Charles Wells, born in 1841, was a tubby, extravagant cockney and is one of the most famous gamblers in history. He is said to be the inspiration behind the song “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Fred Gilbert. He enjoyed the high-life in London his feats had awarded him and spent his money frivolously. Legend has it that whenever he walked into a nightclub, the band would immediately begin playing “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo”.
In 1981, Wells went to Monte Carlo and wrote himself into history. Although he funded himself with money he had defrauded from investors with claims of fake inventions, Wells turned around £4000 into 1 million francs on roulette. He had broke the bank an astonishing 12 times. Even though private detectives were hired to find out Well’s system, on another trip later that year, he made a further 1 million francs in the space of 3 days