Also, a score yields some satisfying resentment; you're getting one over on those bastards.
I think a lot of people don't really have a good theory of mind of career criminals. The vast majority aren't regretfully finding themselves driven into crime; they like it and it's fun.
After all, it made for gripping television that is still being talked about today, they didn't lose on the exchange.
Hadn’t seen it, it’s well-executed.
There are large groups of people in the US who are very limited in what they can do. Convicted criminals cannot get certain jobs. Sex offenders are basically barred from most all employment. Illegal immigrants have problems with finance. I wouldn't say that all scammers come from such backgrounds, but it is incorrect to say that anyone and everyone is free to do anything.
Santos? Mostly encouragement if anything. Probably run for Governor.
Bernie Madoff? He had to turn himself in. 'treated in prison like a "Mafia don".' From WP:
> They call me either Uncle Bernie or Mr. Madoff. I can't walk anywhere without someone shouting their greetings and encouragement, to keep my spirit up. It's really quite sweet, how concerned everyone was about my well being, including the staff ... It's much safer here than walking the streets of New York.
Catch Me if You Can? Everybody wants to be the Wolf of Wall St.
Michael? Girlfriend, interviews, writeups, social fascination.
There are also accounts of him being injured (some accounts saying severely) during his early years within prison.
Obviously as he spent more years in the system he became more comfortable and may have had a more or less "easy" life. But I would guess that his life wasn't like something out of Goodfellas.
~ Fast Eddie Felson
Both entrepreneurs and scammers are trying all sorts of different ways to make money until they find something that happens to actually work.
Ego, in a word. The type of personality that does this thinks they're smarter than everyone else and seek to prove it.
Working is for chumps like us.