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Con/Artist

The Life and Crimes of the World's Greatest Art Forger

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About this listen

 The world’s most renowned art forger reveals the secrets behind his decades of painting like the masters—exposing an art world that is far more corrupt than we ever knew while providing an art history lesson wrapped in sex, drugs, and Caravaggio.

The art world is a much dirtier, nastier business than you might expect. Tony Tetro, one of the most renowned art forgers in history, will make you question every masterpiece you’ve ever seen in a museum, gallery, or private collection. Tetro’s “Rembrandts,” “Caravaggios,” “Miros,” and hundreds of other works now hang on walls around the globe. In 2019, it was revealed that Prince Charles received into his collection a Picasso, Dali, Monet, and Chagall, insuring them for over 200 million pounds, only to later discover that they’re actually “Tetros.” And the kicker? In Tony’s words: “Even if some tycoon finds out his Rembrandt is a fake, what’s he going to do, turn it in? Now his Rembrandt just became motel art. Better to keep quiet and pass it on to the next guy. It’s the way things work for guys like me.” The Prince Charles scandal is the subject of a forthcoming feature documentary with Academy Award nominee Kief Davidson and coauthor Giampiero Ambrosi, in cooperation with Tetro.

Throughout Tetro’s career, his inimitable talent has been coupled with a reckless penchant for drugs, fast cars, and sleeping with other con artists. He was busted in 1989 and spent four years in court and one in prison. His voice—rough, wry, deeply authentic—is nothing like the high society he swanned around in, driving his Lamborghini or Ferrari, hobnobbing with aristocrats by day, and diving into debauchery when the lights went out. He’s a former furniture store clerk who can walk around in Caravaggio’s shoes, become Picasso or Monet, with an encyclopedic understanding of their paint, their canvases, their vision. For years, he hid it all in an unassuming California townhouse with a secret art room behind a full-length mirror. (Press #* on his phone and the mirror pops open.) Pairing up with coauthor Ambrosi, one of the investigative journalists who uncovered the 2019 scandal, Tetro unveils the art world in an epic, alluring, at times unbelievable, but all-true narrative. Art Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions True Crime Royalty

Critic reviews

“Tetro, one of the most prolific art forgers of the 20th century, paints his own life story with flair in this cinematic memoir… Written in a colorful, conversational voice and blending memoir, art history, and true crime, Tetro’s account takes readers on a turbulent, fast-paced, high-stakes roller-coaster ride. This is the art world’s The Wolf of Wall Street.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

**2024 LISTEN LIST: OUTSTANDING AUDIOBOOK NARRATION**
All stars
Most relevant
If you are interested in art, travel & motor cars, you will enjoy a few hours in the company of Tony Tetro. His life story has a very satisfying narrative arc that you rarely find in novels. Richard Ferrone has a deep, calming voice, and is perfect as Tony.
Highly recommended.

A movie waiting to be made.

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Not like anything else I have listed to. I am a fan of true crime but this is much different to your typical and sometimes rather typical murder. Well worth a listen

Enjoyed it!

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Great listen. I loved every minute. Really get inside the time that art forgery thrived. Very well read and written! The coolest thing is, how many fakes hang on walls that people have know idea of there providence. Have a closer look at your Caravaggio next time.

Best “forger” art book. By a real artist.

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Love the pacing and how authentic Tero is (no pun intended). A very addictive book.

Couldn’t stop listening

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In all books on this theme,, a big paradox stands out. Artists with extreme talent (like Tony Tetro) cannot make a living through their own creative work, while their convincing forgeries command a huge price tag. This is galling because Tetro's talent was obvious - and probably equal to or more than that of recognised contemporary artists, whose work fetches millions $. For me this theme is interesting but this book bought nothing new to the table, I've read it all before in other books on the topic.

On a side issue, I was so pleased that the book was mainly narrated by a professional. The bits read by Tetro himself were very slurry and hard to understand. Tetro is obviously a better artist than performer.

Not especially memorable

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