Flim-Flam Man: A True Family History

by Jennifer Vogel

One frosty winter morning, Jennifer Vogel opened the newspaper and read that her father had gone on the run. John Vogel, fifty-two, had been arrested for single-handedly counterfeiting nearly $20 million in U.S. currency -- the fourth-largest sum ever seized by federal agents -- and then released pending trial. Though Jennifer hadn't spoken to her father in more than four years, the police suspected he might turn up at her Minneapolis apartment. She examined the shadows outside her building, thought she spotted him at the grocery store and the bus stop. He had simply vanished. Framed around the six months her father eluded authorities, Jennifer's memoir documents the police chase -- stakeouts, lie detector tests, even a segment on Unsolved Mysteries -- and vividly chronicles her tumultuous childhood while examining her father's legacy. A lifelong criminal who robbed banks, burned down buildings, scammed investors, and even plotted murder, John Vogel was also a hapless dreamer who wrote a novel, baked lemon meringue pies, and took his ten-year-old daughter to see Rocky in an empty theater on Christmas Eve. When it came time to pass his counterfeit bills, he spent them at Wal-Mart for political reasons.

Culling from memories, photo albums, public documents, and interviews with the handful of people who knew the real John Vogel, Jennifer has created an intensely moving psychological portrait of a charismatic, larger-than-life figure -- a father who loved her and whom, in spite of everything, she loved back.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

213 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2004

About the author

Jennifer Vogel worked as a writer and reporter in Minneapolis for seven years before moving to Seattle, where she was editor in chief of The Stranger. She moved back to Minneapolis in 2003.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because Sean Penn's movie Flag Day with his daughter Dylan is based on this book. The book is written by Jennifer Vogel the daughter of the con man that Sean portrays. If a movie is based on a book I try reading the book first to see how close the book follows the movie. In this book her father learns the art of counterfeiting and spends his time passing counterfeit bills at Walmart from Minnesota to Florida. Eventually gets caught and thrown in prison. Con men are often interesting and charismatic, it is how they get through life. That part of the book is interesting but this story is not so much her father's but the daughter's and that story is left unfinished. Jennifer Vogel is a talented writer but her life was full of shoplifting, stealing, walking out on unpaid restaurant tabs, and selling drugs. There is a story here but I gave up. Its more of a very alive woman who doesn't see how badly she appears in her own story. I wonder if the movie is any better?

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember when Jennifer Vogel was a reporter for "City Pages," so the story she wrote about about her father reminds me of a lot of past times. Her dad was one of those people who was always looking for the next big thing, instead of focusing on the here and now. Lying, cheating, stealing, setting up bogus businesses, and (ultimately) counterfeiting were just a few of the venues he twisted about.

Whew!

If this man had dedicated his boundless energy and obvious intelligence to a legitimate life, he would have been a star. And, don't even ask how all of this influenced his family.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Not The Duke of Deception. Writer strews metaphors like Kandy Korn on Halloween. The seeds of good story are here, but I gave up.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written account of a conman and father, by his bitter and damaged daughter. Filled with unlikable but sometimes sympathetic characters, it is compelling and held my attention the way a train wreck or other disaster does, except that my sympathetic responses were overruled by my dislike for these people seemingly hell-bent on self-destruction. Lots of fodder for analysis of the power of the dysfunctional family. Set largely in Minnesota, the frequent references to familiar Twin Cities landmarks added to the appeal of the book.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author of this book is local and that's what initially attracted me, as well as this was the monthly read for my book club. An interesting story told by the oldest daughter about her life with a conterfeit father. In parts the book jumped around alot and I lost interest. The book never really grabbed hold of me and I was glad to finally read the last chapter.

[Sueann MacLachlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's memoir of a girl growing up with a con-artist as her father. It takes place in Minnesota so there are a lot of cities, towns and activities that most Minnesotans are aware of. I'm not sure if I liked it. She was pretty screwed up as a result of her father's choices. Book kind of plods along with abrupt time changes from past to present.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok...kind of flat over all. Some interesting parts.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Club

[Jenny J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty depressing, but i felt compelled to finish.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very depressing story about a dysfunctional family. The story was adequately told in about 100 pages. Unfortunately the book was 250 pages long. It was ok but nothing special.

[LynLovestoRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe that anyone would give this book less than a four-star rating. Mine is technically a 4.5. There’s so much to say but I’ll try to keep it short.

Like many others, I was originally drawn to this book after watching “Flag Day” starring Sean Penn and Dylan Penn, a gut-wrenching, emotionally haunting film. I never imagined that that story would be predominantly true, even with minor details. Sean and Dylan’s performances are perfection. It’s not a happy story, but it’s a haunting story, and the book is certainly no different. Jennifer Vogel has lived a truly stunning life, and has come so far. It’s a miracle that anyone survived the life she lived and rose above it through hard work, commitment, and self-sufficiency. I was truly inspired by her ability to lift herself out of abject poverty and become a writer. As a writer by trade myself, this is a story I’ll never forget

What most stands out to me about Jennifer’s story is that it serves as a dramatic portrait of the American Dream when it drastically fails. Our society willfully ostracizes those with obstacles (be it family, mental health, trauma, or for whatever reason) to achieve the American Dream. If you can’t easily achieve it for some reason, our society has no space to love and accept you until you do. Which means that this is a story of America—of addiction, death, journalism, fatherhood, money, status, hope, road trips, and adolescent rage.

It’s truly a unique story that reminds me how important those who are suffering are. If we don’t reach out a loving hand to help our neighbors and citizens, our family members and friends in their lowest moment, who will? It does seem that so many people tried to help John but he didn’t know how to escape his worst enemy, himself.

If all you take away is a disdain for John Vogel then you have entirely missed the point. A young woman’s relationship with her father is complicated and not easily understood. Where does one person end and the other begin? The reader is continually drawn to gaze upon John with a sympathetic eye, because that is the way in which Jennifer herself looks upon her father. She seems to be begging the reader not to dismiss him or caricaturize him because he doesn’t deserve that. Jennifer continually reminds us that John was a human being, not a cliche headline in a newspaper.

Jenifer’s story definitely deserved a movie portrayal, and I’m grateful that Sean and Dylan Penn handled it with such delicacy and raw emotion. Jennifer’s father was not a clown or a caricature, but a real human being who was traumatized by his own past and ultimately couldn’t escape it. She portrays him with honesty and admiration, with hatred and with respect. Who wouldn’t have such conflicting emotions to someone like him?

Yet I believe this book is ultimately her love letter to her father, her final act to show him how much he gave her despite his multitude of shortcomings.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically the story of a dysfunctional family through generations of dysfunction. What is the root? Poverty? Not entirely - not everyone was poor... Poor choices? Not entirely - not everyone made poor choices, but some never recovered from the choices they made. Bad parenting? Not entirely - too much trouble to bear, too little support in times of difficulty. The most obvious thing was that this was intergenerational dysfunction that some survived and some did not. Certainly the film-flam man didn't overcome. And of course, we won't know if his children or possible grandchildren will break out of the pattern. But the truth is that breaking out, and away, is difficult because the whole thing is multilayered. A hard story to tell, and a hard story to read.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Vogel does a masterful job with sharing the story of her father's (ill-fated) life, and the difficult childhood she survived due to the dysfunction of both her parents. I was struck by Vogel's "Flim-Flam Man: A True Family History" because of its honesty, as well as Vogel's stirring writing. It cannot have been easy to share in such detail all the flaws of her family (extending back to her grandparents and even great-grandparents on both sides), but in doing so, Vogel somehow reassured me that no one is alone in their struggles. Because Vogel is about two years younger than me, the timeline of her life has occurred along with mine. I'd really like to meet her to discuss this further. I highly recommend this book.

