Charles Ponzi, who gives his name to the Ponzi Scheme, was a notable American entrepeneur in the 1920's. Ponzi was born in Italy but soon emigrated to the United States, where, with just $2.50 in his pocket and a sly look on his face, he proceeded to get fired for theft from a succession of low-paying restaurant jobs until he couldn't stand it anymore and left the US for neighboring Canada. It was in this liberal hippy Bear haven that he learned the fine art of confidence. Ponzi can also be regarded as one of the first true proponents of modern Capitalist economic theory.