
• The story included photos of his mug shot. (Darby)
• Sixty years old, nearly blind, and partially paralyzed from stroke. (Dunn, 337)
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• Ponzi’s conversation with William H. McMasters is imagined, but is primarily based on Donald Dunn’s Ponzi: The Incredible True Story of the King of Financial Cons.
• Young Ponzi’s letter to his mother and his college exploits are partially imagined, but based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s Ponzi Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend.
• Ponzi’s conversation with his uncle is partially imagined. His uncle’s declaration that the streets of America “are literally paved with gold” is, however, taken directly from Zuckoff’s book.
• Why Ponzi briefly changed his name to Bianchi is an educated supposition.
• Most of the details surrounding Ponzi’s involvement with the Banco Zarossi are taken from Dunn’s book, though parts of the conversation are imagined.
• Ponzi’s letter from prison to his mother appears in Donald Dunn’s biography, though his motivations for the letter are partially theorized.
• The details of Ponzi’s encounter with Detective McCall are taken from the Zuckoff biography.
• The conversations with Ponzi and the immigration official at the New York border are partially imagined and partially taken from Donald Dunn’s biography, 32–34.
• The details of Ponzi’s encounters with Charles Morse come from Donald Dunn’s biography, including Morse’s quote about “it’s all a matter of keeping your sights high.” (Dunn, 42)
• Ponzi’s conversations with Rose are imagined and based on the Dunn and Zuckoff biographies, as well as other sources.
• Ponzi’s conversations with potential investor Gilberti are partially imagined and partially taken from the Dunn and Zuckoff biographies.
• William McMaster’s views and conversations with Ponzi are partly imagined but also influenced by McMaster’s lost manuscript, which was detailed in the New York Times on May 4, 2009: http://nyti.ms/1rq97KN.
• Accounts differ as to whether Ponzi compared his exploits as being bigger than the landing of the Pilgrims or if he instead referred to the Mayflower.
Chapter 5: He Loved Lucy: The Tragic Genius of Desi Arnaz, the Inventor of the Rerun
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Arnaz, Desi. A Book. Morrow, 1976. http://bit.ly/1rpZThD.
Edwards, Elisabeth. I Love Lucy: Inside the World of Television’s First Great Sitcom. Running Press, 2011. http://bit.ly/1w9TCZJ.
FBI Records on Desi Arnaz. Part 3 of 7. http://1.usa.gov/1w9RTU2.
Folkart, Burt A. “Desi Arnaz, TV Lucy’s Loving Co-Star, Dies.” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1986. http://lat.ms/1w9Wo0N.
Harris, Warren G. Lucy & Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television’s Most Famous Couple. Simon & Schuster, 1991.
Kanfer, Stefan. Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball. Knopf Doubleday, 2007.
McGrath, Douglas. “Television/Radio: The Good, the Bad, the Lucy: A Legacy of Laughs; The Man Behind the Throne: Making the Case for Desi.” New York Times, October 14, 2001. http://nyti.ms/1w9QfSq.
Sanders, Coyne S., and Tom Gilbert. Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. HarperCollins, 1994.
Schindehette, Susan. “The Real Story of Desi and Lucy.” People, February 18, 1991. http://bit.ly/1w9PYPx.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “Instead of divorce lawyers profiting from our mistakes . . .” (Desilu, 29)
• “Oh, Desi, It just isn’t the same, is it?” Bart Andrews, “Last Five Years Were Rocky for Lucy & Desi,” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 3, 1989.
• “Dios mio! What is happening?” (Arnaz, 26)
• “Especially you, Desi. You’re a young boy . . .” (Arnaz, 31)
• “I am very sorry I couldn’t have you join me here sooner . . .” (Arnaz, 32)
• “That’s silly, Dad. We’ll be more comfortable here.” (Arnaz, 37)
• “No way my son is going to be a musician.” (Arnaz, 43)
• “Why don’t you call me Lucille, and I’ll call you Dizzy.” (Kanfer, 75)
• “Wouldya like me to teach you? It may come in handy for your part.” (Arnaz, 109)
• “Now, Desi, I want you to sweep Lana into your arms and kiss her passionately.” (Arnaz, 141)
• “You can’t have children over the telephone.” (Desilu, 22)
• “If no one will give us a job together, then we’ll give ourselves one.” Bart Andrews, “Lucy’s ‘Favorite Husband’ for Years, She Tried Her Best to Make the Marriage Work,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 27, 1989.
• “Why are they so unhappy about Look magazine? Who’s going to care about that?” (Arnaz, 205)
• “Five thousand an episode.” (Arnaz, 72)
• “Well, that’s no problem. Tell the ladies to be my guest.” (Arnaz, 225)
• “How ya doing, you gorgeous Cuban?” (Kanfer, 137)
• “Thank you, America.” “Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz—Toast of the Town October 3, 1954,” YouTube. http://bit.ly/1rqd4PN.
• “Oh, hell. I could tell them worse than that.” (Schindehette)
• “Maybe I’m a romantic, but there was a great, great love there.” (Schindehette)
• “We certainly did have everything. Worked very hard to get it . . .” “Lucille Ball & Barbara Walters: An Interview of a LifeTime (FULL),” YouTube. http://bit.ly/1rqdaa6.
