Episode 6 - He Will Not Stop Until He Kills Me

Summary

Once Upon A Con: Episode 6 – "He Will Not Stop Until He Kills Me"
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Caroline D'Amore
Producer: iHeartPodcast

---

Introduction

In the gripping sixth episode of Once Upon A Con, host Caroline D'Amore delves deep into the harrowing experience of Nancy, her ex-wife, who fell victim to the manipulative schemes of David Bloom—a self-proclaimed power player and con artist. This episode unpacks the intricate web of deceit spun by Bloom, revealing how he systematically defrauded Nancy and others, ultimately leaving a trail of financial ruin and emotional devastation.

David Bloom’s Charm and Deception

Early Relationship and Financial Manipulation

Nancy recounts her decade-long marriage to David Bloom, during which she initially believed she had found a supportive and loving partner. Bloom presented himself as a successful billboard advertising sales executive, securing big clients like Cirque du Soleil, Fiat Chrysler, and Westfield.

Nancy (02:06): "He convinced me that he was the only one who really knew me, who loved me like no one else had, the only one that truly understood me."

Bloom’s charm extended to organizing high-profile events and associating with celebrities, which further solidified his façade of success and reliability.

The Unraveling of the Scam

Signs of Financial Irregularities

In late 2016, Nancy and David were seemingly thriving in Los Angeles, with Bloom’s billboard advertising business flourishing. However, cracks began to appear when promised services and products, such as Fiat Chrysler’s sponsorship for various galas, failed to materialize.

Nancy (06:01): "I started getting emails about people canceling their private planes and Fiat canceling. Everything falls apart."

Discovery of Identity Theft and Financial Fraud

Nancy’s suspicions intensified when she discovered numerous overdue credit card bills in her name—bills she had no knowledge of. It became evident that Bloom had been systematically opening credit accounts using Nancy’s personal information, incurring charges and managing minimal payments to obscure his fraudulent activities.

Nancy (09:58): "Living in Venice and I go to the mailbox. David had been very strategic... he had opened the credit cards in my name and added his to the account."

Confrontation and Emotional Turmoil

Facing the Betrayal

Armed with evidence of Bloom’s deception, Nancy confronted him, only to be met with manipulation and false apologies. Bloom’s calm demeanor and insincere remorse left Nancy feeling helpless and trapped in the toxic relationship.

Nancy (10:20): "He has this way about him... I'm so sorry. I love you so much. But that was really kind of the last straw for me."

Attempts to Escape

Nancy sought to sever ties by requesting multiple times for Bloom to leave their shared residence. Despite her efforts, Bloom continuously found ways to re-enter her life, manipulating her emotions and creating a sense of dependency.

Isolation and Continued Manipulation

Emotional and Psychological Impact

As Bloom persisted in his deceit, Nancy became increasingly isolated, both emotionally and socially. Her attempts to rebuild her life were thwarted by Bloom’s relentless manipulation, leaving her in a state of severe depression and confusion.

Nancy (16:03): "I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what day it was... It was all I could do to get up, get myself to work, and try to appear like a functioning human being."

Legal and Financial Repercussions

Bloom's fraudulent activities extended beyond personal manipulation. He implicated Nancy in his scams, leading to lawsuits filed against her by other victims who believed she was complicit in his schemes.

Nancy (17:54): "I'd like my money back too. And these days, nothing surprises me about David Bloom because he's been running the same old sorry schemes for the last couple decades."

David Bloom’s Expanding Web of Deceit

Exploiting Family Ties

Bloom’s manipulation wasn’t confined to Nancy alone. He exploited family connections, including Nancy’s own sister and her husband, by creating fraudulent communications and leveraging trusted relationships to swindle money.

Nancy (19:09): "He used my name to email his sisters and her husband, convincing them to invest in pre-IPO stocks, resulting in significant financial losses for them."

Connecting with Other Victims

The episode also introduces Vincent San Marco, another victim of Bloom's cons. Vincent, a restaurateur, shares his experience of how Bloom infiltrated his professional and personal life under the guise of offering business opportunities, ultimately extracting substantial investments from him.

Vincent San Marco (26:57): "He was telling me that he invested in this movie... and I started giving $10K, then $20K. It was too good to be true."

The Climax: Nancy’s Resolve

Final Confrontation and Liberation

After enduring years of manipulation and financial exploitation, Nancy reaches her breaking point. She decides to take decisive action by finally evicting Bloom from her life for good and filing for divorce, despite the legal challenges and financial constraints.

