redwingscup, I don't think anyone here is saying that every wealthy person is a crook, a con man, a pathological liar, a tax evader, a draft dodger, a serial adulterer, a petulant clown, etc. We're sort of focused on one particular rich guy here.
Also, The Great Gatsby is a weird reference to use if you're making a point about the good old days. As I recall, Gatsby (not even his real name!) got rich bootlegging, and palled around with bad hombres, like the guy who fixed the 1919 World Series.