Former Lexington home of Charles Ponzi on the market for $4.3 million

Charles Ponzi poses with his wife, Rose, and his mother on the steps of 19 Slocum Road in Lexington.Handout

If you want to live in the house where Charles Ponzi once lived, you better get rich quick, with or without a scheme.

The Lexington mansion where the legendary swindler once lived is on the market for $4.3 million, offering would-be buyers a chance to own a unique piece of history, said listing agent George Sarkis.

The Italian businessman was initially hailed as a “wizard of finance,” but was ultimately remembered as a fraudster who bilked people out of millions of dollars through a pyramid investment scheme. Ponzi lived in the mansion for about six weeks before he was arrested in August 1920.

The former home of Charles Ponzi is on the market for $4.3 million.Matt Surette

Listed with The Sarkis Team, the home sits on approximately one acre of land and features seven bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a five-car garage, and a carriage house.

A view of the kitchen at 19 Slocum Road in Lexington. Matt Surette

“An expansive floor plan centers around the main living area, where an impeccably designed kitchen boasts two marble islands, bespoke cabinetry, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, and a pair of butler’s pantries,” the listing states.

The home offers plenty of living space, including an "inviting sun-drenched conservatory," according to the real estate listing. Matt Surette

The 8,481-square-foot home “has been meticulously revitalized to honor its architectural and historical roots,” according to the listing.

“Additional living spaces include a formal dining room, home offices, and an inviting sun-drenched conservatory,” the description states. “All bedrooms reside on the upper levels, including the primary suite which offers complete seclusion with two walk-in closets and a luxurious marble-clad master bath. A fully-finished lower level has an additional laundry room, recreation space, fitness area, and sauna.”

A look inside 19 Slocum Road in Lexington, where Ponzi once called home. Matt Surette

Mitchell Zuckoff, a former Globe reporter and author of “Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend,” told the Globe in 2014 “the house was everything to Ponzi.”

“It symbolized everything he had done, everything he wanted to be,” he said.

In August 1920 the Globe reported that federal agents raided Ponzi's home.Boston Globe Archives

Soon after Ponzi was arrested in 1920, IRS and prohibition agents showed up at his home and found 75 gallons of Italian wine, 36 quarts of chianti, as well as “cordials and other fancy drinks.”

The following year, huge crowds showed up at the property when Ponzi’s possessions were put up for auction. An estimated 2,000 people came out for the sale.

Ponzi was ultimately convicted. After serving time in jail, he was deported from the country in 1934.

This article about the Ponzi house appeared in the Globe on June 27, 1957. Boston Globe Archives

This advertisement appeared in the Globe on Oct. 23, 1921, letting people know that Ponzi's possessions were going to be put up for auction. Boston Globe Archives

The estate at 19 Slocum Road sits on approximately one acre of land and has been "meticulously revitalized to honor its architectural and historical roots," according to the real estate listing. Matt Surette

One of the fireplaces inside Charles Ponzi's former home on Slocum Road in Lexington. Matt Surette

One of the many bathrooms at 19 Slocum Road in Lexington. Matt Surette

Another view of Ponzi's former home at 19 Slocum Road in Lexington. Matt Surette