Nancy (17:27): "I took another two years to actually get a divorce. I had to do most of it by myself."

Ongoing Vigilance and Advocacy

Nancy remains vigilant, continuously monitoring Bloom's activities and reporting him to authorities. Her experiences have transformed her into an advocate against such scams, determined to protect others from falling prey to similar manipulative tactics.

Nancy (21:08): "I have worked on women's issues and been an advocate for the last couple decades. I cannot stand by and watch him do this to anybody."

Conclusion: A Warning and a Call to Action

Nancy’s story is a stark reminder of the insidious nature of con artists like David Bloom, who exploit trust and manipulate emotions to achieve their deceitful objectives. Through resilience and determination, Nancy not only seeks justice for herself but also endeavors to safeguard others from experiencing similar tragedies.

Nancy (19:09): "He was completely heartless and ruthless to steal from his own sister... he made him believe I was involved. I'd like my money back too."

---

Key Takeaways:

• Trust and Deception: Bloom leveraged personal relationships and charismatic behavior to gain trust and manipulate victims.

• Financial Exploitation: Systematic fraud through identity theft and fake business ventures resulted in significant financial losses for victims.

• Emotional Manipulation: Bloom’s tactics included emotional abuse, creating dependency, and isolating victims from their support networks.

• Resilience and Advocacy: Despite the trauma, victims like Nancy strive to rebuild their lives and advocate against such fraudulent practices.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Nancy (02:06): "He convinced me that he was the only one who really knew me, who loved me like no one else had, the only one that truly understood me."

• Nancy (09:58): "Living in Venice and I go to the mailbox. David had been very strategic... he had opened the credit cards in my name and added his to the account."

• Nancy (10:20): "He has this way about him... I'm so sorry. I love you so much. But that was really kind of the last straw for me."

• Nancy (16:03): "I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what day it was... It was all I could do to get up, get myself to work, and try to appear like a functioning human being."

• Nancy (17:54): "I'd like my money back too. And these days, nothing surprises me about David Bloom because he's been running the same old sorry schemes for the last couple decades."

• Nancy (19:09): "He used my name to email his sisters and her husband, convincing them to invest in pre-IPO stocks, resulting in significant financial losses for them."

Final Thoughts

Once Upon A Con Episode 6 serves as a compelling exploration of deceit, manipulation, and resilience. Through Nancy’s harrowing journey, listeners gain invaluable insights into recognizing and combating the tactics of skilled con artists like David Bloom. Caroline D'Amore masterfully intertwines personal testimonies with investigative depth, making this episode a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the dark underbelly of trust and betrayal in personal relationships.

Transcript

[Kyle Tequila]

My name is Kyle Tequila, host of the shocking new true crime podcast Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old.

[Vincent San Marco]

People are dying. Is he doing this every night?

[Kyle Tequila]

Kenny was a Chicago firefighter who lived a secret double life as a mafia hitman. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything. He was a fricking crazy man. He was my father, and I had no idea about any of this until now. Crook county is available now Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pod tests.

[Caroline D'Amore]

In a world of economic uncertainty and workplace transformation, learn to lead by example. From visionary C suite executives like Shannon Schuyler of PwC and Will Pearson of iHeartMedia. The good teacher explains the great teacher inspires.

[Kyle Tequila]

Don't always leave your team to do.

[Vincent San Marco]

The work that's been the most important part of how to lead by example.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Listen to leading by example executives making an impact on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Previously on Once Upon a Con.

[Nancy]

He's a predator and he needs to be stopped.

[Caroline D'Amore]

David Bloom's ex wife, Nancy, shares her experience of what it was like being married to the con artist for nearly 10 years.

[Nancy]

He convinced me that he was the only one who really knew me, who loved me like no one else had, the only one that truly understood me. And then, you know, how could I be without him? I finally found this person and he was able to identify kind of my insecurities and basically played them. You know, I wanted to be taken care of, so he took care of me.

[Caroline D'Amore]

But in reality, David Blum is pulling one of his most cruel and evil cons to date that will ultimately destroy Nancy's life.

[Nancy]

It was insane. The stuff he was doing was insane. And I was trying to make sense of something that doesn't make any sense or to understand things that I could not have thought. Thought of in my wildest dreams to do. So how could we understand what he's doing? We would never think about doing it, ever.

