Get him! Get him!
Ready!
You're going down. Set. Hike.
Damn.
Did that hurt?
Get up, you ain't no carpet king, you're a queen.
Get up!
Time-out.
Get up, man.
I think his nose is broke.
You can get him for me. Finish this thing off.
You gonna finish the game.
Next touchdown wins, we got the ball, so you man up.
I'm a little banged up here.
You know why you got 25 years?
Yeah, because I refused to testify
against anybody whose last name ended in a vowel.
No, you got 25 years because you're a quitter.
When things get tough, you look for shortcuts. You quit.
You quit on your family, you quit on your friends,
you quit on God.
And that's because you ain't got no heart.
Yeah, that's right, I called you a quitter.
What you gonna do about it?
If that don't sit well with you, prove me wrong.
Barry Minkow, for once in your life, don't take a shortcut.
Take the pain and help this team win.
Well, you know, I think we're all born with certain genes.
I think Barry was missing one.
It's got to be something deep-seated in Barry.
Barry did what he did. I mean, nobody really put him up to it.
Barry could convince anybody of anything,
and he was very, very good at it.
From the moment he shook my hand...
He's a sociopath.
I thought this was the entrepreneur of the year.
He was almost incapable of not lying.
And, you know, I give him credit for this
tremendous scam that he pulled at that time.
He had so much charisma...
I've never seen anybody like Barry.
...that you believed everything. Everything.
He could sell ice to Eskimos.
Barry reinvented himself.
You know, for a young guy, it was pretty amazing what he pulled off.
He didn't want his lights turned off.
He didn't want to be his dad.
- Hey, pally boy. - Hey, Pop.
How'd you do today?
Ah, not bad.
Outfitted the YMCA down the street with a half a dozen gym fans.
Half a dozen?
Good thing it gets hot in the Valley, huh?
That's pretty good, right?
Let me give you some advice, kiddo.
Never work for somebody else if you can help it.
Now get in the house and wash up.
Move. Jeez.
Go away.
My commission check is gonna be larger this week.
Enough to pay the gas bill?
It'll be fine.
Mom said no MTV.
Ow!
Knock it off! Shut up.
What are you talking about? I'm doing the best I can.
They do this every night. When is this going to stop?
When someone in this family figures outhow to earn some real money.
That was it. He wanted to make money and that was it.
He wanted millions.
That's what drove him.
He wanted the girls.
He wanted people to love and adore him.
And the girls only wanted you if you had a red Ferrari.
Hi, Mindy.
Hi... Barry.
I'm telling you, man, I'm making things change.
That so, big guy?
Yeah, that's so. Check it out.
When'd that happen?
That's five days a week for three months at the gym.
See, look, I might not have Matt Maple's money.
I can't throw a football like Bobby Biddelo.
No. But I can look like Lou Ferrigno.
I'm going after the three Ps, Mikey.
What are the three Ps?
Position plus possession equals popularity.
I'm gonna build a new Barry.
Well, how's all this supposed to happen?
I'm gonna start a business, I'm gonna keep working out,
I'm gonna make a ton of money
and then I'm gonna have everything that I want.
He wanted to be a star.
It could have been a fabulous story.
Barry! Get to it!
See, the way it goes is you work off your membership fee
by working off your membership fee.
Hi, Mom.
Excuse me, could you just hold on for one second.
I'll be right back with you.
Sweetheart, listen, I heard on your last run
you brought the degreaser, you brought the sanitizer,
but, Barry, you forgot the...
Scotchgard. Scotchgard.
You can never, never forget that. I know.
Barry, we want to sell Scotchgard. Scotchgard. I know.
Listen, you gotta get on this one, kiddo. You're a terrific worker
but I don't want my boss to think... Excuse me...
You don't want your boss to think...
I just don't want my boss to think
that you're just here because of me.
That would be terrible. That would be nepotism.
I'm a good worker. Just...
Yeah, go back and work. Go, go, go.
Sorry.
Hello?
Whoa.
That guy juices.
What, you mean steroids?
No, like, I think he drinks a lot of V8.
Yeah, I mean steroids.
Awesome.
Hey, how do you get so big?
How do you think?
Is there...
Is there any way I could buy some 'roids off of you?
How you gonna pay, kid?
I got a part-time job cleaning carpets. I can pay.
I'll tell you what. I'll swap you.
A carpet cleaning for some 'roids.
Deal.
We're done, kid.
Nice job, kid.
Definitely worth some of these.
Thanks.
Hey, um...
Hey, what is all this stuff?
Just call it my inventory.
Ah. Gotcha.
Yeah, as soon as I figure out how to get my own steam cleaner,
I'm gonna go into business for myself.
How much do one of them things cost?
Like a thousand bucks.
Tell you what.
A thousand cash for equipment. Six bills for capital.
Now you're in business, kid.
Um...
Oh, you'll pay me back.
Interest only. $200 a week.
What are you, some kind of loan shark?
I'm a businessman, kid.
You want in?
Yeah. Yeah, I want in.
Yes, hello, there.
I just had my carpets cleaned by this company called ZZZZ Best.
It's owned by this wonderful kid who is only 16.
You should do a story on him.
All I see on the news are stories about kids on drugs and in gangs.
This young man is a role model.
What's that?
All right.
Yes, ZZZZ Best.
Four Zs. With four Zs.
Okay. Thank you. Goodbye.
Thank you, Grandma. You're the best.
What, you can't stay and visit?
I wish I could. I've got so much to do.
But I'll come by later.
Can you make me some of that spaghetti that you make so good?
With the meatballs, too.
I'm just so proud of my son. He did this all himself.
Can you make sure the sign is in the shot?
So, what's Barry's secret?
Well, he's always been highly motivated.
Dad, stop. No false modesty, son.
I'd like to take this opportunity and offer anyone who's watching
a 50% discount if they come down, right now.
I will clean your carpets personally.
Dad will even help too! Do you see what I'm talking about?
I mean, he's brilliant! Barry Minkow.
Hey, Barry.
Yo, Barr!
Barry, my man!
Hey, carpet dude!
Hi. Hey.
Well, do you like your meal?
It was really good.
Are you ready to go? Yeah.
I don't really like horror movies that much,
but do you wanna see Blade Runner with me this weekend?
Yeah? Awesome.
Two hundred and forty bucks!
Don't sweat it, man. Business is good!
But you're doing this every weekend.
Okay, will you look around you for a second?
Dude,
I'm finally in. We are finally in. It's totally worth it.
You can't do this to me. I haven't done anything wrong.
Barry. Sit down.
We didn't realize that you were underage.
In the state of California,
the signature card that opens a checking account,
it's a legally binding document.
It's a contract.
And you cannot sign a legally binding
business check if you're only 16.
