Apple is moving into scripted podcasts for the first time and has tapped Sebastian Maniscalco as one of the stars of its first project.
The tech company is launching Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story and Bookie star Maniscalco will voice the eponymous lead character.
Apple has been expanding its slate of original podcasts in the non-fiction space with the likes of Hooked, The Line and Missed Fortune but Easy Money marks its first original scripted show.
The eight-part series, which will premiere on June 23, traces the rise and fall of the man who gave the Ponzi scheme its name. Ponzi was an Italian immigrant who, in 1920, defrauded the modern-day equivalent of a quarter of a billion dollars.
Maniscalco, a stand-up comedian who has also starred in The Irishman, voices Ponzi on the podcast. Journalist Maya Lau, who previously worked at the LA Times, will host the series.
The series is produced by At Will Media, which is behind Apple’s Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy. Will Malnati and Sebastian Maniscalco exec produce.
“Charles Ponzi was a larger-than-life character—he wasn’t just a con artist; he was the con artist. Stepping into his shoes and bringing this unbelievable story to life has been a wild ride,” said Maniscalco. “Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is a fascinating look at the man who wrote the playbook for modern scams—a masterclass in charm, deception, and the price of believing in something too good to be true.”