[Caroline D'Amore]

I'm Caroline D'Amore and this is Once Upon a Con Episode 6. He will not stop until he kills me.

[Nancy]

David was now selling advertising on billboards. We said he had big clients like Cirque du Soleil and Fiat Chrysler and Westfield.

[Caroline D'Amore]

It's late 2016. Nancy and her husband David are living happily ever after in Los Angeles. He seems to have turned his life around and he's making great money selling billboard advertising. So Nancy takes some time off work and David appears to be taking care.

[Nancy]

Of her a couple times. You know, I would do some consulting here and there and he'd have me engage with people and say that Fiat Chrysler was going to sponsor an event, provide cars, vehicles and financial support for philanthropic events. So I think there was an event with Vogue, a women's conference, There was the LACMA gala, annual gala, and there was the Friars Club Gala in New York. And Fiat Chrysler was going to provide a Jeep Cherokee for the Vogue event. They were going to provide a car or cars that were going to be out front of the LACMA event at the step and repeat. All the celebrities were going to walk.

[Caroline D'Amore]

By LACMA or LACMA is an acronym for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. And their galas are star studded events where LA's rich and famous gather to schmooze and be schmoozed.

[Nancy]

Additionally, David was going to fill a table of celebrities for the actual gala. It was heavy hitters and wealthy people, you know, and LACMA was at that time thrilled. We have all these new people coming, potential donors and supporters in the future. We've got Fiat Chrysler supporting the car. And then in New York, he was going to provide transportation to the talent. The celebrities coming to honor Jerry Lewis. So the night before the Friars Cup Gala were invited to a private dinner at the Friars Club to honor Jerry Lewis. Elvis Costello and Diana Krall are sitting across from us. Leonardo DiCaprio's there and you know, we're all at this private dinner. I mean there are probably 50, 60 people around a big U shaped table. They're all sitting there and you know, David is calm as a fucking cucumber. We're drinking, he's chatting, we're laughing.

[Caroline D'Amore]

That celebrity dinner the night before their big gala goes off without a hitch. David hobnobs with Hollywood stars and rubs shoulders with New York's rich and powerful elite who are in fact legitimately donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Friars Club. And David convincingly pretends he is too.

[Nancy]

But we go into the next day where David's supposed to produce these cars to transport talent and they don't show up. And I had gotten out to get my hair done, of course, bought new clothes, come back to the hotel room. He started getting emails and I started getting emails about people canceling their private plane got canceled. They weren't going to make it in for the dinner, Fiat canceling. But we're sitting there together and I'm getting emails, right, saying, so David can't be sending them because we're reading them together and so everything falls apart. And I was, I just freaked out. I just, I can't even remember. And I think, you know, what I may not have done a good job in conveying is the confusion that he created in my head. The cars were a fake. This Fiat Chrysler support was a fake. He worked his way in there and act like, you know, the big swinging and had nothing.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Nancy's head is spinning. She had literally just gotten off a transcontinental flight from Europe to attend the Friars Club event.

[Nancy]

We came to New York from Italy where we had gone to meet with Fiat Chrysler and it never materialized. They got busy, stayed in these beautiful, exclusive places that Fiat had paid for for us. Later I find out I had paid for for us. And then from there we flew to New York for the Friars Club. I went a day ahead. I can't remember. I think he had important meetings. Yeah, right. And he joined me. You know, we were in Lake Cuomo. Fiat was just lovely to us. Except Fiat never clearly existed.

[Caroline D'Amore]

It's 2017 at this point.

[Nancy]

I was married to David for almost 10 years.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And Nancy begins to realize that David doesn't really have a high paying job selling billboard advertising to huge companies. And she's about to make another startling discovery too. Just exactly where all the money he's been using to support them both financially for the past couple years is coming from.

[Nancy]

Living in Venice and I go to the mailbox. David had been very strategic. He always got the mail before I got home and he knew I didn't like to go get mail. And honestly, like, kind of shows you where I came from. I grew up with a single mother, right. My father died when I was five. She was a public school teacher. We didn't have a lot of money and mail stressed her out because it was bills. And so literally, like I remember she had opened the mail once or twice a week because it was too stressful. And so I kind of have that mentality. So I was like, David's getting the mail. I don't have to worry about it, whatever. So what he was doing was getting the mail and if there was anything that I shouldn't see in it, I didn't see it. So I must have gotten home before him. And, and I got the mail and there were all these overdue notices from credit cards. He had opened the credit cards in my name and added his to the account. He knew my Social Security number, address, et cetera, birthday, signed up online and signed up for online billing. So he never received a bill Charged all this and was, who knows, at that point, stealing from Peter to pay Paul and going from bank to bank covering the minimums on these credit cards for a while. So they're continuing to rack up charges. He's covering the minimums, but at some point, he must have not been able to cover the minimums. So they started sending bills to try to collect. And that's what I discovered.