Now, like I said, if you want to get your father in here to co-sign...
My father?
It's my company, okay?
I started this thing, not my dad.
You know this! Barry, listen.
I'm not one to stifle entrepreneurship.
I'm impressed with what you've accomplished, believe me.
But this is the way the system works.
Now, I have no choice but to close your account immediately
and return all outstanding checks.
You said you were impressed by me. Right?
Then why can't you make an exception for me?
I'm sorry, kid.
You've seen what I've done.
I really am. I wish it didn't have to be this way.
But the rules are the rules.
You can't break the rules.
Look at me, kid.
I can't let you bounce checks on me.
I know.
And I've been lettin' you skate.
You owe me 800 bucks.
I know.
I know. Look, Victor, man,
you know I'm in trouble with these checking accounts.
Okay? I would have to be crazy to try to screw you.
I wouldn't even be in business if it wasn't for you, man.
I owe you big.
All I got to my name is 20 bucks. Just take it.
Okay, enough.
Okay, look.
You pay me $500 cash by Friday,
I let the other $300 slide for one more week.
You got it?
Thank you.
Thank you, man. I won't let you down.
I promise.
You better not.
Mr. Barry.
Ron, I need a money order
for Sparkle Janitorial Supply for 500 bucks.
Coming right up.
Hey, Ron, you got a delivery!
Hey, Barry, give me one sec. I'll be right back.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, God!
Barry, you feeling all right?
Yeah... No, no, I'm good, I'm good.
I saw you on the news. You're an impressive young man, Barry.
How can I help you?
Mr. Fitzgerald, I've been to every bank n the area
and no one will open a business checking account for me
because they say I'm too young.
Funny thing is, I already had one open
for over half a year before anyone ever found out my age.
I would have thought that I had proven my ability to be responsible.
You don't impress me as being too young. You seem pretty mature.
I get that all the time.
Look, Mr. Fitzgerald,
I've started a good business.
And I know what I'm capable of.
I mean, I already have seven employees,
all of whom are paying taxes on their wages.
I'm simply a victim of my age.
Well put.
I just need someone to take a small risk
and put a little trust in me.
Fine. I'll take the chance.
But you'll need to keep me updated twice a week on ZZZZ Best's status.
Even though every newspaper and TV show is keeping me posted.
Here, I want you to sign the bottom here.
Of course. I'll fill in the rest, okay?
Thank you. Congratulations.
I won't let you down.
What is this?
What do you think, huh? What is this?
What?
Dude!
What is this? Come on, baby.
Jump in, let's go for a spin. What?
How...
How did you afford this, man? We're not making any profits.
Don't have to afford it.
Just gotta cover the monthly payments.
Look, it's all about appearances, my man.
The way you look is the way the world thinks you are.
Speaking of appearances,
there's a misprint in the Yellow Pages ad.
It says, "Serving the area for over 10 years."
That's not a misprint.
It's a business tactic.
Everybody does it. Nobody is going to check.
What do they have to check?
What, you think anyone is gonna believe
you started the business when you were six years old?
That's ambitious, man.
Must have been tough balancing nap time and making payroll.
You wanna think? Or you wanna drive?
Let's drive, man.
Fastest car on the market.
Hold on.
I can't stay ahead of expenses no matter how much business I bring in.
Victor's payments are killing me.
Mikey...
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey. Check this out.
Yeah. What?
Look at this. Look, the checks...
The checks from the NorthRidge account haven't cleared yet.
All right?
So if I write a check from that account into the second account,
I can cover my shortage until I can deposit more customer checks.
And then I just run it the other way
when the NorthRidge account is short.
Then I never have to keep the full amount
as long as I deposit the new money in time.
Yeah. That's called check kiting.
Really?
I thought I made that up.
No, you did not.
Anyways, anyways, it doesn't matter.
Yeah, it does, it's illegal.
It doesn't matter.
It's only temporary.
It's only until I can square things up.
'Cause kids, during the summertime, are gonna work cheap.
I can go after more customers,
I can do more advertising and then...
And then I can pay it all off...
It's gonna cost you more money.
I can pay it all off!
Everything's gonna be fine.
Mikey!
You're late.
I know. I know. I was at Victor's. Sorry.
I had to pick up some company letterhead.
Letterhead? Yeah, yeah.
You know, for corporate documents, that kind of thing.
Did you get another loan?
What do you mean, did I get another loan?
What do you mean, what do I mean?
You got another loan? How much was it? Yes. Yes.
Four grand. But it's not a big deal. Interest is like $500 a week.
$500 a week! Barry... Okay, hear me out. Hear me out.
No, no, no. Give me your hand.
What? Half the reason I got the loan
is because I think that you
deserve a bonus.
Really? Yeah, really.
Come on, man. You work your butt off.
I just want you to know I appreciate you.
Go take out that cute little girl I saw you with last week.
I...
I think you're gonna like this place.
All right.
Beats the garage, huh?
It's awesome, man.
Hey, Barry.
I'm up here, Pop.
Well...
Very nice.
Impressive.
Son...
You know I am so proud of you.
But I don't want you to get in any trouble.
And I just feel like...
You're in over your head.
Dad, don't tell me how to run my business.
No, no, no. Your whole life you've played it safe, okay?
I'm taking my shot here.
Hey...
Why don't you come work for ZZZZ Best?
You can build up my commercial accounts.
I'll match your salary at Windy City with a better commission.
I don't think that's the best idea.
Come on, Dad. You've always been at jobs
that didn't require any talent.
Come work for me. Show me what you can do.
Come here.
Son...
Hey, Dad?
You start work Monday.
See you later, Mr. Minkow.
Yeah, see you, boys.
That's our new commercial manager.
You have a sec? Yeah.
Look at that.
So...
I might not be smart enough to get it,
but Victor doesn't sell cleaning equipment, right?
No, but the banks and insurance companies
don't need to know that.
Right, so...
We purchased 10 Crowell Triple-Vac Dual Pump...
Water-heated steam cleaners.
I don't know that brand.
That's 'cause they don't exist.
Sounds good though, right?
Yeah.
Sounds good.
Hey, Mike.
From now on...
"Mr. Minkow."
Hey! If that isn't the little...
Look at you! Not so little anymore. What happened to you?
Hey, Uncle Joe.
Look at you. Trying to look like you.
I should be so lucky.
Damn! Come here, I want to show you something. Watch your step.
What... What happened to this place?
Well, this one was a flood.
Hard to imagine you could do anything with this, huh?
It smells like the inside of a Halloween costume.
This is called restoration work.
Fires, floods...
The insurance companies contract it out
to restore it and make it new again.
Big money. Big money.
This could be your future.
Come on. I want to show you something.
Wow. This is amazing. Mmm-hmm.
