tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141655452024-03-06T23:17:21.898-05:00Author of RETAIL GANGSTER: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy EddieGary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.comBlogger1123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-7426534862629989022022-04-20T12:14:00.005-04:002022-06-07T12:15:57.545-04:00

I'm pleased to report that my next book "RETAIL GANGSTER: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie" will be published on August 23, 2022 by Hachette Books. I'll be having more to say about the book as it comes closer to publication, but here's a taste:A riveting true crime thrill-ride through the spectacular rise and fall of Eddie “Crazy Eddie” Antar, whose home electronics empire took the

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-23037229558860796282018-01-30T06:50:00.000-05:002019-11-10T10:22:38.108-05:00

Byrne is the kindest, warmest, bravest human being..... This post has been updated to reflect developments subsequent to initial publication. It's been a long time since the financial press has cast a skeptical eye on Overstock.com and its CEO, Patrick Byrne, Yet there are multiple reasons to do so. Five thousand to be exact. So I've dusted off my blog for an update on my favorite fraudulent

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-24307077699015224192017-02-16T14:30:00.001-05:002022-02-26T19:39:16.441-05:00

Update: Byrne's appeal was rejected by the British Columbia Court of Appeals. The decision is posted here. The Supreme Court of Canada rejected Byrne's appeal on August 9, 2018, putting an end to the legal battle. The judgment was paid on August 30, 2018.A longer version of this post appeared in The Huffington Post. See also this follow-up HuffPost article. Another setback for Overstock.com

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-62494574545983564872016-12-19T13:29:00.003-05:002018-03-27T18:25:50.862-04:00

Fake news promoter Mark Mitchell Update: Byrne's appeal of the Nazerali suit was rejected by the British Columbia Court of Appeals in March 2018. The decision is posted here. A Canadian appellate court has a lump of coal for the Christmas stocking of Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne: pay a libel judgment for lying on a fake news website, or your appeal will be kicked out of court. Last

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-79941728193705907692016-11-01T10:40:00.000-04:002016-11-01T10:40:05.443-04:00

The media lately has been calling Donald Trump a "liar" in its own voice. That's accurate. He does lie. But does the media want to be in the liar-calling business? What about all the other liars in the world, from Assad in Syria to Vladimir Putin to a whole bunch of CEOs? My analysis in Columbia Journalism Review, online this morning, can be found here. © 2016 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-21066477249296009452016-05-19T18:08:00.000-04:002018-03-11T15:34:26.229-04:00

Yes, he does, or to put it another way, I do. My well-received speaking engagements have spanned many topics, from media bias in the Middle East to Ayn Rand. I've spoken before New York Stock Exchange attorneys on naked short-selling, and I've been on a panel of the North American Securities Administrators Association discussing securities arbitration. Venues have ranged from a college in

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-43542268969000758282016-05-07T11:49:00.004-04:002018-03-27T18:26:31.202-04:00

Defendant Mark Mitchell: "the truth was of no consequence" Update: Byrne's appeal of the Nazerali suit was rejected by the British Columbia Court of Appeals in March 2018. The decision is posted here. No libel suit victory is worth celebrating, not even the famous suits against the anti-Semite Henry Ford and the red-baiter Westbrook Pegler. The same goes for the C$1.2 million libel

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-50608182964819073022016-03-31T10:25:00.000-04:002018-04-27T17:06:03.606-04:00

A note to readers: "The Mideast Dig" Please be advised that I am no longer associated with The Mideast Reporter (N/K/A "Mideast Dig;" Federal EIN 46-4772869; New York State Reg. No. 44-20-78), which I co-founded and co-edited from its inception in 2013 until November 2015. I have had no editorial or marketing role in the venture since then. I had my name removed from the Mideast Reporter's

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-7301584700247059632016-03-23T10:14:00.000-04:002016-05-07T12:00:30.614-04:00

In a pair of blog posts early last year I examined the smearing of Steve Emerson, the terrorism expert who was keel-hauled through the media after referring to "no-go zones" in European cities. That was an overstatement at worst, and he apologized for it, but nevertheless he was attacked and denigrated. Then came the terrorist attacks in Paris and, yesterday, in Belgium. The State Department

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-10732655626894180742016-03-15T15:41:00.000-04:002016-06-03T12:21:05.025-04:00

A note to readers: Please be advised that I am no longer associated with The Mideast Reporter (N/K/A "Mideast Dig"), which I co-founded and co-edited from its inception in 2013 until November 2015. I have had no editorial or marketing role in the venture since then. I had my name removed from the Mideast Reporter's "Masthead"and "About" sections, but it was on marketing and fundraising

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-39461217506670350852016-02-09T14:29:00.003-05:002016-02-10T10:52:06.178-05:00

Irwin Lipkin being wheeled out of court The recent Madoff two-part series on ABC, starring a very convincing Richard Dreyfuss, brought back a flood of memories of my own very limited experience with this long-vanished but still fascinating story. Apart from this article in the old Condé Nast Portfolio I haven't written much, but I did have the interesting experience of attending one of the

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-37759234770804436822015-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:002016-04-17T16:31:08.689-04:00

Please see updated post, March 2016. A note to readers: Please be advised that I have not been with The Mideast Reporter, which I co-founded and co-edited, since Nov. 21, 2015. I have had no editorial or marketing role in the venture since then. I had my name removed from the Mideast Reporter's "Masthead" and "About" sections, but it was on marketing and fundraising materials that were

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-31993439122809384812015-03-30T09:41:00.000-04:002017-11-28T16:39:21.975-05:00

Bagley copped a plea to eight felony counts of forgery Updated October 2015 with police interrogation video and photo of Mark Mitchell. Updated April 2015 with mugshot and details from arrest record and libel suit. I've written about a rogues gallery of criminals over the years, ranging from Mafia capos to penny stock hustlers to Bernie Madoff, but by far the most nauseating was a

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-14870397977761490582015-01-22T16:29:00.000-05:002015-01-23T08:58:56.163-05:00

So I see that Steven Emerson has been smeared again by the New York Times, and by the same reporter, Robert Mackey. I'm referring to this article. For the third time in a week, Mackey has referred to Emerson as a "self-described expert on Islamist terrorism." He really seems to like the way those words roll off his fingers into his laptop, I guess. The only problem is that they are not accurate.