[Caroline D'Amore]

In total, the money Nancy lost while being involved with David Bloom, it was.

[Nancy]

Upward to a couple hundred thousand dollars.

[Caroline D'Amore]

So Nancy, with a stack of overdue credit card bills in her hand, linked to accounts bearing her name that she had no idea even existed, confronts her husband when he gets home that evening.

[Nancy]

I said, what are these bills? And David has this way about him. It's hard to even explain until you're the person confronting him. But again, he can just so calmly take it in. And then, you know, when he finally, if he does admit to something, which obviously you have to, you know, the bills are right there. And there are some charges I recognize, like plane tickets to Italy and things like that, dinners, hotels, that he cops to it. But it's always in this. It was for you. I wanted to do it for you. I'm so sorry. I love you. You're the love of my life. I didn't want to hurt you. I just. How could I do this to you? I love you so much. But that was really kind of the last straw for me. I was panicked. I'm not working now, right, because we're so rich. I don't need to, you know, and I don't have the money to cover any of this. I've got rent. I don't know how I'm paying my bills. And so. So that was really kind of the beginning of the unraveling. I asked him to leave multiple times. He was in and out. He'd work his way back, and I'd ask him to leave. And then one day when he had been gone, and every time he was gone, he'd come back, you know, I'm just doing this for you. I love you. I'm so sorry. Will you ever forgive me? He had burst into the apartment, and I caught him with my phone, and I said, what are you doing with my phone? And he put it down. Oh, sorry, I thought it was my phone. I said, what are you talking about? So he bustled around, and he was actually frightening that time.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Nancy has no idea that when David takes her phone, he secretly blocks a number on it, the number of a mutual acquaintance. So that person now has no way of calling Nancy directly.

[Nancy]

But their friend called me and told me about a scam he had been running locally.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do.

[Kyle Tequila]

I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness. It just meant that I feel really.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Good about my coverage.

[Vincent San Marco]

I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever.

[Kyle Tequila]

Visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing.

[Caroline D'Amore]

A strawberry ice cream cone together, the.

[Vincent San Marco]

Clam would not feel happy.

[Kyle Tequila]

And your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Ew.

[Kyle Tequila]

Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do assume no liability for clammy ice cream ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.

[Caroline D'Amore]

It takes one guy out there to say, who's that?

[Kyle Tequila]

Kyle who thinks he can just get on a microphone on a podcast and start publicizing this. From I heart podcasts and Tenderfoot TV comes a new true crime podcast, Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. Meet Kenny, an enforcer for the legendary Chicago outfit. And that was my mission, to snuff the life out of this guy. He lived a secret double life as a firefighter paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything.

[Vincent San Marco]

People are dying. Is he doing this every night?

[Kyle Tequila]

Torn between two worlds. I'm covering up murders that these cops are doing. He was a freaking crazy man. We don't know who he is, really. He is my father. And I had no idea about any of this until now. Welcome to Crook County. Series premiere February 11th. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nancy]

Their friend called me and told me about a scam he had been running locally, selling pre IPO Snapchat stock to them, but had included me as part of this. Had wanted to start a business with one of the guys, but had been using me as part of this scheme, but had told them not to talk to me because I didn't like to talk about business at this point. Had been emailing people from accounts he developed in my name and had been doing a number of things. So they called me to say, we've been asking for our money back. We're tired of this and we want our money back. What are you guys doing? And I said, I have no idea what you're talking about. I think at that time I said, can I Call you back. I want to get my locks changed. I hung up. I called a friend to come over so I wouldn't be alone. I called a locksmith and had a locksmith come and changed my locks. And then I called them back, or they called me back, and they told me the story of what David had been doing with a lot of local businesses, which goes back to a lot of what he had done in New York earlier.

