Andrew Ford

@AndrewFordNews

In this exclusive three-part Asbury Park Press series we take a look at the life of Louis J. Spina of Colts Neck, who went from top stock trader to bank robber.

Spina traded the mafia gangster life of hometown Little Italy for the hustle of the New York Stock Exchange. He worked tirelessly, rising from a page boy running stock tickets to a broker dealing millions in stocks – Hewlett Packard, Disney, Pfizer. He earned a fortune and spent a fortune, on women and wine, a Florida condo, a million-dollar home in Colts Neck.

He toiled for decades. Comfortable retirement could have been the end of Spina’s story. But it’s not.

Instead it included a $20 million Ponzi scheme, a bank robbery and prison.

Listen to the the entire Long Fall series below:

Part I - From top stock trader to bank robber: Part one of the series explores the early life of Louis J. Spina and his ascension from floor runner to top broker at the New York Stock Exchange.

Part II - Start of the downward spiral: Part two of the series details the beginning of Spina's downward spiral. From drugs and women to changes on Wall Street shrinking his job, Spina's life began to spin out of control.

Part III - Robbing a bank: The final part of the series tells the story of Spina's descent into scam artist and bank robber.