Lewis Ranieri back in the spotlight

Remember Lewis Ranieri, of Liar's Poker fame. He is known as the man who started in the Salomon Brothers mail room and made it to the firm's storied trading floor, where he helped pioneer the mortgage-backed securities market. He was quite a personality and still a bit of a legend among the old-timers. He left Solly in 1987 and now sits on the boards of several companies. Unfortunately, three of these companies find themselves the target of intense criticism by investors, analysts, investment bankers and shareholder activists. Many blame Ranieri. Little has been heard from Ranieri lately, but he is no stranger to controversy.

For more on Ranieri's recent travails:
- Here's an Investment Dealers' Digest article (For FierceFinance readers)