[Caroline D'Amore]

So Nancy gets her own apartment and tries to hide from David Bloom, but he eventually finds her and once again worms his way back into her life, playing on her sympathy. He suddenly shows up one day and he looks homeless and smells like he hasn't bathed in weeks.

[Nancy]

He tells Nancy, I've been sleeping on the street. You know, can I take a shower?

[Caroline D'Amore]

So Nancy reluctantly lets him in to use her bathroom, and eventually he coaxes his way into sleeping on her sofa until he can find a place of his own. She doesn't want to be with him, but at the same time, she felt like she couldn't put him out on the street. Nancy was slowly turning into a shell of her former self, disoriented, isolated, and severely depressed.

[Nancy]

And I was working now, and it was abusive. I mean, again, I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what day it was. I didn't know what season of the year it was. It was all I could do to get up, get myself to work, try to appear like a functioning human being, and get home. David, at one point, was living now in my new place where I had tried to disappear. He was staying in the living room kitchen area. And I would come home, get something little to eat, and sit on my bed with the door closed while David had the rest of the apartment. And it was one night when I was sitting there and I could barely function. And David's, you know, telling me how he's going to get this job and help me get that job and do this, and he's going to have money, he's going to pay me back, and he's going to pay our taxes and doing all that. That I saw how, like, diminutive I'd become, that I was barely functioning. And I just had this realization that he will not stop until he kills me. He sees what he has done to me and he does not care. And I summon my strength. And that was the last night he was there.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Nancy finally kicks David out for the last time and promptly files for divorce.

[Nancy]

Took another two years to actually get a divorce. It's very difficult to get a divorce when you don't know where the other person is. So you have to go through a whole process of sending. The government has to send papers to the last address they have on file for the person. And then when they're not returned within six months, then they can go on to the next step. I didn't have any money, so I had to do most of it by myself.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And as if what David had stolen from her and the horror he put her through with his years of endless lies and manipulations wasn't enough, some of David's victims he scammed using Nancy's identity file a lawsuit against her.

[Nancy]

I can't fault people for trying to get their money back. I'm sorry that they thought that I was involved. I'd like my money back too.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And these days, nothing surprises Nancy about David Blume because she's witnessed firsthand his power and malicious influence for years. And she understands now that no one is safe.

[Nancy]

I was never even physically attracted to David, but somehow he still had control and power over me and made me feel like I could not exist without him. It's kind of like a cult. That's what I'd liken it to.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And one of the most shocking revelations Nancy shares is David's magical ability to continue scamming his own family. Who already know full well he is a con artist from way back in the 80s in his new York days where he swindled hundreds of victims out of $15 million.

[Nancy]

His sister was so embarrassed by David and his crimes, she moved to Northern California to get away from him. Got married. She and her husband didn't like David, hadn't spoken to until we went and visited the family. He even conned them. He created an email in my name and used it for communications with a lot of people with this local group, but emailed his sisters and her husband saying he had this access to this pre IPO stock. I think because of me, they gave him something like $18,000. They were going to make all this money and then the delay game starts, right? So why aren't they getting their money at this point? They just want their money back. Whatever. And David's told them now that I had to go to the hospital for a blood disease which I had when I was younger. So a little, you know, he didn't pull it out of complete thin air. And so I found these emails that David was writing to his sister and brother in law as me lying. Now it shows you he was completely heartless and ruthless to steal from his own sister. He also stole from his parents, but to do it in my name and to lie. And the fact that even she, after basically disowning him and knowing his entire criminal history, still fell for him again. Still, he was able to convince them to give him money again.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Nancy reports David Blume to the police multiple times. She's hoping and praying he gets charged with scamming her. And in the meantime, she's keeping tabs on him.

[Nancy]

As I have read the most recent article and I credit David's ocd, he doesn't reinvent himself. He's been running the same old sorry schemes for the last couple decades and seems to continue to do so. And I had heard about another woman that he younger woman that he had taken advantage of a couple years ago. But I wasn't in any position, you know, to do anything at that time. I was still trying to get my own life together. And it just hit me that, you know, enough is enough. I have worked on women's issues and been an advocate on women's issues for the last couple decades. And I cannot stand by and watch him do this to anybody. But let alone take advantage of a young woman, that's abuse.

[Caroline D'Amore]

It certainly is. And she's just one of many victims David tricks out of money in the LA area. At this point, it feels like I've gotten my PhD in David freaking Bloom. From his New York scams in the 80s and 90s to the decade long series of cons he pulls on his wife and even his own sister. I know now what I have to do. I have to warn everybody, this man is dangerous. So I start calling every single person David Blum ever introduced me to.

