By February 1920, Ponzi's total take was US $ 5, 000, ( approximately US $ 54, 000 in 2010 dollars ).

An initial investigation into Ponzi's banking practices found nothing illegal, but Allen was afraid that if major withdrawals exhausted Ponzi's reserves, it would bring Boston's banking system to its knees.

On August 9, they reported that enough investors had cashed their checks on Ponzi's main account there that it was almost certainly overdrawn.

The move forced Massachusetts Attorney General J. Weston Allen to release a statement that there was little to support Ponzi's claims of large-scale dealings in postal coupons.

Ponzi's original scheme was based on the arbitrage of international reply coupons for postage stamps ; however, he soon diverted investors ' money to make payments to earlier investors and himself.

The Boston Post was awarded the Pulitzer prize for its investigation and exposure of Charles Ponzi's financial fraud.

Though Ponzi did not tell Gnecco about his years in jail, his mother sent Gnecco a letter telling her of Ponzi's past.

When Allen found out a large number of Ponzi-controlled accounts had received more than $ 250, 000 in loans, he ordered two bank examiners to keep an eye on Ponzi's accounts.

Although the commissioner did not know it, this move foiled Ponzi's last-ditch plan to " borrow " funds from the bank vaults after all other efforts to obtain funds failed.

Parts of Charles Ponzi's life are somewhat difficult to determine and understand, owing to his propensity to fabricate and embellish facts.

After Ponzi's release from prison, he made his way back to Boston.

Ponzi's rapid rise naturally drew suspicion.

Ponzi's offer temporarily calmed the suspicions of the state officials.

On July 26, the Post started a series of articles that asked hard questions about the operation of Ponzi's money machine.

The Post contacted Clarence Barron, the financial analyst who published the Barron's financial paper, to examine Ponzi's scheme.

However, McMasters quickly became suspicious of Ponzi's endless talk of postal reply coupons, as well as the ongoing investigation against him.

Allen then ordered Hanover Trust not to pay out any more checks from Ponzi's main account.

His investors lost about $ 20 million in 1920 dollars ($ 225 million in 2011 dollars ); as a comparison, Bernie Madoff's similar scheme that collapsed in 2008 cost his investors about $ 13 billion, 53 times the losses of Ponzi's scheme.

In the meantime, government investigators tried to trace Ponzi's convoluted accounts to figure out how much money he had taken and where it had gone.

Here, this happy, roving son of good fortune proved that he could accept the disciplines of a new social-economic order fighting for its very existence and ideals in a truculent world.

Perhaps it was his misfortune, or good fortune, whichever way one looked at it, to belong to the former group, and he was struggling unconsciously to build up pressure in a world which demanded none, which was positively antagonistic to it.

There was good fortune and there was bad and Philip Spencer, in handcuffs and ankle irons, knew it to be a truth.

She was a beautiful and reputable woman and according to Pliny the Elder, she had a double canine in her upper right jaw, a sign of good fortune.

" Louis XIV was more forgiving to his old friend – " At our age, Marshal, we must no longer expect good fortune.

He had the good fortune to attract the attention of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, and subsequently became one of Luther's most

In a thanksgiving recitation the writer thanks God for health, a safe journey, deliverance from danger, or good fortune.

I accept your hand to enhance our joint good fortune.

May you be benevolent, the harbinger of good fortune and health and live in great dignity and indeed illuminate your husband's home.

To celebrate its good fortune, Geelong buried a toy bomber in the Kardinia Park turf.

The years he spent in Southsea had been the most miserable of his life to that point, but his good fortune at securing a position at Midhurst Grammar School meant that Wells could continue his self-education in earnest.

Melville retired in 1886, after several of his wife's relatives died and left the couple legacies that Mrs. Melville administered with skill and good fortune.

By 1914, Hoover stood eventually to obtain what he later described as " a large fortune from these Russian industries, probably more than is good for anybody ".

The Sampo, described in the Kalevala saga, was a magical artifact constructed by Ilmarinen, the blacksmith god, that brought good fortune to its holder ; nobody knows exactly what it was supposed to be.

He was represented in doorways, possibly as an amulet of good fortune, or as a symbol of purification.

One line of argument in favor of externalism begins with the observation that if what justified our beliefs failed to eliminate significantly the risk of error, then it does not seem that knowledge would be attainable as it would appear that when our beliefs did happen to be correct, this would really be a matter of good fortune.

He later wrote of how he " rejoiced at my good fortune in stumbling upon an object so interesting in the natural history of the earth, and which I had been long looking for in vain.

Mojo reaches as far back as West African culture, where it is said to drive away evil spirits, keep good luck in the household, manipulate a fortune, and lure and persuade lovers.

Weber also writes that " the affluent embrace good fortune theodicies, which emphasise that prosperity is a blessing of God ... theodices of misfortune emphasise that affluence is a sign of evil and that suffering in this world will be rewarded in the next.

Among the loudest of those who insist the magazine is no longer funny are supporters of Harvey Kurtzman, who had the good critical fortune to leave Mad after just 28 issues, before his own formulaic tendencies might have become obtrusive.

If comrade Molotov can manage to postpone the war for two or three months that will be our good fortune, but you yourselves must go off and take measures to raise the combat readiness of our forces ".

John Nolland comments that it shares the notions of " good fortune and demanding action in attaining the kingdom of heaven " with that parable, but adds the notion of " diligent seeking.

His good fortune increased during the pontificate of Pope Clement XI ( 1700 – 21 ), who employed his talents as a courtier and rewarded him with a cardinal's hat, on 17 May 1706, retaining his services as papal treasurer.

Mr Darcy, shocked, ultimately responds with a letter giving a good account of ( most of ) his actions: Wickham had exchanged his legacies for a cash payment, only to return after gambling away the money to reclaim the forfeited inheritance ; he then attempted to elope with Darcy's young sister, thereby to capture her fortune.

He for whom Zeus the lord of thunder mixes the gifts he sends, will meet now with good and now with evil fortune ; but he to whom Zeus sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn, the hand of famine will pursue him to the ends of the world, and he will go up and down the face of the earth, respected neither by gods nor men.