Before and after. Not bad for three weeks' work, huh?
Look. Uncle Joe, I appreciate you bringing me out here,
but I'm just a carpet cleaner.
Yeah. So was I when I started 35 years ago.
You know, all the carpet companies out there...
All your competitors, they all advertise
for one big thing that you don't.
Emergency water damage restoration.
Water heater busts in the house,
water floods the carpets everywhere.
The first people called are the carpet cleaners
who come in and extract the water.
Bingo! And you make millions.
If you're ever interested in that kinda thing, just let me know.
I'll help you find some work.
Are you insane?
You can't open another office.
Barry, you think that I don't know that you're kiting checks again?
This company is hanging on by a thread.
Relax. And we both know...
Relax! Okay? Everybody cheats a little bit. It's not a big deal.
It's a big deal. It is a big deal.
It's not. It's not a big deal!
Okay? I had to expand to generate more cash to catch up on my...
Barry, you can't run one office on... Do not...
Do not raise your... Barry!
Do not raise your voice at me.
It's settled. All right?
I already got the location picked out.
Look, everybody thinks I'm some kind of hotshot now, man.
Barry Minkow, the young entrepreneur.
I gotta keep that going.
Mike, it's who I am now.
With the debts and the divorce, I really need the extra income.
Great. Happy to help.
Now, I need you to mock up a few documents
for a bloated insurance company. So, don't feel bad.
Feeling bad was not something I was factoring in.
You do have the cash, right?
You're sure this was one of your competitors?
Yeah.
What did they steal?
Four Crowell Triple Vac steam cleaners.
Yeah, but Barry, even at 1,500 a piece,
that doesn't equal $12,000.
Water damage.
"Water damage"?
Yeah.
See, when they broke in, they set off the sprinklers,
which caused water damage.
These guys are trying to put me out of business!
But we fixed it.
Because that's what we do.
It's expensive. Really?
Yeah, it's called "restoration work."
In fact, ZZZZ Best is going to
be awarded out more restoration jobs
from other big companies
as early as next week and that...
That's where the real growth opportunities are
in the carpet-cleaning industry.
I think a little toast is in order for the man of the hour.
Dad, come on. No, no, no.
Here's to Barry on your 18th birthday.
You're an adult, well, legally anyway.
Now, you can get married, even join the army
with or without our permission. To my son, Barry...
I am sorry to interrupt,
but you know how it is when your father tries to be funny.
Right...
But I would like to say something. I'd like to toast you, Barry.
I am so proud of your success.
Thank you, Mom.
Cheers. To ZZZZ Best, son.
Cheers, guys. Mazel tov.
And so, as we look forward
to the excitement of new lives,
we, the fresh-faced class...
Man, I feel like I don't even know you anymore.
Come on. Yeah you do, Mikey.
Same old Barry. I'm just a regular business now, that's all.
But like Icarus, who flew too high to the sun,
we need to keep watch,
to keep level and not let the temptations of our new freedom
be the end of us.
Come on.
Who doesn't cheat on their taxes
or inflate an insurance claim?
Can we just enjoy graduation?
I applaud you fellow students on this day of rebirth...
The answer is, everyone.
And nobody gets hurt, all right?
So, don't come at me with that self-righteous attitude.
In fact, I think I deserve a little thanks.
Really. You're running flush now because of me.
Congratulations to the class of 1984!
Damn it.
Hey, it's your favorite uncle.
Hey, Uncle Joe. How are you?
I'm good, kid. Listen.
I'm out there in the business community and I'm hearing things.
Like you're expanding too fast and you can't possibly be profitable.
Uncle Joe, that's just jealous people
using their stories as an excuse for their mediocrity.
Yeah, yeah. I'm hearing that, too. See?
Okay. All right. But be careful.
You have to be a little bit of a thief in business, I know that.
But you don't want to become a thief.
Then you're not in business anymore, you're just a crook.
There's a project over in Tarzana
and I have an interested buyer.
He won't close on the sale until I fix a rip in the carpet.
I'll get someone right on it.
No, no. He wants you.
He wants to meet the millionaire kid success story.
Just be careful. I hear this guy's connected. A real Mafioso.
I mean it.
I read about you in the Examiner, didn't I?
Yeah, yeah.
Joe says you're a pro.
That's my Uncle Joe.
How do you do that, Barry?
Pull down a profit like that?
Cleaning carpet?
I never heard of that.
Well, Jack, the real money, it's not in the carpet cleaning.
It's in these things called restoration jobs.
Oh, yeah?
Like cleaning up after an old fire?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Um, the jobs, they come in through...
Through these insurance adjusters.
My company, ZZZZ Best, we got, like...
We got three of these jobs lined up right now.
But I plan on expanding,
because each job contract is worth about 25 grand.
That must be nice.
Yeah, yeah. It's really nice.
You know, you have these huge buildings
with these complex sprinkler systems
and they go off inadvertently, causing floods.
You know, and it's expensive to fix.
If I had the money, there's no limit to what I could do.
How much? A hundred grand.
A hundred grand? Just for clean
No, no. It's much more than that.
It's extracting the water, dehumidifying the area,
you know, padding and tack strips, mold treatment.
You see, all this requires money, lots of money,
and these worthless insurance companies,
they're notoriously slow for these large payouts.
And see, that's what sets me apart from my competition.
Look, Jack, how many carpet cleaners
do you know in this business that are well
How much are you gonna pull down right now?
With these restorations?
These three? Eighty grand. Profit.
It's good. So give me proof.
Proof?
Yeah, proof of the jobs, huh?
A little accountability. You know?
I mean, I'll come in right now. Fifty grand cash.
You need money, I'll raise money, you know.
I'll talk to friends. It's all numbers, Barry.
"Numbers"? It's just numbers.
Yeah, yeah, numbers. It's all numbers.
We come in,
we come in for a lot more than a hundred, you know.
A lot more.
We split profit, you know? 50/50.
"50/50"?
All the jobs. If you're interested.
Yeah. Yeah! Yeah, of course, I'm interested.
The proof, the documents, I can bring those by tomorrow.
You want a drink?
Nah, I don't drink.
Good for you. You're a smart kid.
This is unacceptable.
You don't understand. No, no, you don't understand.
You got those credit card accounts because I vouched for you!
Twenty-five thousand in fraudulent accounts!
Look it wasn't me! I swear!
Barry.
It was crooked carpet cleaners! Look...
They want me out of business... Keep it down.
Look, they faked the credit card slips
so they could double-bill the customers and make more money.
What do you want me to do?
I just found out about this last night. I already fired them.
Were you planning on telling me?
Yes... I guess... You guess?
Yes, yes, yes. Of course I was planning on...
Look, I'm a little over my head here, Bill.