[Vincent San Marco]

Like, you called me probably like in a week when we came back from France and you asked me, I think, did you give him money?

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah, that's what I asked you.

[Vincent San Marco]

And then I said yes.

[Caroline D'Amore]

It takes one guy out there to say, who's that?

[Kyle Tequila]

Kyle. Who thinks he can just get on a microphone on a podcast and start publicizing this. From iHeart podcast and Tenderfoot TV comes a new true crime podcast, Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old. Meet Kenny, an enforcer for the legendary Chicago outfit. And that was my mission, to snuff the life out of this guy. He lived a secret double life as a firefighter paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything.

[Vincent San Marco]

People are dying. Is he doing this every night?

[Kyle Tequila]

Torn between two worlds. I'm covering up murders that these cops are doing. He was a freaking crazy man. We don't know who he is, really. He is my father and I had no idea about any of this until now. Welcome to Crook County. Series premiere February 11th. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Vincent San Marco]

And you asked me, I think, did you give him money?

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah, that's what I asked you.

[Vincent San Marco]

And then I say, yes.

[Caroline D'Amore]

That's la restaurateur and chef Vincent San Marco. I remember the day David brought you to the Villa Carlotta. And I just thought, wow, this like, super cool French chef here with David. They're going to open some, you know, fabulous restaurant together.

[Vincent San Marco]

I think I was coming to hang out with him at the swimming pool and to maybe put my little legs in the pool or something like that. And you were here with your beautiful hair, beautiful smile, and beautiful, gorgeous daughter and introduced me to you. You were very sweet, very nice. Not, you know, not Hollywood. You're very, very genuine person.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And you were, to me, another person that validated David Bloom. Right. And I'm sure I must have somehow validated him back to you. Indeed you did, because that's kind of what he does.

[Vincent San Marco]

But we validated him by us and our existence, but not by words or by anything of discussion because, I mean.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Because we weren't allowed to really speak to each other. He keeps everybody kind of separate, but shows you that they exist, right?

[Vincent San Marco]

Correct.

[Caroline D'Amore]

I was so impressed with Vincent when David introduced me to him back in 2021. I mean, there's actually a documentary about Vincent San Marco streaming right now on Amazon called Belle V. I'm a third generation restaurateur.

[Vincent San Marco]

Belle V. Bonsoir. Belle V. Bonjour.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Belle V is the name of Vincent's restaurant in Brentwood. And in late 2020, it's ground zero for how Vincent ends up in David's crosshairs.

[Vincent San Marco]

He started coming in with his girlfriend and they were coming at the bar, happy hour. Very talkative. He knows about arts. He knows about stuff.

[Caroline D'Amore]

So he comes into your restaurant, he sees you. Did he know you were the owner? How did he strike up a conversation with you?

[Vincent San Marco]

I mean, you come into my restaurant, it's very easy to talk to me. I talk to everybody. This is what I do, you know, whether it's my restaurant or I work for some. Someone else, I'm a very open person.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Right.

[Vincent San Marco]

I'm very genuine. He started coming twice a week, three times a week, and then started to talk a bit about movies. I'm highly passionated about theater. And, and then he started to telling me that he invested in this movie who just came out the last Christopher Nolan movie tenet. What happened here hasn't happened yet. And that he put $1 million into that movie. He was name dropping a lot.

[Caroline D'Amore]

One of the names David drops in front of Vincent is one you all know very well by now. That supermarket titan billionaire Ron Berkle.

[Vincent San Marco]

He talked to me a lot about him all the time, as he was his good friend and that they hang out, they used to play tennis together and so on and so forth though. I mean, like, okay, he's a good guy. And then maybe I googled the name Ron Berkel probably like three months after he started talking to me about that person, you know.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Did he ever show you text messages from Ron?

[Vincent San Marco]

Probably once or twice.

[Caroline D'Amore]

He does do that to me all the time. So what's interesting here, I'm realizing he was doing your con at the same time that he was doing mine. Sadly, COVID 19 takes a lethal toll on Vincent's restaurant, Belle V, which is actually what that Amazon movie is about.

