Chain of Blame

An updated and revised look at the truth behind America's housing and mortgage bubbles

In the summer of 2007, the subprime empire that Wall Street had built all came crashing down. On average, fifty lenders a month were going bust-and the people responsible for the crisis included not just unregulated loan brokers and con artists, but also investment bankers and home loan institutions traditionally perceived as completely trustworthy.

Chain of Blame chronicles this incredible disaster, with a specific focus on the players who participated in such a fundamentally flawed fiasco. In it, authors Paul Muolo and Mathew Padilla reveal the truth behind how this crisis occurred, including what individuals and institutions were doing during this critical time, and who is ultimately responsible for what happened.

• Discusses the latest revelations in the housing and mortgage crisis, including the SEC's charging of Angelo Mozilo
• Two well-regarded financial journalists familiar with the events that have taken place chronicle the crisis in detail, showing what happened as well as what lies ahead
• Discusses how the world's largest investment banks, homeowners, lenders, credit rating agencies, underwriters, and investors all became entangled in the subprime mess

Intriguing and informative, Chain of Blame is a compelling story of greed and avarice, one in which many are responsible, but few are willing to admit their mistakes.

Introduction: Financial Ashes vii

Cast of Characters xiii

Chapter 1 Angelo Speaks, the Worldwide Contagion Begins 1

Chapter 2 The Repo Man Meets the Bald Granny: A Short History of Subprime 23

Chapter 3 The Death of the Bailey Building and Loan, the Rise of Millionaire Loan Brokersand Countrywide 47

Chapter 4 The Beach Boys of B&C: How Roland Arnall Became the Johnny Appleseed of Subprime 73

Chapter 5 Angelo Rising: The Son of a Bronx Butcher Makes Good 103

Chapter 6 The Holy Roller of REITs 127

Chapter 7 The End of the (New) Century 149

Chapter 8 A Conspiracy by Merrill? 179

Chapter 9 A Warning from Lewie: CDOs, SIVs, and Other Things No One Understands 205

Chapter 10 Deep in the Belly of the Bear 227

Chapter 11 Armageddon Times: The Tan Man Departs, Bye-Bye Bear 249

Chapter 12 What the Hell Happened? Ten Bad Years for Housing in America 277

Chapter 13 TARP, the Great Recession, and the Return of Stan Kurland 309

Afterword TBTF: A Mortgage Cartel Rises from the Ashes 335

Source and Interview Notes 341

Glossary 351

Acknowledgments 359

About the Authors 361

Index 363

PAUL MUOLO is Executive Editor of National Mortgage News—which won a Polk Award in 1990 for its reporting on the S&L crisis. His freelance work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Barron's. Muolo has been a guest on numerous media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, ABC, and Fox Business Network.

MATHEW PADILLA is a business journalist whose work on the implosion of the Southern California subprime industry was recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS/FINANCE

PRAISE FOR CHAIN OF BLAME

AN UPDATED AND EXPANDED LOOK AT THE TRUTH BEHIND AMERICA'S HOUSING AND MORTGAGE BUBBLES

"A ripping piece of reporting." —Bloomberg

"A juicy, name-dropping read." —BusinessWeek

"Two of the smartest, most entertaining investigative reporters alive describe one of the most important financial stories of our time. If you had any skin at all in the housing boom, you've got to read the story of exactly how that boom went bust." —David Asman, Host, America's Nightly Scoreboard

"Paul Muolo and Mathew Padilla display their deep knowledge of the mortgage industry and all its players. Chain of Blame is a comprehensive examination of a crisis that affects us all." —Scott Cohn, Correspondent, CNBC

In the summer of 2007, the subprime empire that Wall Street had built all came crashing down. On average, fifty lenders a month were going bust—and the people responsible for the crisis included not just unregulated loan brokers and con artists, but also investment bankers and home loan institutions traditionally perceived as completely trustworthy.

Chain of Blame chronicles this incredible disaster, with a specific focus on the players who participated in such a flawed fiasco. The authors reveal the truth behind how this crisis occurred, what individuals and institutions were doing during this critical time, and who is ultimately responsible.