The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness

In this special bonus episode, we explore the BCCI financial scandal through the eyes of the journalists who exposed it. Bradley Hope, executive producer of The Illuminator, is joined in conversation by Larry Gurwin and Peter Truell, authors of False Profits: The Inside Story of BCCI, the World's Most Corrupt Financial Empire. Larry and Gurwin explain their investigation into BCCI—a global bank that catered to drug cartels, terrorists, and intelligence agencies—and how this extraordinary financial institution managed to operate for decades while facilitating some of the world's biggest criminals. They also delve into why BCCI’s collapse remains one of banking's greatest scandals, and how their investigation overlapped with Mark Lombardi's groundbreaking artistic work – drawings so revealing that the FBI came looking for them after 9/11.  For a visual representation of Marc Lombardi's intricate charting of the BCCI scandal, visit our website at brazen.fm/illuminator/ [https://brazen.fm/illuminator/]. You can find Larry and Peter’s book, False Profits, available in online bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/ [https://brazen.fm/plus/]

Mark’s ex-girlfriend Hilary can’t get hold of him. Haunted by their last conversation, she leaves messages on his answering machine, increasingly anxious about his whereabouts. When Mark’s mother calls her with the same concerns, Hilary knows something is very wrong.  Her desperate search leads to a tragic discovery and a cascade of questions about the final days of Mark's life. On the surface, Mark was a groundbreaking artist who made a profound impact. But behind closed doors, he was plagued by intense ambition and dark obsessions.  As the layers of his life are peeled back, a tangled web of conspiracy theories, high-profile connections, and strange coincidences begins to emerge, leaving some to wonder if Mark's devastating end was truly of his own making—or if he uncovered something worth silencing. This is episode six of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus [http://brazen.fm/plus].  Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit https://brazen.fm/illuminator/bcci/brazen.fm/illuminator [https://brazen.fm/illuminator/bcci/] If you liked The Illuminator, you can buy merchandise from the series at https://shop.brazen.fm/shop.brazen.fm [https://shop.brazen.fm/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/ [https://brazen.fm/plus/]

Mark Lombardi stands on the edge of international stardom. His intricate and controversial artworks have drawn the attention of some of New York’s most prestigious institutions – as well as shedding light on some of the world’s most corrupt people and institutions.  Those closest to him are both thrilled by his success and worried for his safety. Mark, who previously brushed off his friends’ concerns, seems increasingly troubled. He’s working more intensely than ever, but behaving erratically. He’s fearful of surveillance.  Then, in March 2000, Mark decides to put his entire life’s work under the careful charge of the Pierogi gallery. It will be one of the last decisions he ever makes.   This is episode five of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus [http://brazen.fm/plus]. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator [https://brazen.fm/illuminator/bcci/]. If you liked The Illuminator, you can buy merchandise from the series at shop.brazen.fm [https://shop.brazen.fm/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/ [https://brazen.fm/plus/]

With his marriage spiraling under the strain of his obsessions, Mark returns to the cutthroat New York art scene. His friends are worried – even discourage the move – but Mark is resolute.  Soon, it appears his decision is paying off. He is finally gaining the recognition he craves, leading to exhibitions at prestigious venues like the Drawing Center in Manhattan and the Pierogi 2000 gallery in Brooklyn. His art is celebrated for its visually arresting maps of power, and he begins work on what will become known as his masterwork: a vast, 12 foot wide line drawing that maps ‘the mother of all bank scandals’: BCCI.  Exposed for facilitating mass financial crime, BCCI held accounts for dictators and criminals alike – from Saddam Hussein to Osama Bin Laden and Colombia’s Medellin Cartel. This drawing is the culmination of every other work Mark has ever done, a stunning unraveling of the dirtiest bank in the world. But, on the cusp of international success, the disaster strikes – and the very existence of the piece is threatened.  This is episode four of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus [http://brazen.fm/plus]. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator [https://brazen.fm/illuminator/bcci/]. If you liked The Illuminator, you can buy merchandise from the series at shop.brazen.fm [https://shop.brazen.fm/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/ [https://brazen.fm/plus/]

Mark Lombardi has met his match – a stunning blonde by the name of Day Barlow. When the couple marry at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, he feels optimistic, the future full of possibility.   At first, Mark weathers the obstacles thrown at him – professionally and personally. But in the wake of the high-profile scandals like the Savings and Loans crisis and the Iran-Contra affair, he appears to fall down a rabbit hole of increasing intensity.  As Mark Lombardi’s obsessions take hold, he delves deeper into these complex connections of power, transforming them into painstaking line drawings that will become his signature style.  He insists his work is entirely based on information in the public domain. But he seems more preoccupied than ever, his behavior growing more erratic. Could he know more about these murky worlds than he’s willing to admit?  Yet his investigations also attract dangerous attention, leading Mark and some of his close friends to fear for his life.  This is episode three of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus [http://brazen.fm/plus]. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator [https://brazen.fm/illuminator/bcci/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/ [https://brazen.fm/plus/]