Gatsby was a bootlegger.
– Rumor has it that Gatsby used to run liquor from Canada to the United States via Lake Ontario, but there’s no evidence of this in the book.
Gatsby was a murderer.
– This rumor seems to have been started by Tom Buchanan’s wife, Daisy, who claimed that her husband had killed someone in the war (which he didn’t). She also accused Gatsby of murder and said that he’d killed his neighbor, Dan Cody, with whom Daisy had had an affair before she met Tom. However, Daisy was known for being vindictive and manipulative, so we can’t take her word on this one!
Gatsby was a thief.
– There were rumors that Gatsby stole money from Nick Carraway’s father when they worked together as bond salesmen during World War I. But again—no hard evidence for this one! He may have stolen money from people at parties or brought home gifts for Daisy under false pretenses… but again: nothing concrete here either way!
