When the movie is made, it must star Peter Sellers as the Capo of the Guardia di Finanza‘s Bunko Squad on load from the Paris Sûreté, at one point impersonating an Argentinian in white.
From Crux:
Undercover as priests, Italian cops bust $2 million fake cardinals scam
ROME – A group of con men who dressed up as cardinals to swindle victims out of millions of dollars have been caught by Italian police, in an undercover sting operation conducted by officers who were disguised as priests.
Members of the Carabinieri, the Italian military police who enjoy broad authority in Italy, set the trap at the Basilica of Holy Mary of Angels and Martyrs in central Rome after receiving complaints from two hotels that were scammed out of 20,000 euros ($23,631) and 75,000 euros ($88,616) in 2017.
Since 1988, the group of five con men, aged between 58-75, pretended to be priests, monsignors, and even cardinals, presenting themselves as “intermediaries of the Vatican” who could offer business owners in financial trouble, mostly in northern Italy, advantageous loans either from the Vatican bank or a non-existent Luxembourg financial company called “Eurozone,” without requiring personal financial guarantees.
It wasn’t difficult for the grifters to get the fake attire, since Rome boasts dozens of shops selling clerical garments, including some that specialize in cardinals’ outfits. No special status or identification is required to purchase the clothing, in part because it’s often customary for friends and family of a cardinal to buy the required garments for him.
To be credible, the fraudsters, who met at a café in the Centocelle neighborhood in southeastern Rome every morning to discuss potential scams, would set up various meetings and exchange emails and contacts with their marks.
In order to sell the impression that they were priests or cardinals, calling themselves “Don Luca” or “Don Giuseppe,” many of the meetings took place near the Vatican. In one case an appointment took place at the Pontifical Gregorian University, which is run by the Jesuits and attended by a swath of priests, seminarians, and religious studying in Rome.
[…]
There’s more but that’s enough.
This story has it all.
Grand backdrops!
Carabinieri … in clerics?
JESUITS!
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“A group of con men who dressed up as cardinals”. That literally explains everything … everything!
“A group of con men who dressed up as con men.” Fixed that for you. :)
When the movie is made, it must star Peter Sellers as the Capo of the Guardia di Finanza‘s Bunko Squad on load from the Paris Sûreté, at one point impersonating an Argentinian in white.
A friend would refer to the il Banco Vaticano as il Bunko Vaticano
A group of con men who dressed up as cardinals and referred to themselves as the Saint Gallen Mafia, have been caught by Italian police.
Only if he is reincarnated by means of the use of a collage of deleted scenes and outtakes (as in the Trail of the Pink Panther) – Clouseau having gone the way of all flesh these 41 years.
Alas Peter Sellers is no longer with us, but Michael Palin has played the role of cardinal at least twice that I know of (Ximenes, Richelieu).
Actually his Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu appears in the witness stand in a 20th century London courtroom, but is shown to be an imposter when a barrister reveals that the genuine Cardinal Richelieu died in 1642.
Alas Terry Jones is no longer with us either, or we could add his crime-fighting Bishop to the mix. (We was too late!)
I feel a Python sketch coming on: a London policeman interviews a purported Cardinal, but realizes from the latter’s woeful grasp of Thomistic sacramental theology that he is dealing with an imposter. (It’s a fair cop.)
I would watch the movie if it had Cardinal Fang in it.
Unfortunately some con men, namely Oscar Rodriguez and Angelo Becciu, ARE actually Cardinals.
Thor maximum effect, the Carabinieri should have dressed like nuns. Such a lost opportunity.
“When the movie is made, it must star Peter Sellers . .. at one point impersonating an Argentinian in white.”
Ha, ha Peter, you really fooled us for a moment with that fake Motu. Did Spike help you write it?