FORGERY THE BANE OF THE HOBBY
Operation Bullpen was a huge success in 1999. When the FBI raided and shut down 18 counterfeit and forged autograph memorabilia rings and got 63 convictions, it was an industry-changer. Greg Marino was one of the big names busted as a ringleader.
A few years later, following Phase 2 of Operation Bullpen, Beckett Grading Service (BGS) authenticator Steve Grad went on a tour in San Diego with FBI lead investigator Tim Fitzsimmons to check out all the fake items collected in the sting.
“I read the book and I’ve heard Tim comment many times that the Marino family was very good forgers,” Grad said. “I will tell you that they couldn’t hold a candle to the stuff that’s happening now. The Marino stuff I always felt was amateur hour.”
FBI Special Agent Brian Brusokas is always ready to track down sports memorabilia forgers. Brusokas, who started at
