Franz Tausend

Franz Seraph Tausend, "Der Goldmacher" (July 5, 1884 - July 9, 1942) was a 20th-century German alchemist.

Overview

A consummate social climber, manipulator, and schemer during the turbulent 1920s and 1930s, Tausend developed a process for extracting gold from base metals—a prospect of great interest to the then-fledgling Nazi party and a Germany staggering under runaway hyper inflation. The Nazis, through a number of Hitler's inner circle of friends introduced to Tausend, invested heavily in the project.

Unfortunately, the process was found to be economically unfeasible and quite possibly a sham, much to the chagrin of the Nazis' and their supporters' pocketbooks. Tausend had raised approximately half a million dollars (roughly $5.6 million in 2005 dollars) to fund five laboratories, one research institute and one mining operation; but most of the money went instead to fund extravagant lifestyles for the four main business partners. Many investors, including pensioners in his home village, lost their entire savings, while Tausend collected castles and country homes.

Stefano

Stefano is the Italian form of the surname and masculine given name Stephen. It is a common tendency amongst English-speakers to mispronounce the name Stefano by placing the stress on the penultimate syllable (i.e. /stəˈfɑːnoʊ/), whereas the correct Italian pronunciation places the stress on the first one: [ˈsteːfano].

People with the given name Stefano

Fictional characters

People with the surname Stefano

Stefano (wrestler)

Daniel García Soto is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler best known by his ring name Stefano.

Soto wrestles for promotions across Puerto Rico including International Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Council and New Wrestling Stars. Soto would also make an appearance in America's Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a storyline lawyer for The Latin American Xchange faction.

Soto also became one of the first wrestlers in Puerto Rican Wrestling to win the triple-crown of the three different Puerto Rican jr. heavyweight titles after winning IWA's Jr. Heavyweight, WWC's Jr. Heavyweight (5 November 2005), and finally NWS Cruiserweight title; which he won on 10 September 2006. After almost a year in WWC, Stefy returned to the IWA in 2008 under his Rabia character and renamed as Xtefy.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Stefano Langone

Stefano Langone (born February 27, 1989), known as Stefano in his recording career, is an American singer from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol.

Early life

Langone was born on February 27, 1989 in Bellevue, Washington to Carrie and Ernie Langone. He was born to an Italian father and a Mexican mother. His father works as a career advisor at The Art Institute of Seattle and is also a singer and musician. Langone has been singing and playing the piano since childhood. He attended Emerald Park Elementary School, Meridian Junior High, and Kentwood High School, as well as Bellevue College, where he was given a full ride scholarship. He performed with Bellevue College's 'Celebration!' vocal jazz ensemble while he was a student there.

On May 28, 2009, he was involved in a near-fatal accident after being hit by a drunk driver. The accident resulted in two broken arms, a fractured pelvis, and other serious injuries. In addition, Langone had to re-learn to walk and has extensive scarring as a result of the accident.