Mr. Fitzgerald, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
All right.
I can keep your accounts open for five business days.
You deposit $10,000 at that time
and the rest five days after that...
I won't let you down.
You better meet these deadlines, Barry.
Otherwise, I will shut you down
and I will bounce all your checks.
This is a joke to you, huh?
That would put me out of business.
I know. So it should motivate you.
Now, get the hell out of here.
Hey, I need your help.
Look, we need to find a way to fake some nonexistent restoration jobs.
All right? I'm not talking about staging a phony break-in.
I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in jobs that don't exist.
Got any ideas?
I can incorporate a phony adjusting firm.
A phony adjusting firm.
So, what, it would fake the jobs on the firm's letterhead?
Yeah.
That's great. That's great! Okay.
And in the meantime, I'll work hard
trying to get ZZZZ Best some legitimate claims to cover your back.
I'll catch you in your office later.
Okay, okay. Thank you.
I really appreciate this. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't life or death.
I got 100 employees depending on me.
Well, they're your problem.
I'm just doing this for money, is all.
As long as you do it.
So, he's still standing there,
in his underwear, holding an identical toothbrush.
So, I tell the guy, as we always say at ZZZZ Best,
"We don't just cut corners, we clean them."
Can I trust him? Absolutely.
So, let me explain to you how a restoration job works.
All right, gorgeous woman.
Come here. You be the building.
Stand here next to me. All right?
Come here! Come on. I'm...
What about the Feds?
Huh?
Did they come see you yet?
Who? The FBI.
The FBI... No. No?
No.
Well... They might, you know.
They'll probably pay you a visit.
Ask questions about me.
Well, if they do, just say nothing more
than our arrangement, you know?
"Our arrangement"?
Yeah, it's legitimate.
You could prove that.
Can't you? Yeah, yeah.
Of course. Of course I can prove it.
Hey, how you doing?
How are you? Hi.
Hi. Hey, baby. I got a present for you inside. Okay?
Okay. I'll be in in a second.
Can I help you?
Yeah, you can. I'll introduce myself to you first.
I'm Special Agent Gamble. FBI.
That's your girlfriend?
Yeah. Very nice. Good luck.
Thank you.
Anyway, I'm here, I'm investigating a Jack...
Saxon.
Yes. Jack Saxon.
I understand he's been shaking you down
on some loan that he made you...
He hasn't given me a loan, he's a business consultant.
"Business consultant"?
New house, huh? I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Look, we'd like you to testify in a grand jury
about your business deals with this Saxon.
With all due respect, why would I testify against him?
He's been nothing but a help to my company.
I understand. It's not...
Barry? Come on inside.
Come on.
Sorry. Duty calls. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Special Agent...
Gamble. Gamble.
Thank you, Mr. Mincow.
It's Minkow.
There was a cockiness, I was cocky. Barry was cocky.
Everything we did just seemed to fall nto place.
It was almost like we were beinglooked over by some guardian angel.
In fact, there were more people that didn't believe Barry
than the ones that did.
But he only needed a couple.
Altogether, I think the FBI said
I created about 23,000 false documents
to convince Wall Street, NASDAQ and the SEC
that we were doing about $400 million worth of restoration work
when in reality, we were doing none.
Barry was working with
the investment banking firm of Payne Cameron
to take ZZZZ Best public.
However, Barry and Jack Saxon had a side scheme to pump and dump,
acquiring ZZZZ Best stock at five cents apiece,
selling at the market price and violating securities laws.
The biggest scam we pulled off was the Sacramento job.
Barry staged a walkthrough of a newly-restored office building
to fool the Wall Street auditors
into believing that ZZZZ Best
had done all of the restoration work.
We hadn't done any of that work.
He even bribed the doorman a hundred bucks to make it look good.
Hey, Mr. Minkow! Nice to see you again!
Bob, how are you? How's the wife? Still alive.
That's too bad. Say hi to the kids for me.
You got it!
Just like family. Everyone at ZZZZ Best is like family.
A con man has a tremendous amount of charisma.
Smell it and say to the woman,
"Ma'am, that's not dog urine. That's your three-year-old."
What's this ladder doing here? Mike, please find out who was here last.
Doesn't even look like there was any water damage at all.
Well, that's the point.
See, he doesn't take your money. You give it to him.
Gentlemen, attached, you will find our project summary.
As you can see, we went with the cost-effective
nylon carpet to save time,
and, most importantly, your money.
It's theft with a smile.
Once the Wall Street auditors signed off on our financials,
Payne Cameron took ZZZZ Best public.
By the end of the day, we had a market cap of well over $300 million.
Truth be told, we were worth almost nothing.
This is tremendous. Where's Barry? Dad.
Hey, Barry, we saw you on Oprah.
Hey! I stole the show, right? Listen, I want Carson.
I want to be on Johnny Carson! What's this?
It's the Tribune! Read it!
"Happy Birthday, Barry Minkow.
"Your stock is worth $100 million!
"You control a $300 million public company"!
Hey, everybody! Enough with this cheap stuff.
Hey, you, I don't even know you.
Go buy me the most expensive champagne you can find.
Five hundred bottles.
Drinks on me, everybody!
So, you're the birthday kid, huh?
Uh...
I'm not a kid. All of these people here work for me.
Well, I don't work for you.
Okay, who are you?
My name is Sam.
Sam, that's a guy's name.
You better be careful.
I might just decide this party is a bore and leave.
Who invited you?
Happy birthday, Barry. See you later.
Whoa. Babe.
Dude, stop. Stop.
Where's Mindy?
Okay. Have a good night, buddy.
You've got all these people fooled, don't ya?
If you've got a problem with me,
you canalways stop picking up your check.
You can't have me fooled, Barry. You can't have me fooled.
You know what the difference is between you and me, Mike?
I lead. You follow.
You're embarrassing.
Baby.
Hey, birthday boy. Close your eyes.
Why? Close your eyes.
Okay.
What is this?
A little toy for the love of my life.
What? No. Wait, Barry.
It's your birthday. It's not my birthday.
Because I love you, that's why.
What are you doing?
Listen... Listen to me. Now.
I want you to take your new car, grab a friend right now,
and I want you to go for a little joyride, all right?
And I don't want you come back until this is on empty.
Right now? Right now! Right now. Go, go, go.
Thank you. I love you. You're welcome.
Hello there.
What took you so long?
It's my house, you wait for me.
We'll see about that.
Ma! What are you doing here?
I'm sorry, I just wanted to see you.
I wanted to congratulate you,
but you were surrounded by so many presents and people,
I didn't get a chance... I'm in the bathroom, for God sakes.
But I wanted to congratulate you on, on the article.
Dad give you that? Yeah.
