It was an awkward moment. Sandy Weill, the world's most powerful banker, came face-to-face with Eliot Spitzer, the toughest cop on Wall Street. Both were among the guests at a Sept. 10 lunch hosted by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion. Their exchange was brief. But Weill, 69, CEO of Citigroup, indicated he was eager to talk about the ugly business that Spitzer, the ambitious New York State attorney general, has been finding in his probe of the financial behemoth. Within days a high-level session followed, and even Spitzer was impressed with Weill's sense of urgency.
The meeting...