The Original Most Interesting Man In The World

September 13, 2017 9:34 AM

The story of Tom Corbally, a private investigator whose career crisscrossed continents and spanned decades, is its own secret history of the 20th century.
posted by ellieBOA (11 comments total)

That was interesting.
posted by COD at 11:07 AM on September 13, 2017

even if only 15% of it were true (which I suspect is a close guess.. )
posted by k5.user at 11:08 AM on September 13, 2017

That was damn near interesting. I just needed more heresay, unsubstantiated narrative and a couple lies. To fill it out. To help me understand why he was jet-setting around Hollywood.
posted by From Bklyn at 11:16 AM on September 13, 2017

Sounds like the model for Anthony DiNozzo, Sr.
posted by lagomorphius at 11:16 AM on September 13, 2017

Of fucking course Roy Cohn stuck his nose in the story.
posted by ardgedee at 11:20 AM on September 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Color me highly skeptical. I don't particularly have problems believing that the guy inherited a New Jersey detective agency with mob connections, or that he may have palled around with Roy Cohn, who was a scumbag with mob clients. But most of the rest of it makes it seem like the author is either exceedingly credulous or is trying to work this up into a book/movie deal.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:22 AM on September 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Playa, on the grassy knoll with a martini.
posted by clavdivs at 11:36 AM on September 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

I share others' unwillingness to accept the claims in the story. However, if much of it is true this is not a person who deserves to be written about admiringly.

e.g.:

Here’s a story I heard: A US Army officer ran into difficulty interrogating captured Germans. The officer called him in and explained the problem before discreetly leaving the room. Corbally coldly surveyed the group and then stepped forward and shot the German officer he thought had the least information. He turned to the others and said in German, “Who wants to go next?”

posted by Nerd of the North at 2:30 PM on September 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'm thinking that that's one of the stories (that Corbally apparently told about himself) that's pure bullshit. You know, he's too much of a fuck-up to get through basic training in Canada, but the government puts him in charge of interrogating German officers. Sure.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:37 PM on September 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Also, it doesn't help that in between detailing criminal behavior up to and including murder the article is larded with nuggets such as:

An even 6 feet tall and always slim, Corbally was so handsome that women were said to go somewhat mad in his presence.

posted by Nerd of the North at 2:38 PM on September 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

I love the photos of Broady the wiretapper posing with a phone and Jules Kroll the Wall Street PI, they both look like community theater promo shots of people playing those guys.
posted by jason_steakums at 4:23 PM on September 13, 2017