Hsu's Life Spent on the Run

Fallen and fugitive, Norman Hsu was disowned last week by the very Democrats who thrived on his mysterious largess when details of a 1992 grand theft charge emerged. But the Journal reports that charge wasn't unique to a man whose past is filled with bankruptcies, sketchy investments, a string of bogus addresses, and even a good old-fashioned kidnapping.

Hsu, who holds a Wharton business degree, defrauded investors in the early 1990s, went bankrupt in Hong Kong, and began dabbling in real estate and apparel in California. He resurfaced on the New York fundraising circuit in 2004, where his charm and checkbook earned him friends and a mysterious reputation. In custody again, Hsu will be returned to California. (More Norman Hsu stories.)