Herman Rosenblat, the Miami Beach retiree and Holocaust survivor did indeed make up the amazing story that while being held in a concentration camp a young girl would throw apples to him over the fence which helped him survive, only to move to America years later and miraculously be set up on a blind date with her, and eventually marry her. His wife did throw those apples. They just weren't to him.
"I brought good feelings to a lot of people and I brought hope to many. My motivation was to make good in this world. In my dreams, Roma will always throw me an apple, but I now know it is only a dream."
It's hard to point fingers in this situation. The man did actually live through the Holocuast, but its kind of uncomfortable that someone was using that situation to make money. Then again, it's more disgraceful that so many book agents, film industry flacks, and even Oprah went along with the story without bothering to varifying it, all the while hoping to make some money as well.