As one of the most enduring short cons of the grifter's trade, it naturally goes by many names: the shell game, three-card monte, find the lady.
At first glance, it couldn't be simpler – just a man, three cards (or shells and peas), and some people gullible enough to believe he's on the up and up.
In fact, as J. Peder Zane reported in a 1989 article for New York magazine, “The Sticks, the Slides and the Shaker,” it is an intricate, tightly scripted performance featuring a skilled ensemble cast. Zane, who edits for RealClearInvestigations, spent three months earning the trust of a monte gang in New York City who revealed the secrets of their con to him.
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