You come over to tell me you're proud of me?
It's very impressive.
"Impressive." I think it's a bit more than impressive...
Come on, you've been praying for this your whole life, haven't you?
Yeah, I was praying for this but I was praying to my vanity.
What's that supposed to mean?
Please listen. I wanted...
I wanted so much more than what your father could provide.
I didn't realize what a good man he was.
"A good man." A good man pays the water bill.
A good man keeps the lights on in the house.
A good man will take care of and provide for his family
no matter what the cost. I... Mom... Mama... I'm a good man.
It's very hard to be a good man, Barry.
You're really doing this to me on my birthday, Mom?
What are you doing? You want to turn on all this now?
I am the most successful thing to ever come from this family.
All right? This is everything that you've wanted.
This is everything that Dad's wanted.
This is everything that I've wanted for my entire life.
I mean, come on, I control a $300 million company.
When I was downstairs, blowing out my birthday candles,
I couldn't even think of anythingto wish for, because I already have...
You don't have anything.
You don't have anything, because you don't have morality!
I don't have...
You don't have God.
"God"?
How much is God? I'll buy God.
No, no, no.
Look, this is ancient history.
The banks and my investors know about this.
A few dishonest carpet cleaners false-billed some customers.
I fired them and paid everyone back.
I don't see what the problem is.
The problem is that stock prices respond to news reports.
And your stock is already down half a point.
There's a lot of pressure to sell the shorts, Barry...
Okay. Well, then hold them off! Okay? Forget the shorts!
I'm gonna...
I'm issuing a press release for this afternoon
that'll clear this whole thing up.
Our stock will be back up to normal in no time.
I have to go. I'll call you back.
First Bank of Santa Barbara is
calling in their $7 million loan because of the article.
What about NorthRidge National? The same.
That's nine million bucks, Mikey.
Barry, there's one more thing.
Saxon sold all of his shares.
He what?
Okay.
Mike, I need you to do something for me, all right?
I need you to draft a press release, okay?
Say that Payne Cameron has fully investigated all of these charges
and cleared ZZZZ Best of any wrongdoing.
Are you kidding me?
Just do it.
Amy?
Amy!
People keep calling us, Barry.
Thank you for the observation.
Amy, now listen, I need you... I need you to...
I need you to schedule a press conference for this afternoon, okay?
How do I do that?
Time to earn your paycheck, Amy. Go!
This is Barry.
Hey! Look on the bright side. All right?
At least they're only talking about credit card fraud,
not the restoration jobs, right?
Mr. Minkow, can you comment on why
your stock went down four points today?
Absolutely. See, that was a reaction to the LA Times story
about a past problem we had with some dishonest carpet cleaners.
The banks and our investors already knew about this.
But is it true that the SEC has ordered an investigation of ZZZZ Best?
I'm unaware of any such investigation.
Your prospectus states that
you completed a $7 million restoration project in Sacramento
and yet, ZZZZ Best never filed a permit for such construction.
And in fact, ZZZZ Best doesn't even hold a contractor's license.
How do you explain that?
I'm going to have to refer that question to our legal staff.
You know, that's all for today.
I'm so sorry. I have to go. Thank you all.
Mr. Minkow, how do you feel about Payne Cameron resigning?
We have more questions, Mr. Minkow.
We are here, live, on ZZZZ Best's property. Barry Minkow...
I can't believe that Payne Cameron resigned.
What did you think was going to happen, Barry?
What's that supposed to mean?
It's over, man. It's over.
No, it's not.
No, it's not over. I can fix this. Okay
I can fix this just like I fixed everything.
If I fixed it before I can fix it...
Barry, you can't fix this. Yes, I can!
Do you still not get it?
You can't climb out of this one, Barry.
What do you know, huh, Mike?
You have no idea what it takes to build something like this.
Yeah... You know, actually, I do.
You know...
All it takes is an incredible ability to lie.
I mean, that's all you did, Barry.
You're a phony. You used everyone.
I used people?
You used people.
You used me for money, and popularity.
You sucked me dry, man. Are you serious?
Absolutely!
You know, for somebody so smart, you can be really stupid.
You...
You are a loser!
You betrayed me. You were a loser when I met you in high school.
I'm done. You're a loser now,
and you'll always be a loser! I'm done with you.
I'm done with you. Barry.
I'm done with you!
You lying, self-centered, backstabbing son of a bitch. I'm done with you!
Payne Cameron's team was pretty angry.
They said the press release was a lie.
They said they never investigated the charges.
Is that true?
Anyway, the phone's ringing off the hook.
The Journal, the Times, everyone wants to speak with you.
Barry, what do you want me to do?
I'll be back in a hour.
Mr. Minkow, you are a dangerous man.
You do not have a conscience.
You have been convicted of 57 counts of fraud, Mr. Minkow,
and you are hereby ordered to serve a term of 25 years in jail.
And you are further ordered
to make restitution of $26 million to the individuals,
some of whom you see here today,
whose lives you have severely impacted by your actions...
The banks and the companies you pulled into your elaborate scheme.
This court is adjourned.
You know, the 2.5 million people
that are busting the seams of our prisons,
both state and federally across the U. S.,
all of us had one thing in common.
None of us ever planned on being there.
We all started with the best of intentions.
I just wanted to be accepted.
But it was that vehicle that got me that acceptance that swallowed me whole.
You see, as far back as I can remember, I was dubbed "the whiz kid,"
and I had everything I ever wanted.
Until it all came crashing down.
Until I realized that my whole life was a con.
One big giant con.
Barry was compelled, compelled to play himself in the film,
because that's the only way he could reach the final completion
of being the hero in his own story.
It was not enough to have an A- list actor. It had to be him.
The acting that Barry did in the film,
was, I thought, very, very, very good.
I know when he wanted to make this movie...
There again, I said, "Barry, be very, very careful."
I certainly advised him not to play himself.
I said, "You're making a mistake."
Sorry. Hold on. There you go.
There we go.
Mind if I smoke?
No, go ahead.
I don't smoke. I mean, not anymore.
I was just curious what a preacher felt about that.
But now, unfortunately, I'm hooked on these.
I got to go to rehab for these. Want one?
No. It's the red one.
Go ahead. No.
What are you thinking about?
Nah.
Peanut.
What's that?
James "Peanut" Long.
The reason they call me the Jailhouse Preacher.
Oh. You're gonna tell me how you found Jesus?
I didn't find Jesus.
He found me in the form of a 250-pound black guy.
Not bad for a guy your size.
Size ain't nothing.
The body is your temple.
Muscles ain't strength.
Real strength is in here.
You know, the most dangerous part of your story
is that throughout the whole ordeal
you actually convinced yourself
that you were helping hundreds of employees,
when in reality, you were just...
