An American Lion

All of the great empires amused themselves to death:

It’s that time of the year again. There’s a chill in the air. Holiday shopping goes into overdrive. And Los Angeles police warn residents that con artists are out in force, eager to separate unsuspecting victims from their money.

A case in point: LAPD officers arrested eight people between the ages of 27 and 67 over the weekend downtown on suspicion of conspiracy to commit gaming in connection with a shell game operation. The suspects set up shop in the 500 block of Los Angeles Street, said LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon.

They are believed responsible for dozens of grand thefts and robberies valued in the thousands of dollars.

“Any shopper who thinks they can parlay gift money into a big wad of cash is going to be sadly disappointed,” Vernon said. “No one ever wins in a shell game and what’s worse, much of the money lost goes right into the pockets of gang members, who tax gambling rings.”

The shell game involves “a tosser” or “dealer” who quickly moves a small, round object beneath one of three shells or bottle caps mounted on a table or cardboard box. To make the game more enticing, a shill is employed to give the appearance that the game is winnable.

By the time the victim chooses a shell, the dealer’s sleight of hand already has removed the object. The shell game rings that have been operating downtown also tend to attract gang members, Vernon said.

Anyone hapless enough to fall for such a thing deserves to be fleeced. The police have better things to do than protect morons from hucksters.