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-9963150701510965492015-01-17T18:22:00.000-05:002015-01-18T09:42:46.649-05:00

I haven't been blogging in a while. I've been busy with other stuff, and nothing has really raised my hackles enough to bang out something here—at least, until now. What has gotten me annoyed has to do with a gent you may have heard of named Steven Emerson. Now if I said "what has gotten me annoyed is Steve Emerson" you might know why. He's been all over the media, and not in a good way. He has

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-91253469360861535412014-01-05T16:09:00.000-05:002014-11-06T13:39:57.217-05:00

Sam Antar's blog is out this weekend with an item describing how a California judge has slammed Overstock.com with a $6.8 million penalty for consumer fraud. Ruling on a lawsuit brought by a consortium of California district attorneys, the suit contends that Overstock used phony price comparisons in claiming that it offered customers a bargain. What's interesting about this case, I think, is

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-71797878760045532022014-01-05T12:25:00.000-05:002014-11-06T13:46:56.544-05:00

United Healthcare was excited to have me The letter from United Healthcare was dated December 9, 2013. It said as follows: Dear GARY WEISS, Thank you for choosing United Healthcare. We are excited to be able to provide you a positive healthcare experience and to ensure that you understand your benefits and payment requirements. I was very pleased to receive this letter. As I recounted

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-8828703182818984632013-12-19T13:18:00.008-05:002013-12-19T15:32:03.219-05:00

Protests continue in India over diplomat's arrest. Thank you, Preet Bharara! The raging diplomatic incident that has breached relations between the U.S. and India--the arrest of a deputy counsel general on visa charges--continued to simmer on Wednesday. TV reports showed images straight out of the sixties, with protesters burning American flags and an effigy (above). Secretary of State John

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-45935524639622627402013-12-17T16:49:00.000-05:002013-12-18T17:00:25.486-05:00

Won't prosecute "untouchables," but fierce against errant diplomats For years, complaints have swirled around the most visible--and inexplicable--outcome of the 2008 financial crisis: Not a single financial executive has been prosecuted for doing engaging in any criminal activity. And no, I don't mean insider trading, a favorite of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. I mean the kind of

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-84358943259646369242013-12-11T16:45:00.003-05:002013-12-11T16:51:44.000-05:00

Today is the fifth anniversary of the Bernie Madoff scandal. Here is the blog item I wrote on it at the time. Interestingly, the questions that I raised at the time--how did he do it and for how long--have never been satisfactorily and comprehensively answered in the years since. © 2013 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved. ------------------------------ My latest book is AYN RAND NATION: The

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-5643969706105004602013-12-08T11:31:00.000-05:002013-12-30T14:13:38.297-05:00

He worked for two insurance companies. I should preface this by saying that when I signed up for my 2014 health insurance last month on the New York exchange, four United Healthcare plans were available to me, in ascending order of price: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. I couldn't help but notice that the Silver plan was substantially better than the Gold plan. The annual deductible was

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com1Prague, Czech Republic50.064191736659104 14.414062544.9094207366591 4.086914 55.218962736659108 24.741211tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-85160862147537507822013-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-04T09:48:36.396-04:00

Routine news from the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday: Marc Fagel, director of its San Francisco office, was leaving to become a partner with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a leading securities fraud defense firm. It just seemed like yet another twirl of the revolving door. But it wasn't. This was actually the long-overdue departure of a quintessential example of the "captured

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-43943000717076909572013-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:002013-02-07T08:00:02.168-05:00

Read this: Idaho State Senator thinks Ayn Rand should be required reading for high schoolers  - NY Daily News © 2013 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved. ------------------------------ My latest book is AYN RAND NATION: The Hidden Struggle for America's Soul, published by St. Martin's Press. Click here to order the book from Amazon.com, and here to order it from Barnes & Noble. Follow me

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-80023685425687476982013-02-05T08:30:00.002-05:002013-02-05T08:31:16.184-05:00

I would be remiss if I did not point out that AYN RAND NATION, my account of the nation's long struggle with the hard-right maxims of the author of "Atlas Shrugged," is out in paperback today. It contains an Afterword that describes how Americans actually adopted a key facet of Rand's philosophy in 2012: they acted in their "rational self-interests" by voting for candidates who would not

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14165545.post-81440449831058707542013-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:002013-02-04T17:37:19.631-05:00

 Byrne under arrest I was appalled (but not surprised) to learn about Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne's latest escapade: a couple of weeks ago, he was arrested at Salt Lake  Airport trying to carry a loaded Glock handgun onto an airplane. I was even less surprised by the revelation, buried in a police report, that he sleeps with the gun every night, ready to drill any intruding "

Gary Weisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05469793954706148326noreply@blogger.com0