[Dave Kunz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some families the infrastructure of normal behavior is so deeply damaged that the kids don't have much of a chance. And that's the case here. Still the author managed to make a life for herself and come to terms with the legacy of her deeply, deeply flawed father. It's not a fantastically well-written book but it's authentic and, in its own way, heartfelt. The impact of this book stayed with me for a very long time.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened as an audiobook.
It never ceases to amaze me that I was the one who grew up in the anomaly.
As a kid, I thought everyone's family was happy. My dad could barely light a BBQ, never mind burn down a cottage.
I wonder how it would have played out had John Vogel not been caught...
PS Film-Flam as a word, is not used nearly enough.

[Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a wayward daughter and her encounters with her criminal father. He is a thief and known racist while she is prone to weed and nose candy. Mentions his many criminal enterprises, intercut and eventually confusing storyline, she bemoans that a TV show about him did not mention his unique scent? Swearing. Basis of a movie? See 'The Art of Making Money', a better story. RIP.

[Rhonda]

I watched to movie starring Sean Penn, before I read the book. Now that I've read it, I want to see the movie again. What an upbringing, by a poor guy who was really a tortured soul. I sure do wish there had been an insert of true family photos included with this book!

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, I really liked it! It was slow but the writing was good! I'd recommend to any Minnesotan.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I'd read a dozen pages, I was hooked. Great read and I appreciated the good writing. The locales were generally familiar to me and that added to my total involvement with the narrative.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK, not as insightful on the father's life as I'd expected.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble caring about the protagonist and family. Thought I’d enjoy it more because of the MN connections but found it a bit tedious to read.

[Dane Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great personal true story. The author used some really good deep wit to describe how she felt during some times as a child. I really liked this book. Now ready for the Sean Penn film.

[Beth]

Successful SFP.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short memoir, and especially seeing how Jen's opinion of her father evolved throughout her life as she learned more about him and all the different facets of his personality. Seeing how her opinion of him changed, grew more nuanced, and how she reacted to him based on her knowledge, made it feel like the book dove really deep for such a short page count.

I struggled towards the beginning as we learned about her mother and father's family--I understand why that look back was important, because it added a layer of understanding to both her mother and father, but also her relationship with them and her striving to do something different. But it was hard to keep track of everyone, and most of those relations weren't mentioned anywhere else in the story.

This is not a book with a happy ending. But it was a surprisingly enjoyable read.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out 20 years ago. It is still haunting. It's the story of the author's father, whose life spiraled out of control as he printed fake money, robbed banks, set up fraudulent businesses, set up legitimate businesses that quickly failed, married, divorced, abandoned his children, lived with a few other women after his wife left him, and ultimately shot himself after a high-speed chase with the cops.

The author was his favorite of his three children, which he never tired of telling her. He was born to a family of lowlifes and petty criminals and didn't seem to have a shred of integrity. He was smart, loved classical music, and was clever with his hands, but he wanted the money without the work. It's a sad story of one man destroying his family, alienating his extended family, and finally destroying himself.

A sad but satisfying read, with many good narrative episodes.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. I enjoyed Jennifer's honesty regarding the complicated relationships we have with our families. Even when family treats you badly, anger and dislike are just the tip of the emotional iceberg. Although my relationship with my father dissolved from different circumstances, Jennifer's raw feelings resonated with me in a very similar way. She had to find out about him on her own, and wouldn't be swayed by others. Then she had to step away to heal. And in the end when his life was over, she reconciled her feelings with the man she called dad. I lived these same swinging pendulum of emotions.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew of Jen Vogel in Seattle as Editor of The Stranger and it was because of her that I heard of this book.
Parts of her story will be familiar to children of the 70s and 80s who lived through ad hoc custody and childcare arrangements.
It's a quick and entertaining read.

[Christopher Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting story, but incredibly sad. What's refreshing is that the author doesn't blow her own horn by dwelling on--i.e. bragging about--her personal triumph over a dysfunctional family, which would get in the way of the story and in the way of appreciating the characters for who they are ...

[Margo Perin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Jennifer Vogel manages to capture the complexity of her complicated young life and its consequences in this beautifully written memoir. What I especially appreciated, in addition to her writing, are her honesty and emotional depth.