Publish date:: Sep 23, 2010

Fake autographed items now helping charity

Through its sheer numbers, the phony autographs seized by the FBI during the famous Operation Bullpen raid in October of 1999 made headlines. The most prolific member of the forgery ring, Greg Marino, told FBI investigators that he had worked day and night for years, signing as many as one million autographs. Now they're being put to good se.

Author:

Those in the know realize the impact the October 1999 raids conducted during Operation Bullpen had on the hobby. The number of forged autograph items was astounding.

One of the key players in the forgery ring, Greg Marino, told FBI investigators that he around the clock penning fake autos. perhaps signing as many as 1 million autographs.

The end result of some of these items? A lot of them wound up in FBI files and storage rooms. Some were destroyed.

Unforunately, many came to rest in the hands of unsuspecting collectors. A lot of them are probably still sitting on shelves all over North America, their owners blissfully unaware they own a Marino, not a Mantle.