Ridiculous Crime

1d ago

A man who called himself Lord Gordon Gordon sure knew how to con 'em. He scammed jewelers, land owners, and railroad magnates with great alacrity on both sides of the Atlantic. But in the hierarchy of criminals, the robber barons generally come out on top, and Gordon Squared just didn't anticipate that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3d ago

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner had one of the great love affairs of the last century. But it was actually a love triangle that included the famously-reclusive Howard Hughes. It gets wilder than that –– their love rivalry lasted decades and involved the mafia and the CIA. In fact, the dynamic forever changed Las Vegas and even ended the Rat Pack Era. This one is a wild midcentury tale... and 100% criminally ridiculous! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 11

Using his logistical and felonious prowess, Adam Worth developed a sophisticated criminal network stealing money, art, and jewelry from high-value targets on two continents. Understated and cunning, Worth was so successful he inspired one of literature's greatest criminal masterminds. Quite the criming legacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 9

Who would possibly think it's a good idea to rob Johnny Cash...at Christmastime... in Jamaica? If this sounds like some sort of Mad Lib, trust us, it's not. This really happened. And oddly enough, it's actually a charming Christmastime tale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 6

Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing some of the genre's biggest stars for billions in royalties. But we found someone who’s telling a very different origin story. Hold onto your headphones as we dive into the mystery behind one of the most influential beats in modern music. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 4

During WWII, there were lots of ways to contribute to the war effort. One involved sitting at a radio station on Long Island, feeding lies to the Nazis to aid the Allies. Owen House was the secret center of Operation Ostrich, the most intense counterintelligence effort you've never heard of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2

Let's say you're a German industrialist who needs to drive up the price of copper on the commodities market, would you hire a midcentury adventurer/boat captain and a pair of Miami skin divers to help you blow up a bridge in Zambia? If so, then you are the perps in this truly wild Cold War tale of international intrigue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 27

Martha Stewart is more than a food and entertaining icon; she's a brand. Literally. But a brand can't lie to the feds and a brand can't go to jail. Martha Stewart the human, however, could and did just that. But you can't keep a tough gal down. Martha made a comeback and then some. And that's a good thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.