Operation Bullpen [Paperback]

Kevin Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2006

The Inside Story of the Biggest Forgery Scam in American History. The first full account of the case that made national headlines and has been featured on CBS, CNN, Court TV, Primetime, HBO and more. Filled with the exciting, at times comical real-life criminal escapades of the gang that ripped off American consumers for $100 million and created the notorious Mother Teresa baseball, this is a terrific, fast-paced nonfiction true crime and sports story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A raucous romp inside the operations of the so-called flip-flop mafia, a crew of autograph forgers and counterfeit sports memorabilia dealers based in southern California." -- LA Observed, October 11, 2006

"A terrific account of how a pot-smoking master forger and his friends made more than $100 million selling fake autographs before they were busted by the FBI." -- New York Daily News, October 12, 2006

"Fascinating, bizarre and troubling." -- Sports Collectors Daily, September 25, 2006

"I can recommend this book because it's a well-researched, interesting book about how greed can literally turn your grandmother into the kingpin of a forgery operation." -- Sports Collectors Digest, October 20, 2006

"I recommend this book heartily. Everyone in the hobby should read it." -- Trader Talk, November 4, 2006

"It's either the sports book or the crime book of the year. Either way, it's a movie crying to be made." -- Oakland Tribune, October 19, 2006

"The meticulous attention to detail and conversational style make Operation Bullpen an engaging, intriguing read." -- Benicia (CA) Herald, September 27, 2006

From the Back Cover

"Millions of dollars have been made and lots of Americans have been cheated with the simple stroke of a pen."--ABC News

Now, for the first time, the full account of the case that made national headlines and has been featured on CBS, CNN, 20/20, PrimeTime, HBO, Court TV, ESPN, Fox and more.

With exclusive interviews with forgers and counterfeit dealers, award-winning author Kevin Nelson tells how a colorful band of southern California crooks--"the flip-flop mafia"--hit upon a simple but brilliant scam: forging the autographs of sports stars and celebrities. Led by a pot-smoking forger and his scheming partner, they formed a national racketeering enterprise that ripped off American consumers for more than $100 million while leading a high-flying lifestyle of drugs, parties and gambling, before being busted by a dramatic three-year FBI undercover investigation.

Filled with the exciting, at times comical real-life adventures of the gang that created the Mother Teresa baseball and other notorious forgeries, Operation Bullpen: The Biggest Forgery Scam in American History is more than just a terrific crime story. When one of the ringleaders turns against his fellow criminals and goes undercover for the FBI, it becomes a powerful human drama about family, friends, trust and betrayal.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Southampton Books; 1st edition (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978634004
• ISBN-13: 978-0978634001
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #445,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kevin Nelson is an award-winning author, journalist, story consultant for movies, and publisher. Here are a few of his books:

* Wheels of Change: From Zero to 600 MPH, The Amazing Story of California and the Automobile. Acclaimed by automotive critics, it won a 2010 writing award from the Society of Automotive Historians, as well as being a finalist for book of the year from the Los Angeles Motor Press Guild.

* Operation Bullpen: The Inside Story of the Biggest Forgery Scam in American History. This sensational story of a nationwide forgery ring is now being developed into a feature film. Nelson has appeared on ESPN and Tru-TV talking about the book, which is the basis for a planned exhibit on memorabilia fraud at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

* The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration. Now in its ninth printing, this motivational handbook has become a perennial top seller for runners, inspiring them to achieve their goals in the sport.

* The Golden Game: The Story of California Baseball. Named one of the top ten books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, and many others, it was a national finalist for the prestigious Seymour Prize, awarded annually to the best baseball book of the year.

* The Everything Father-to-Be Book: A Survival Guide for Men. Recently updated and published in its second edition, this is a funny and useful primer for expectant fathers.

See more about him at KevinNelsonWriter.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating real world study of life from the bad to the good, October 25, 2006

By 

D. L. Crouch "avid reader" (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Bullpen (Paperback)

Operation Bullpen illustrates in riveting detail just how a bunch of average schmoes stepped onto the slippery slope of crime, got hooked hard, and were never able to get out of it until the FBI managed to push them out. The portrayal of the FBI operation is facinating in its depiction of the agents as just regular working guys with the liabilities and weaknesses that most of us are prone to. One of the great episode sequences in the book is when the FBI agents begin to meet and interact with the forgery ring members. It's better than watching a nature show -- you get a perspective of human nature at work in the contest between good vs. bad, or at least in society's struggle between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing, and it makes for an highly engrossing study.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True crime story that reads like a thriller, January 9, 2007

By 

David M. Scott "David Meerman Scott" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Bullpen (Paperback)

Operation Bullpen is the true story of the high-flying national crime ring that forged the autographs of sports stars and celebrities and ripped off American consumers for more than $100 million, before being busted by a dramatic three-year FBI undercover investigation. Nelson conducted exclusive interviews with forgers, counterfeit dealers, and the FBI to piece together both sides of the drama. This is an often unbelievable, sometimes funny, and always interesting book about autographs and forgery.

I was particularly fascinated by the story of Greg Marino, master forger. In order to get into the signing zone he'd smoke pot and often sit in front of the TV to work. Marino would consult real exemplar autographs that he and his cohorts had collected and carefully cataloged in a series of binders.

After many years and hundreds of thousands of autographs, I was amazed that Marino could forge any sig just by looking once at the exemplar. The stories of Marino sitting in a comfortable chair with his signing arm propped up on pillows, stoned to the bone, and polishing off 400 sigs while watching a Yankees game on TV made my draw drop.

The inside account of the three year undercover FBI sting operation brought the book together, making it feel like a thriller. We experience the ups and downs of individual agents assigned to the case, learn about wiretaps and hidden recording devices, and sit at the edge of our seat as the busts come down. Every serious autograph collector and dealer needs to read and understand the story of how the biggest forgery scam in American history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Collect cards or sports memorabilia? READ IT!, February 12, 2007

By 

John J. Juliano (Germantown, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Bullpen (Paperback)

This is an excellent book and one of those that you can devour in a single sitting. The author uses a nice style - switching back and forth from the good guys to the bad guys - and does a great job of character development (not that these characters needed much development!). You're left feeling a bit sorry for the bad guys and a little frustrated with the federales (for making so many mistakes and taking so long) - a nice balance. The interesting thing about this book is that it's not perfectly written from a technical sense - there are a number of obvious errors (names of famous people misspelled or wrong, facts that are off), but given the amateur nature of the whole operation, in the end, it actually ADDS to the experience. The criminals are VERY imperfect people doing a perfect con job, and the FBI and law enforcement types are "supposed to be perfect" but are far from it... so the somewhat crude nature of the writing absolutely fits. I collect sports memorabilia, mostly baseball cards, and I'll be taking extra caution after reading this. And I'll NEVER buy a third-party autograph, "certified" or not! Here's one reader hoping there's a "Bullpen 2" that tells us what happened to these people 5 years out or so...