For self-made businessman Jim Steffman, life was better than he ever expected. Out of grit, a relentless work ethic and natural instinct for business, he built a small empire in rural Connecticut. Gas stations, a car wash, a storage unit facility, and a bar catapulted him from near-poverty to the "good life," with plenty of money and time to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Along the way, he aided friends and employees with generous loans and quick exits from dead-end jobs. Soon after defying town officials, Jim encountered a businessman outside his usual circle. Rich, well-heeled and full of...