[Vincent San Marco]

A good friend of mine, Marcus Mizel, did a documentary about me losing my restaurant during the pandemic.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Wow. And Vincent's restaurant closing gives David Blum the opening he needs to step in and help. Remember the credit repair company David told me he owned? Well, he tells Vincent the same same thing and offers to fix his credit.

[Vincent San Marco]

He actually did repair my credit pretty well.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Mine too.

[Vincent San Marco]

I did so.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Which also legitimized the fuck out of.

[Vincent San Marco]

Him because like when I lost the restaurant, I did a personal bankruptcy and I was at 400 of credit score. And like when the company took care of my repair credit and like in three months, I was at 650.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah.

[Vincent San Marco]

And right now I'm at 680 already. One thing after another, we become kind of friends, we hang out, he comes to my house. He comes to my house for Christmas.

[Caroline D'Amore]

So you guys became really close.

[Vincent San Marco]

Yeah. It looks like you want to help and mentor me business wise and more investment wise, which I didn't have any money at the time.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And here's where things get really interesting. David used the same two part scam on Vincent that he used on me. For me, the first part was the dangling carrot of that Whole Foods meeting in Texas. I never gave David any money for that. Looking back, he just used that entire Austin fiasco to distract me from the real con he was pulling, which was that Soho House IPO where I gave him $35,000. And David pulled the same two part con on Vincent too. But the dangling carrot part was a new restaurant. The story I remember was that he was building out a restaurant for you to be the head chef at.

[Vincent San Marco]

He was telling me, oh, I have a building in downtown la and I know that.

[Caroline D'Amore]

That he owns.

[Vincent San Marco]

That he owns.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yep, yep.

[Vincent San Marco]

And that he was.

[Caroline D'Amore]

What's the building?

[Vincent San Marco]

It's right next to Bestia. It's in the art district. It's an old firehouse which got transformed as an hotel I think probably five years ago and got closed because he was not working and he was saying he bought the building for super cheap and he wants to open a restaurant. He wants me to take care of it and I just lost my restaurant. And I mean perfect timing, perfect timing. I mean I need it.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And while all this is going on, in early 2021, tragedy strikes. Vincent's brother in law suddenly dies. And David seems to really step up and be there for Vincent and his family.

[Vincent San Marco]

He was there at the, at the funeral and everything. He was at the funeral because he was a friend. I mean like he came and received me in tough days and tough time and be here for me to cheer me up and stuff like that. All the time. All the time here for me. Yeah, like a friend, my mother in law, my wife. I just like broken and like you said, like hey, oh, like Ron Burkel again, you know.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah.

[Vincent San Marco]

He has a resort very close in Montana with houses. He gave me a house. We'll be next to Facebook creator and stuff like that. We have a private plane coming to take us. So like we were ready. We did our Suk case man.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And if you Google Ron Burkle and Montana, you'll see that he actually does own a resort there in Yellowstone. So Vincent and his wife and mother in law are really looking forward to their trip to that Yellowstone resort. Compliments of David Bloom, if only for a temporary reprieve from their grief. So on the day that you're supposed to go to Yellowstone, you're all packed and you are on your way to go be with Ron Burkle, your wife and David, what happens?

[Vincent San Marco]

Well like he just said like that the security of Ron Burkel, because we just been vaccinated just eight days ago, doesn't want us to come.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Oh my God. He pulled the vaccinated card on me too. Not surprisingly, that Yellowstone trip never happens. But David does offer to help Vincent, who is now unemployed, with an incredible investment opportunity.

[Vincent San Marco]

It was an ipo.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Was it the Soho House ipo?

[Vincent San Marco]

It was. No, it was like some kind of glasses. Oh, Warby Parker Eyeglasses Company. So I give him 10K.

[Caroline D'Amore]

And you can see too that Warby Parker was Ipoing at the time. He's very smart.

[Vincent San Marco]

Everything is on point.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah.

[Vincent San Marco]

And you know, I never invested money or anything due to the fact that I really don't support speculation. I think it's a cancer for our society. But I mean, he was insisting and he was saying, like, I'm gonna make so much money. So I started giving 10k and then the Sohouse come in. I give 20k.

[Caroline D'Amore]

So David takes $30,000 in all from Vincent, who again is unemployed and has a wife and two babies at home to support. But Vincent isn't worried at all because David just bought that old firehouse downtown and he's going to convert it into a high end restaurant for Vincent to run.

[Vincent San Marco]

I'm very good in operation. I'm a killer in operation. So he made sense. It's not betting on a dream. He's betting on your hard work and you're successful and you believe in yourself.

