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Straight from my mind to your screen—here’s a collection of my thoughts, from the heartfelt to the odd, and everything in between.



Salad Oil King; Stories of greed gone mad. Scam # 31.
How to control the worldwide price of vegetable oil.

Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese obsession with the accumulation of wealth knew few bounds. By the 1950’s he had scammed more than a half a billion dollars from government do-good programs. With that war chest, he would create the “Mona Lisa” of white-collar scams. Fonso traveled to developing third world countries like Egypt, Argentina,... Learn More

DATE: May.27.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime

The High School Dropout Who Scammed $14B From U.S. Taxpayers Visits The University of California, San Marcos, School of Extended Learning.

    “Fonso” Gravenese, a high school dropout from New York’s Little Italy, created a series of creative white-collar scams that ultimately manipulate the worldwide price of vegetable oil futures and shuts down the New York Stock Exchange. Before Fonso’s magnum opus, he and his buddies spent 30 years amassing a multi-billion-dollar chest by shortchanging... Learn More

DATE: Jan.22.2020 | CATEGORY: Uncategorized

Salad Oil King; Stories of greed gone mad. Rip-off # 24.
How to create windfall profits in the black market.

During World War II every American contributed to the war effort by receiving and using ration stamps to ensure everyone shared the pain. But, there were those like Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese and his Mafia cronies who made a handsome profit in the black marketing of goods and services through the use of... Learn More

DATE: Jan.16.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime

Salad Oil King; Stories of greed gone mad. Rip-off # 17.
How to cheat school kids out of a free lunch.

It was a simple, despicable, immoral, elegant scheme. Alfonso Alfonso” Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, paid off government officials to get awarded contracts to provide underprivileged kids with a balanced free lunch. Then to reimburse himself for the bribes, and make a crapload of “bonus” profits, Fonso reduced his operating... Learn More

DATE: Jan.06.2020 | CATEGORY: True Crime

Salad Oil King; Stories of greed gone mad. Rip-off # 13.
How to always win at yo-yo contests.

Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese AKA The Salad Oil King, loved to gamble...on sure things. Growing up Yo-Yo contests were held daily in Little Italy. The entry fee was 5 cents per play. Fonso knew his opponents were bigger and older, but he had a streak of larceny in his ice water veins. Minutes... Learn More

DATE: Dec.27.2019 | CATEGORY: True Crime

Story #54:
Wedding Night at the Plaza

Our wedding was a grand affair in Westchester County with over 200 family and friends. The best part? Our guests gave us over $4,000 in cash (which was a lot of money in 1964). It was off to island of Jamaica for our honeymoon the next day. So, the 22-year old... Learn More

DATE: Dec.25.2019 | CATEGORY: Short Stories

Story #12:
Whitey, Billy, The Mick, and Me

When I was in high school, I sold hotdogs and soda at the old Yankee Stadium, which fortunately for me, was only about eight blocks from my school. It was great making some spending money and wandering around the hallowed halls of the Stadium. I especially looked forward to Saturday day games. While... Learn More

DATE: Dec.21.2019 | CATEGORY: Short Stories

Salad Oil King; Stories of greed gone mad. Rip-off #4.
How to overcharge customers for fresh fish.

When Alfonso “Fonso” Gravenese, AKA The Salad Oil King, was a 9-year old kid, his father asked him to help sell fresh fish from ice-filled cart to their neighbors on Spring Street in Little Italy after school. “Fonso” quickly learned if he stuffed ice into the fish’s mouth with some of the ice... Learn More

DATE: Dec.17.2019 | CATEGORY: True Crime

Summit #12:
Donny and Vladdy discuss resolution of the Syrian crisis.

Imagine Donald and Vladdy meeting in the latter’s presidential suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Damascus to share a song and a coke as they resolve their differences on how to end the Syrian Crisis. After a little friendly banter, the now good friends identify a way for each country to... Learn More

DATE: Aug.26.2019 | CATEGORY: Humor/Wit