In Chicago, the Count told Al Capone he needed $50,000 to finance a scam and promised to repay the gangster double his money in just two months. Capone was suspicious, but handed his money over. Lustig stuffed it in a safe in his room and returned it two months later; the scam had gone horribly wrong, he said, but he had come to repay the gangster’s loan. Capone, relieved that Lustig’s scam wasn’t a complete disaster and impressed with his “honesty,” handed him $5,000.

Lustig never intended to use the money for anything other than to gain Capone’s trust.
the scam worked like this Lustig would demonstrate the money box by inserting an authentic hundred-dollar bill, and after a few hours of “chemical processing,” he’d extract two seemingly authentic hundred-dollar bills.

It wasn’t long before his wealthy new friends would inquire as to how they too might be able to come into possession of a money box.Lustig that sold the b.s box for big money later he went into counterfeit bills using real plates. It's to bad lustig wasn't an Italian
Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/08/the-smoothest-con-man-that-ever-lived/#ixzz2Lv8I1RpX