Was a real-life 1920s crook the inspiration for one of the world's most iconic fictional characters, “The Great Gatsby”? Just before the small-time bootlegger Max Gerlach died, he tried to reveal his secret: He was the inspiration for the mysterious Jay Gatsby. It’s a nice story, but was he telling the truth? Veteran reporter Joe Nocera and producer Poppy Damon investigate this century-old literary mystery and uncover untold secrets about the Great American Novel.
Was a real-life 1920s crook the inspiration for one of the world's most iconic fictional characters, “The Great Gatsby”? Just before the small-time bootlegger Max Gerlach died, he tried to reveal his secret: He was the inspiration for the mysterious Jay Gatsby. It’s a nice story, but was he telling the truth? Veteran reporter Joe Nocera and producer Poppy Damon investigate this century-old literary mystery and uncover untold secrets about the Great American Novel.