• “Give Lucy ninety percent of the credit—divide the other ten percent among the rest of us . . .” (Sanders, 357)
• “. . . Every evening we spend watching television, we are exposed to his influence.” (Folkart)
Notes on specific scenes, facts, and characters:
• Desi Arnaz’s initials were etched in gold paint on his black Buick Roadmaster. (Sanders, 13)
• Desi could not believe that Lucille Ball was the same woman he had spotted on set yesterday. (Arnaz, 109)
• Desi was not angry that Lucy had signed a contract with MGM; he was mad that she signed it with help from Pandro Berman—her former lover. (Harris, 322)
• Although Desi did not want any visitors, Lucy was determined to see him and insisted on being let into his room. (Harris, 322)
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The details of Desi Arnaz’s childhood in Cuba, including his flight from his home, as well as some of the direct quotes, are taken from Desi’s autobiography, A Book.
• Most of the details and conversations with Desi’s father after he arrived in America are also taken from the Arnaz autobiography, as well as from numerous articles and interviews.
• Desi and Lucy’s first meeting and their conversation are based on details in both of their autobiographies. Lucy’s was titled Love, Lucy and was published posthumously by their daughter. Other sources for this scene include Coyne and Gilbert, Desilu.
• Desi’s performance at the Roney Plaza Hotel is partly imagined but based on his autobiography.
• The scene with Desi in Louis B. Mayer’s office at MGM is partially imagined, but most of the details come from Arnaz’s memoir.
• The meeting with CBS executives and Lucille Ball is largely invented, though it does reflect actual conversations that Lucille recounts in her memoir.
• Desi’s conversations with his agent are imagined.
• Lucille’s decision-making process to green-light Star Trek is largely imagined, but is based on details included in several sources.
• The scene where Lucy and Desi play with their grandson is based on a real home movie taken by their daughter, Lucie Arnaz.
• Desi’s deathbed conversation with his nurse is invented. The words from Desi’s speech are from the historical record. See the video at http://bit.ly/1rq25FV.
Chapter 6: The Muckraker: How a Lost Letter Revealed Upton Sinclair’s Deception
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Alexander, Michael. Jazz Age Jews. Princeton University Press, 2001.
Arthur, Anthony. Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair. Random House, 2007.
Literary Digest Magazine. Vol. 61, no. 11, June 14, 1919.
Summation of Fred Moore for the Defense. Dedham, Mass., July 13, 1921. Court transcript available online: http://bit.ly/1tjgPUs.
Watson, Bruce. Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, The Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind. Penguin, 2007.
Whitman, Alden. “Upton Sinclair, Author, Dead; Crusader for Social Justice, 90.” New York Times, November 26, 1968.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “In the course of the arguments had in this case, attention will be directed . . .” (Moore)
• “. . . The will find two words there—’Social Justice’ for that is what I believe I fought for.” (Whitman)
• “Long live anarchy!” “Sacco and Vanzetti Put to Death Early This Morning,” New York Times, August 24, 1927. http://nyti.ms/1lbXHrf.
• “I wish to tell you that I am innocent, and that
I never committed any crime but sometimes some sin. I am innocent of all crime, not only of this, but all. I am an innocent man.” (Ibid.)
• “What is your full name. . . . The fellow on the right here.” Testimony of Prosecution Witness Lewis Pelser, Courtroom Transcript. http://bit.ly/1lbXXXc.
• “Perhaps a thousand times as many people will read my novel as will ever look at the official record.” (Arthur)
• “To a hundred million groping, and ten times as many still in slumber, the names of Sacco and Vanzetti would be the eternal symbols of a dream, identical with civilization itself, of a human society in which wealth belongs to the producers of wealth, and the rewards of labor are to the laborers.” Upton Sinclair, Boston: A Novel, Scholarly Press, 1970.
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The scene that takes place in Boston on August 23, 1927, is imagined. Upton Sinclair spent a great deal of time in Boston in 1926 and 1927 researching his book on Sacco and Vanzetti, but there is nothing that explicitly says he was there on the night they were executed.
• “To the workers of the whole world, it is a warning to get organized and check the bloodlust of capitalism.” Upton Sinclair as quoted in Paul Avrich, Sacco and Vanzetti: The Anarchist Background, Princeton University Press, 1996, 161.
• “What an ironic twist of fate,” Sinclair, Boston, Bentley, 1978, 262.
• The scenes that occur on June 30 and August 4, 1901, are imagined, but according to Sinclair biographers, Meta Sinclair did try to abort her child. See, for example, Arthur, Radical Innocent.
• Teddy Roosevelt and Upton Sinclair did meet in the White House, but the dialogue is imagined. The last quote summing up Roosevelt’s view of Sinclair is taken from a private letter he wrote to a friend: Roosevelt to William Allen White, July 31, 1906, in Elting E. Morison and John M. Blum, eds., The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, 8 vols., Harvard University Press, 1951–54, vol. 5, 340.
• Most of the details of Carlo Valdinoci’s attack on Attorney General Palmer are taken from Alexander, Jazz Age Jews.
• The July 13, 1921, courtroom scene is taken directly from the stenographer’s record. The court transcript is available online: http://bit.ly/1tjgPUs.
• Stalin was an admirer of Sacco and Vanzetti. More details are available in Watson, Sacco and Vanzetti.
