Ed Mezvinsky's nickname among pool reporters in the 1970s was "Fast Talkin' Eddie." The former star athlete turned politician spent four years in the U.S. House of Representatives before going into business for himself, hatching a string of fraudulent activity the FBI later said infiltratate nearly every one of his business deals between 1980 and 2000.

Ed Mezvinsky and Marjorie Margolies-MezvinskyCorbis After pleading guilty to 31 of 69 charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud in 2001, Mezvinsky went on to serve federal prison time and was released April 11, 2008. Mezvinsky was a Philadelphia lawyer and self-styled international businessman who in some ways was a pioneer scam artist. Before the Nigerian advance fee scam became a ubiquitous experience in Americans' email in-boxes, Mezvinsky was deftly executing the scam in real time, convincing victims to hand over large amounts of cash based on his close connections to the Clinton family.

Mezvinsky would later claim that he was suffering from bipolar disease, which led him to the life of crime. In all, the FBI says Mezvinsky took in about $10 million, and described him as a one-man crimewave. It was a far fall for the former Democratic congressman, who raised 11 children, most of the adopted, with his wife, Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky.

In 2003, the Des Moines Register ran a lengthy article detailing his crimes, and his experiences heading to prison. From the Register:
Mezvinsky's victims were friends, friends of friends, even his mother-in-law. He was a public figure, so victims trusted him, sure he wouldn't jeopardize his and his wife's political ambitions.

He also extracted money from clients he had promised to represent as an attorney. Mezvinsky got his law degree from the University of California-Berkeley in 1965 but spent little time practicing law.
Mezvinsky was released from prison in April, 2008, and hopefully his scheming is behind him as his son, Marc Mezvinsky, prepares to marry former first daughter Chelsea Clinton. Both of political pedigrees with Ivy League educations, the pair seem primed for a life in politics.