The guy was driving 20 miles per hour over the speed limit when a deputy sheriff pulled him over. The dispatcher quickly notified the deputy that the driver of that car was also a “gas drive-off.”

The guy had no identification. Nothing. Beyond that, he gave the deputy two different names and said he had no address because he was homeless. So it was off to jail for Mr. No Name. He was booked, photographed and mug shots were taken for criminal files. The deputy sent a mug shot and a set of fingerprints to the state police.

Several hours later the deputy, impatient to learn the true identity of Mr. No Name, went back to the jail interview room. Flipping through a file folder of old wanted posters, the deputy told the prisoner the FBI had confirmed his true identity. That, of course, was a ruse invented by the deputy, but apparently Mr. No Name bought into it, lock, stock and barrel.

The deputy told the prisoner his real name was Vincento Scalioni, 36 years of age, and a paid hit man for the Cosa Nostra. He’d murdered at least a dozen men and was wanted by the State of New York for murder, times twelve.

Mr. No Name had the look of “panic” in his eyes. “No, no. That’s not me! No way. I ain’t no Italian guy, I’m a black guy. Can’t you see? All I did was drive too fast and steal a little bit of gas.”

The deputy said nothing. Soon, under the pressure of silence, Mr. No Name gave up his real name, date of birth, Social Security number, current street address, and answered several other questions. A few hours later the state police confirmed as correct the information given by Mr. No Name.