What does selling the Brooklyn Bridge mean?
sell someone the Brooklyn Bridge From the name of a bridge in New York City. The idea is that no ordinary person would be allowed to sell the bridge, so if they tried to sell it to you they would be cheating you. View the pronunciation for the Brooklyn Bridge.
Did someone really sell the Brooklyn Bridge?
Police removed several of his victims from the bridge as they tried to erect toll booths….
| George C. Parker | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1936 Sing Sing Prison |
| Other names | James J. O’Brien, Warden Kennedy, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Taylor |
| Occupation | con man |
| Criminal charge(s) | Best known for his attempts to “sell” the Brooklyn Bridge. |
How much did the Brooklyn Bridge sell for?
It cost $15.5 million (that’s a bit over $400 million in today’s money) and the lives of 27 workers to build. Almost immediately after its completion, confidence tricksters saw a potential money-making venture. A cottage industry grew up among people selling the structure to credulous dupes.
How did George C Parker sell the Brooklyn Bridge?
For the ruse, Parker had offices set up near the bridge and used counterfeit deeds. He would then negotiate a price ranging from 75 dollars to 50,000 dollars. It wasn’t until the police invariably showed up while the victims were erecting their toll booths that they realized they were sold a pup.
What does the saying Ive got a bridge to sell you mean?
very gullible
phrase. Used to indicate that a particular statement or claim could only be believed by someone who is very gullible. ‘if you think that he will make things better, then I have a bridge to sell you’
Who sold Statue of Liberty?
George C. Parker
George C. Parker was known as the greatest con-man in American history, managing to sell landmark items like Madison Square Gardens, the Statue of Liberty and, you guessed it, the Brooklyn Bridge.
How many times did the Brooklyn Bridge get sold?
Legend claimed that he sold it at least twice a week. He did sell it several times including at least once for $50,000! The new owner would be discovered he was the victim of a con when the New York police officers would stop the “new owners” from setting up toll booths in the middle of the bridge.
Where does I’ve got a bridge to sell you come from?
The phrase originated because for over a century people have fallen for the con that New York City is selling the Brooklyn Bridge. George C. Parker (1860-1936), a native New Yorker, was responsible for originating the phrase.
Who sold the Golden Gate bridge?
Another seller was William McCloundy, also known as “I.O.U. O’Brien,” who sold the bridge in 1901, “for which he was convicted of grand larceny and served two and a half years in Sing Sing,” The New York Times wrote some years later.
Why do people say I got a bridge to sell you?
phrase. Used to indicate that a particular statement or claim could only be believed by someone who is very gullible.
Are they still paying off the Brooklyn Bridge?
The shady contractor, J. Lloyd Haigh, escaped prosecution. But the bad wire he sold is still in the bridge, as it couldn’t be removed once it was worked into the cables. Washington Roebling compensated for its presence, ensuring the inferior material wouldn’t affect the strength of the bridge.
Why was the Brooklyn Bridge considered a success?
Why was the Brooklyn Bridge considered a wonder of the world when it was built? It was a brilliant feat of engineering. It was the first bridge to use steel for cable wire and “…explosives were used inside a pneumatic caisson for the first time,” (Britannica Encyclopedia)
Why is the Brooklyn Bridge so successful?
– Longevity – It was built last 200 years and it looks like it will . – The Manhatten Tower does not rest on bed rock as the Brooklyn tower does. – Both Towers are built upon wooden footings. Not concrete . Enormous wooden footing , each down almost 100 feet below ground level supporting the towers and there
How much did it cost to build the Brooklyn Bridge?
The bridge’s construction took 14 years and cost $15 million(more than $320 million in today’s dollars). Who paid for the Brooklyn Bridge? After Roeblingwas hired by the New York Bridge Company to help span the river, infamous political kingpin William “Boss” Tweedfunneled $65,000 in bribes to city aldermen to secure funding for the bridge.