Helping myself. That's all I was doing.
Hindsight is 20/20, and look where it got me.
Locked up in a prison cell.
Well, we're both locked up.
Difference is, I'm at peace with what I've done.
And I'm getting there.
You're pretending to get there.
You don't think I'm sincere?
I think you're trying to find the Lord,
so you can hang out with the Jesus freaks
instead of the skinheads to make it in here.
Whatever. Yeah. Whatever.
Why do you come to church on Sunday
Is it because you're really trying to change your life?
Or is it just another Barry Minkow con?
One thing to remember is the fraud artist
doesn't see himself as a criminal.
The fraud is merely a means to a well-justified end.
Once the scheme works, everybody gets paid off,
nobody gets hurt.
Voila.
Okay, let's move on here.
You know as well as I do, when the devil comes at you at first,
he looks good, sounds good, feels good.
Then, when it's too late, the beast comes out.
You got that right.
Where were you 11 years ago?
Well, I had a lot of growing up to do.
Like I said, ain't no accidents in life.
We bought shares for five cents apiece,
then dumped them on the market
when it hit 12 and 13 bucks.
That was the part that was illegal.
So, it was Saxon that got you involved in the penny stocks, right?
And that's when he turned his Wall Street connections
onto the stock, they bought blocks of it,
the price shot through the roof
and I was worth millions instantly.
Insider trading.
Hey!
Hey, you need to leave him alone.
Yeah? You need to mind your own business.
Hey, I don't want any trouble.
I said mind your own business.
I will when you let him go.
Too bad. Can't you hear?
Finish your shower. I said take a walk, man. Take a walk.
I don't think so. Don't think so?
I know I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing.
'Cause if you're trying to hurt him, you're trying to hurt me.
Let's get out of here.
Lord Jesus, I want to thank you
for making me a God-fearing man.
And having me not beat anyone's ass.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
I'm proud of you, whiz kid.
You did all the work.
I don't know why you'd be proud of me.
Changing.
You helped a weaker brother who was outnumbered.
Shows that you're changing from your selfish-ass, self-centered ways.
Remember. The Lord always looks out for the underdog.
I don't know if it was Peanut or the broken nose.
I guess God has a way of taking care of the details.
And it was at this moment that life took on new clarity for me.
See, to win the game, I had to stay in the pocket,
and face the pain.
It was then I learned that to win in life
meant no more backing down.
No more shortcuts.
No more compromises.
No more lies.
And no more cons.
How you feeling?
I question whether some of the stuff he did was for the movie
or the story of the movie.
I never felt better. Thank you.
I question whether Peanut was a real person or not.
It's a pretty good throw.
I don't think Barry could throw a football nine feet.
Truth plus time equal trust.
A lot of truth, over a long period of time equals trust.
And no shortcuts to that equation either, you know?
Yeah, well, thanks for the time.
Like I said from the beginning,
I don't want to spend the rest of my life in witness protection.
I'm not going to testify against Mr. Saxon, not now, not ever.
Excuse me.
I never felt that Barry was rehabilitated.
I believe his transformation was real.
Everyone in prison knew that if you found Jesus
that would look good on your record to maybe get early release.
Truth plus time equal trust.
A lot of truth, over a long period of time equals trust.
And no shortcuts to that equation either, you know.
All right. We've heard the testimony.
Now, it's time to decide based on Mr. Minkow's present character.
You know, he came out of prison raring to go.
But I didn't see it coming with the church, quite honestly.
Mr. Minkow, we have gone through your application
and enjoyed your guest sermon,
but now we'd like to hear the answer to the following question.
Why should we hire you?
Well, on paper, you shouldn't.
Especially when you consider the fact that
the other 199 applicants aren't convicted felons.
If you hire me, I can promise you one thing,
that no one will work harder, if for no other reason
than out of gratitude for being given the opportunity
to pastor such a great church.
You see, I'm naive enough to believe that
if you want to find the best employee, the best place to find one
is someone who's just come out of prison,
who didn't fail jail.
Who owes society for what they've...
I've done.
And what better way for a church to show their belief in the gospel of grace
than have a broken vessel like me proclaim that truth
from the pulpit of this very church.
And from a marketing standpoint, imagine a slogan,
"Community Bible Church,
the only church where the pastor is far worse than you."
I'll tell ya, I don't know if you ever saw him in church,
in front of his congregation, he was masterful.
I mean, he had them in the palm of his hands.
Thank you. Nice to meet you.
Hi. Hi.
Nice to meet you. Thank you for coming.
First time here? Yes. Wonderful sermon, Pastor Minkow.
Pastor Barry, please. And this is my wife Lisa.
Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Hi, I'm Ellen Scott and this is my husband Don.
Don, it's good to meet you.
We drove down from Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara?
Well, my sermons don't merit that kind of sacrifice, but thank you anyway.
We're here for another reason.
The past 10 years, we put all our retirement savings in a hedge fund.
About $250,000.
I earned that money, working 31 years as a longshoreman.
Now we're worried about the fund and thought you could check it out.
Ma'am, I'm sorry, I'm a pastor.
I don't really know a whole lot about hedge funds.
I'm really sorry. I... Look, why are you concerned?
The manager just moved his office to the Bahamas.
How long have they been around?
Twenty years. They're worth around $800 million, about 2,000 investors.
Twenty years, $800 million...
Sounds like you don't have a whole lot to worry about there.
Please, would you check on it? I brought the prospectus.
Why me? I'm not an expert in these kind of things.
Everything was fine until I tried to withdraw the money.
They've been telling me that it's in process for three months.
I told my nephew about it and he suggested I see you.
Your nephew. Who's your nephew?
Mike?
Mike
You look great. You look great.
Not even you can pull off that lie.
Well, I'm not exactly winning any beauty contests myself.
How you been?
I'll be a lot better if you tell me you can help out my uncle.
Yeah, well...
This hedge-fund guy, Lewis, right, he's telling me
he's getting monthly gains of 1.5% to 3.5%.
Yeah, I don't think anybody's quite that good.
Hedge fund, I...
You know, I got that letter you wrote to me from prison,
apologizing for what you did.
Were you lying then or are you lying now?
Look, Mike, I'm not the same guy I was before.
I'm married. I got the church. I got twins.
I teach the FBI in fraud prevention in Quantico. I...
I don't really want to hear about the good deeds of my old schoolmates.
You can tell me you're working with lepers on an island,
my opinion of you wouldn't change, Barry. Okay?
I'll believe the change when I see it.
Anybody who's ever been in a financial dealing with me has lived to regret it.
You know that.
Yeah, I'll take my chances.
Besides, your rates are unbeatable.
Rates? I don't have any rates.
Exactly.
It became just too much of a temptation for him.