[Caroline D'Amore]

He has you so invested in this restaurant and running this restaurant and being a part owner in this restaurant that when he pressures you for the IPO on the side, it's like, okay, no big deal. Let's get back to the restaurant. That's kind of how he did it to me too. I had this big meeting with the president of Whole Foods because of Ron Burkle, that when the IPO thing came along, he played it as, oh, yeah, just get together whatever money you can. It'll help you survive until the big money comes in from the business.

[Vincent San Marco]

Correct.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Talking to Vincent is a real eye opener. And it's helping me piece together where exactly David was. Just before I met him, he was.

[Vincent San Marco]

Living in Airbnbs and stuff like that. And I think with the 30k went to the Villa Carlota.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Wow, this is really an aha moment. So In April of 2021, David Blume is using Vincent's $30,000 to move in and pay rent at the Villa Carlotta, which was about 8,000 per month. And that place turns out to be fertile ground for a crafty con artist chock full of victims who David is about to scam, myself included. And David shows off Vincent at the Villa Carlotta frequently, telling us all he's opening a new French restaurant with him in the very near future. So that helps make David seem like he's on the up and up to everyone. Not to mention he's also a brilliant manipulator. He cried to me one day at the pool.

[Vincent San Marco]

Me too many times.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Yeah.

[Vincent San Marco]

So he opens himself. He's really like. And I think when he cries, he was very genuine, authentic.

[Caroline D'Amore]

I know.

[Vincent San Marco]

It was really.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Of course, Vincent and I had no idea we were both getting scammed by David Blume. Well, he already got scammed. I was about to. But as the weeks pass, David gets himself into a bind and does something really uncharacteristic.

[Vincent San Marco]

He's pathologically. He's a psychopath. Like, a real psychopath.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Next time on Once Upon a Con. He was doing great at work.

[Kyle Tequila]

He ramped himself up to a point.

[Vincent San Marco]

Where he was making about 15 grand a month, and he set record after record at my company.

[Caroline D'Amore]

But David Blum's employer has no idea what he's really up to, because he.

[Vincent San Marco]

Literally had us doing jumping through hoops like little circuits animals.

[Caroline D'Amore]

You know what I mean? He is a very smart man. Oh, he's a genius.

[Vincent San Marco]

Like, I have no doubt now that I've seen this side of him, because.

[Kyle Tequila]

I always thought at the time he.

[Vincent San Marco]

Was just a great salesman.

[Kyle Tequila]

Now I realize he's just an absolute psychopath.

[Caroline D'Amore]

This podcast is dedicated to the memory of my amazing mother, Bonnie Major, who would be super proud of me standing up for myself. Once Upon a Con is a production of AYR Media and 32 Flavors, hosted by me, Caroline D'Amores executive producers Aliza Rosen for Ayr Media, Alex Baskin for 32 flavors, and Jonathan Walton for Jonathan Walton Productions. Written by Jonathan Walton Producer Caroline D'Amore Senior Associate Producer, Jill Piesnik coordinator, Malena Kroljasky. Sound design by Tim Mulhern Edited and mixed by Tim Mulhern Supervising editor, Victoria Chang Mastered by Victoria Chang Engineering by Justin Longer Beam, Legal counsel for Ayr Media, Gianni Douglas. Our theme song, freshly Served, was written and performed by the incredibly talented Matty Noyes and is available on her SoundCloud.

[Kyle Tequila]

My name is Kyle Tequila, host of the shocking new true crime podcast Crook County. I got recruited into the mob when I was 17 years old.

[Vincent San Marco]

People are dying. Is he doing this every night?

[Kyle Tequila]

Kenny was a Chicago firefighter who lived a secret double life as a mafia hitman. I had a wife and I had two children. Nobody knew anything. He was a freaking crazy man. He was my father, and I had no idea about any of this until now. Crook county is available now. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Caroline D'Amore]

In a world of economic uncertainty and workplace transformation, learn to lead by example from visionary C Suite executives like Shannon Schuyler of PwC and Will Pearson of iHeartMedia. The good teacher explains the great Teacher inspires.

[Kyle Tequila]

Don't always leave your team to do the work.

[Vincent San Marco]

That's been the most important part of.

[Nancy]

How to Lead by example.

[Caroline D'Amore]

Listen to Leading by Example executives making an impact on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.