NEW YORK, July 19 (UPI) -- The man who inspired the hit play and movie, "Six Degrees of Separation," has died of AIDS at age 39.
Friends revealed Saturday that David Hampton died alone at Beth Israel Medical Center last month, The New York Times reported.
Hampton was the teenager who conned members of New York's elite some 20 years ago by posing as son of actor Sidney Poitier.
He was charged with attempted burglary for the con and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The 1990 play by John Guare used many details from the case and Hampton sued Guare for $100 million and lost.
According to the Times, Hampton never lost his lust for the con and continued for years to fleece New Yorkers beguiled by his looks and charm.
Hampton always refused to accept his actions as criminal. Instead, the newspaper said, he insisted his actions were "performance art."