Barry wanted to kind of do the Catch Me If You Can.
It was impressive. I mean, he really knew his stuff.
And there you have the six red flags for fraud.
Should you choose to commit those to memory,
you will be able to stop the next Barry Minkow
before he is the next Barry Minkow.
That's all I have today. Thanks for joining me.
I think Barry viewed himself as a hero in a sort of twisted way.
Well, well, well.
If it ain't the preacher man.
Good to see you, Smooth. I see the streets have treated you well.
You look good, my friend.
Yeah, right.
You get a chance to look at the copy of the prospectus I sent you?
Does your PO officer know that you're associating with an ex
'Cause I will tell him.
I'm just trying to figure out how this Lewis guy has managed to
run a Ponzi scheme for 20 years without it imploding.
Either I'm missing something, or he's a financial genius.
Little of both.
Can I get a beer and a whiskey, please?
Look, I need your expertise.
You're the best there is.
You already got what you're looking for.
In the prospectus.
They practically advertise for people to invest their retirement money.
Yeah, so?
When people take their IRA money and put it into a fund like this one here,
there are heavy penalties if you pull out before you're 57 and a half.
They can invest the money all they want, they just can't pull it out.
The perfect ingredient for the successful Ponzi scheme.
Barry becoming a fraud buster didn't surprise me.
You know, I always wondered if going undercover was an opportunity for him
to reenact his favorite '80s detective shows, and he had many,
or was it part of a larger plan to actually do good this time?
I don't know. I mean, I don't know.
Let me explain this to you. There's just a slight difference
between lecturing these guys and dodging bullets for them.
And it's not like you've been trained exactly. Not to a fine edge.
Look, the guy has been around for over 20 years and he's a ghost.
No license to sell securities,
no assets held in the fund's name, nothing.
Who the hell is this guy?
It's the only way.
I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll send Matt down to the Bahamas,
and he'll record the meeting.
If there's any misreps, we'll move forward from there.
How's that?
Uh, just one last thing is,
I need Quantico to create me a bogus bank statement
showing the church has $5 million parked in a money market.
Wait a minute, how do you know this guy's gonna show up in the first place?
Any Ponzi scheme operator desperate for new cash
would do whatever it took to get their hands on new cash. He'll show.
Uh-huh.
So, you're asking me to give the carpet guy
this bank statement for $5 million.
What, am I crazy?
Ernest Hemingway said, "The only way you can learn
"to trust someone, is to trust 'em."
Ernest Hemingway said that?
I think so. Could have been Churchill. Or him.
"Barry, you don't understand.
"You're going undercover, you're not a cop.
"You're a pastor."
He said, "Listen, I'm uncovering fraud.
"I'm helping people that are getting scammed and victimized by others."
I said, "Barry, working so closely with the government,
"if you're wrong one time, you're in trouble."
You say Don Scott's a friend of yours?
Yeah, he's a member of our church,
and the church has been growing so much lately
that we've established a building fund,
to purchase some land to accommodate the growth.
We wanted to invest that money, have it working for us until we build.
Well, it would grow here, I assure you. How much do you have to invest?
A little over $5 million.
Those returns that you've been generating, can they be corroborated?
Yes. We earn 18% to 40% annual. A 20-year track record.
And 800 million? Eight hundred million. Yes, correct.
$800 million fund.
You just gotta forgive me. Numbers like that get me a little bit nervous.
You are aware of my past, I was convicted of securities fraud?
I read about you, yes.
I like how you disclose it up-front on your church's website, too.
I'll be happy to work with you. We all make mistakes.
You were just a kid. You got greedy.
I have the money market account, bank statement
to prove that the money is waiting there, you can call the bank.
It's clear funds, waiting to wire.
Well, thank you for coming, Pastor. I look forward to working with you.
Well, I do appreciate you seeing me,
and just as soon as you send Don Scott his $250,000,
we'll wire these funds right to your bank account.
It's just that, Mr. Scott had requested a $250,000 withdrawal,
and apparently in your move to the Bahamas...
You tell Mr. Scott, he'll have his money in 24 hours.
Thank you for coming. Terrific. Mr. Lewis,
thank you so much for your time.
Well, hey, Don, good to see you.
Hey, Barry. Well, Lewis wired me half my money this morning.
Half? Yeah.
He said that the custodian of American Investment didn't put in my paperwork,
so he sent it out of his own pocket,
and he said he'd wire me the other half very soon.
You know, Don, I may have underestimated just how
strapped for cash Mr. Lewis is.
Why would he risk five million new fresh dollars
by sending only half of what he promised just days ago?
There's only one answer to that.
And that is, he doesn't have the full amount,
and he is much more cash-strapped than I first anticipated.
You're beginning to worry me, Barry.
Look, Don, I don't want you to worry about a thing. I got this under control.
Okay? Trust me on this. It'll be okay.
I'll take care of it.
Hello?
Pastor Minkow, Derek Lewis.
My understanding was you were going to deposit your church money
two days after Mr. Scott got his withdrawal fund.
It's my understanding that Mr. Scott only received half of his funds.
Well, there was a problem with the paperwork.
He'll get the balance tomorrow or the next day.
Terrific. And once he does, the church will wire the funds as I had promised.
Hey, that's my money. I control who gets paid and when.
No ex-con's gonna run a number on me.
You know something, Mr. Lewis, you're not as smart as you think you are.
I know exactly what you're doing.
You have no idea what you're talking about.
The beauty of grace is that good people don't go to heaven,
forgiven people go to heaven.
That's the... Barry, what is going on?
Excuse me a second. Just relax for a minute. Excuse me.
Just relax for a minute, would you, Mike
I'm gonna punch you in the face
the next time you tell me to relax, all right?
Derek Lewis is suing my uncle for $10 million,
for fraud and misrepresentation.
Yeah, I know. He's doing the same thing to me and the church.
The cost for the suit is gonna wipe them out!
Okay, I need you to stop doing what you are doing. Okay?
They've got half their money back. That's as good as they're gonna get.
Just walk away.
I can't, Mike.
There's a lot more at stake than what you're thinking.
It's gonna be okay. Just trust me.
Trust you. Where have I heard that before?
Trusting you ruined my life, Barry.
Barry's intentions were always good, at least according to him.
But he had a lack of regard for the law
and eventually, that became an issue.
But Barry was very hard to say no to.
You don't have to convince me your intentions are good, Barry.
I know you've been making restitution, even from prison.
I owe this community a lot more than just money, Michael, you know that.
Yes, but what you're asking me to do, I cannot do.
I might lose my job.
Look, Michael, I got Mr. Lewis on tape saying he has $800 million
in his accounts at this bank and if he does, that's wonderful.
But if he doesn't, he's in the process of destroying
the lives of thousands of people in this community.
