Nearly 90 years after Charles Ponzi was deported to Italy from New York, a suitcase full of newspaper clippings in hand, the schemes named after him live on.

New scandal: The promoter of a Chicago sports talk Web site is among the latest to be accused of running a Ponzi scheme. See what the SEC alleges David J. Hernandez did. http://www.bing.com/search?q=David+J.+H ... orm=msnhal

What's a Ponzi scheme? The outlines are familiar: Con artists promise investors enormous returns on their money, but all they really do is pay off the original investors with newcomers' money -- until they run out. What was the original Ponzi scheme?

Ponzi's downfall: Ponzi's scheme unraveled in the pages of a Boston newspaper. But the role a conscientious publicist played in uncovering the scam wasn't widely known until recently. He wrote his memoirs. What was his role?

Ponzi schemes aren't rare. But some are notable for their scope -- and their victims.

They include:

Parishioners: Gerald Payne, head of Greater Ministries International, was among church leaders found guilty of defrauding thousands of their flock of nearly $500 million. Find out what they promised.

Retirees: Michael Eugene Kelly is among those accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of bilking retirees and others through a fraudulent timeshare program in Mexico. Find out how much they are accused of stealing.

Anyone: Those pale in comparison to the $65 billion fraud allegedly perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, who is set to be sentenced June 29. See what his victims say.

Star of stage and screen? Plans are in the works to turn a recent book about Ponzi into a musical or a movie. Find out who's behind it.

http://specials.msn.com/A-List/Ponzi-sc ... i%20scheme

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