Author and historian William Hazelgrove shares the story of one of the greatest cons in American history, in which Cassie Chadwick claimed to be the illegitimate daughter and heir of steel titan, Andrew Carnegie and defrauded at least two million dollars in bank loans. While Chadwick was a product of her time, painting her as a simple criminal is only one way to look at her story. She managed to break through boundaries of class, education, and gender to beat the men of the one percent at their own game. “Greed in the Gilded Age” is a Gatsby-esque tale of mystery, money, sex, and scandal.

All members of the public are welcome to attend “Greed in the Gilded Age: The Brilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick.” The History Center’s Coffee Talks are a series of adult programs meant to invite public participation and discussion on a broad range of historical topics per the History Center’s mission. Donations are appreciated. The next Coffee Talk will be “Julia Child: A Living History Portrayal” on Thursday, February 9th at 1:30pm. This program is free thanks to generous sponsorship from Village Bank & Trust.