I need your help. I can't just...
We can't just let that happen.
All I want you to do is check the balances.
If they're nowhere near $800 million,
then just get out of that chair, walk over to that window,
look outside and then I'll know for sure.
All I need are those balances. Please, Michael, I'll leave either way.
All the investment company's accounts are tied to this tax ID number.
You have to help me here. You have to believe in me.
Please.
Man, looks like it's going to rain.
Gamble had me do some digging the past few days on my lunch break.
What's this?
Articles of incorporation from a Tijuana company called Olacane.
It's Dowry's cash cow.
They get all their factoring contracts from there.
It's run by some guy named Oliveros.
They operate out of 300 square feet
and share a secretary with three other businesses.
The restoration equivalent of my Ponzi scheme.
No way that a 300 square-foot office in Mexico can substantiate
hundreds of millions in factoring business.
Gamble says, "Merry Christmas."
Hello?
Mr. Lewis, this is Barry Minkow calling.
How'd you get this number?
You have your spies. I have mine.
What do you want?
I'd like to meet you in Los Angeles tomorrow
and I'd like you to bring the rest of Don Scott's money.
You gotta be joking.
5:00 p. m., LA Resort Hotel.
Unless of course you'd like me to take the information I've obtained
and turn it over to the FBI or the Journal.
And what do you have on me, Mr. Minkow?
There's only $387,000 in your bank accounts
instead of the $800 million that you purport to have.
You just wait a minute.
You, Mr. Lewis, are running a Ponzi scheme.
No, you're the ex-con. You're running the scam.
I'm doing the work of God.
Hey, I said wait a minute.
Protecting the weak.
I'll see you tomorrow, LA Resort Hotel, 5:00 p. m.
Good night, Mr. Lewis.
Lisa, I wanted to tell you something,
but I wanted to make sure that it came out right.
So I wanted to be careful.
Barry, for once in your life, don't speak, okay?
Look, I just want to say that
I see the people who always second-guess your motives.
I see them. I see the people who always raise an eyebrow.
And I know that you struggle, okay?
I know that you struggle knowing that
most people deep down will never trust a word that you say.
I mean, 'cause let's be real, Barry,
most people will walk away, most people are going to just shake their heads
and steer clear of you and think that you're a con forever.
But that's not me.
I appreciate that more then you'll ever know.
I got nothing to offer you but a $26 million restitution order
and suspicious glares and grins every time
I walk by with you in some public arena.
But I will tell you this,
if I had to serve eight Super Bowls in prison again,
and knew that you'd be waiting for me when I got out,
I would go right back to prison.
Look, uh...
I can do this, right?
Yeah. I know you can do this.
Go get 'em.
I don't trust you, Minkow.
Hey, I'm here to work with you. I'm not a bad guy.
I'm a liar and a sinner saved by grace.
Stop it.
There's a lot of people involved with this fund.
Heavy hitters. It's not just me.
Listen, if you hurt me,
this goes to the FBI and the Journal.
I don't want to hurt you. I just need you to back off.
Well, I guess this won't be going to the FBI or the Journal.
But tell me, getting this much cash at this stage of your deal,
it was a bitch, wasn't it?
When you're giving 18% to 40% a year, the interest kills you.
Do the math.
Every day keeps you a little deeper in the hole.
I did the math and then I did eight Super Bowls in prison.
I'm not a criminal.
My investors double their money every three years.
But I had to make some risky investments
just to raise some money for the investors
that didn't use the trust fund.
Tough game we're in.
These hedge funds, totally unregulated.
I'll stay afloat.
I'll get it all back.
I just need to survive until one of my deals pay off big.
And then I'm home free.
All I need you to do is be quiet.
So, no money left in the fund?
More or less.
Olacane just a front company?
Olacane? Why are you asking about Olacane?
Just interested in how...
Uh, just, you know, interested in how other people do
things like I used to do.
Look, I've gotta go.
I hope you fellas enjoy the rest of your stay here in LA.
Catch a Clipper game or something.
What the...
Boss... Check him.
Shit, cover's blown, cover's blown. Move in.
What's this?
It's a wire.
You know something? Screw this job.
Don's money.
Come on. Come on.
Come on.
Freeze! FBI!
Drop the case! Down on the floor.
Stay right where you are.
Let's go. Down to base camp.
When I heard Barry was chasing after bad guys in his movie,
I said, "Come on, Barry. I mean, let's get real.
"There's no way you did this.
"You're not an action hero."
The FBI did credit Barry for his multiple efforts to uncover fraud.
But there was more to the story.
Hey, genius, come here. Yeah.
Let me ask you something.
What would you have done if you caught those guys?
They are kind of big, aren't they?
I learned in prison, in a shower of all places,
that when you do the right thing, God takes care of the details.
Good job, by the way.
Merry Christmas.
What's ironic here is that
while Barry was bragging about the $1.6 billion in fraud he'd uncovered,
he was hammering companies whose stock he'd shorted
in a series of attacks often based on misleading or false charges.
Causing not the companies
but thousands of innocent shareholders to lose well over $3 billion.
I always wondered why no one ever really talks about
how much he had cost all of those people.
Way more than any amount of fraud that he ever uncovered or prevented.
He was really on the right road, he had everything going for him
and to go this crazy,
to do the things that he did, even I was surprised.
And, look, not too much surprises me.
I've been on the street a long time and I've seen just about everything.
I don't think I've ever seen the extent of what Barry has done.
I mean, this was a Madoff type of thing. It turned out to be his downfall.
I watched Barry do an impassioned sermon that to me was unbelievable oratory.
And he would then follow that up after motivating his entire parish,
and go out in the lobby and accept a check from somebody
that he knew he was going to misappropriate and spend improperly.
I know we're supposed to forgive. As Christians,
we're supposed to forgive.
Maybe I can say I forgive, but I cannot forget.
I cannot ever forget what he has done.
He stole more than $3 million from the church personally,
and multiple millions of dollars from the people in the church privately.
And, boy, he took money in the millions from people,
but he took my reputation
at... Which, you could always get money back.
The comeback that he made
and the impact that he was truly making was worthy.
But that story didn't end the way it could have.
And I think when selfishness and greed come in there, it sent him back.
It was a very tragic ending.
And tragic not just for Barry, for the people that were hurt.
His whole life was an act.
That's the bottom line.
Barry was a master storyteller.
So even with Peanut, for all I know
it was the same as Jimmy Stewart's Harvey the bunny.
I don't think the Peanut story was all true.
I think there was a Peanut,
but I don't think it went down like Barry said it went down.
This match right here is me and your life.
All the darkness in the world can't overcome the power of one light,
one person who believes in you.
Don't ever forget that.
Ever.