You want to make money. So you become a hypnotist. Along the way, you marry a starlet, hire a hitman, fight Johnny Carson, start a university, and teach people to make paper flowers. Ah, the life of a nightclub hypnotist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He had country music wanderlust and rock star ambition. He was a scion of wealth and privilege. Oh, and he was best friends with Keith Richards! Gram Parsons was someone who was here for a good time not a long time. When he passed, his friends and manager did as they'd promised him. They stole Gram Parsons body and drove out to Joshua Tree, where they gave him the rock n' roll funeral he desired. Including amateur cremation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Wise-cracking Wilson Mizner was a legend among legends when it came to cons. Witty, creative, tough, daring, wild, and forever in the right place at the right time. From the Alaskan Gold Rush to the South Florida land boom to the early days of Hollywood, Mizner was there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
No one expects to hear stories of beard-loving, barn-raising, technology-avoiding Amish and Mennonites being involved in street crime. Let alone that they have secret pot-growing empires. And outlaw biker-supplied cocaine cowboys riding in black buggies. "Welcome to Amish Country, son! Watch your a$$!" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Dutch are famous for a lot of things: tulips, cheese, fine art, double jump rope. They are also pretty good at both stealing and having a paintings stolen, apparently. What happens when the same painting is stolen three times? Let's just say it's pretty ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life –– but this cadre of criminal wedding parties, abducted grooms and runaway brides put that to the test. Meet the folks hosting fictitious weddings to get revenge on their exes, and the ones with cold feet who flee from police, as well as the disappearing brides and "gutless" grooms who decide married life may not be for them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Alcatraz. The Rock. Home to some of the most notorious criminals in modern American history. Murderers. Vicious thieves. Al Capone! And a guy who got put away for something truly heinous: shaking a woman’s hand. Oh, the humanity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2004, 23 Sri Lankan men traveled to Germany as the Sri Lankan National Handball Team to take part in an international tournament. But there was one catch, there was no Sri Lankan National Handball Team. And to make things weirder — all 23 men disappeared. A mystery was born in Germany that day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A tale as old as crime. Phony wealthy widow seeks dupe to front her cash until her non-existent inheritance comes through. The queen of the hill, top of the heap when it came to these cons? Bertha Heyman aka Big Bertha. Derided by newspapers, besmitten by suitors, no one ran a con like Big Bertha. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He said “no” to Oprah, but he said “yes” to Ridiculous Crime. In a rare twist, Zaron surprises Elizabeth with his own mash-up — an interview with actual international jewel thief, Gerald Blanchard, the star of a new documentary. Meet the folk hero outlaw, the criminal mastermind who later earned the nickname the “James Bond of Crime.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A thief breaks into luxury homes in tony Boca del Mar. the cops are flummoxed by this brazen burglar. Even more so when they find out it’s a lady thief! How could the Bandit of Boca del Mar be a woman? That’s unthinkable! Hey, anything is possible in Palm Beach County, baby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the great spirit of YouTube influencer extreme Logan Paul, we have Trevor Jacob, a man willing to risk his body and soul for “likes and subscribes.” But he crossed the ridiculous crime line when he crashed a plane into a national forest and then posted the video (ahem, evidence) on his channel. Oops! Don’t look now, Trevor, but it’s the Department of Justice! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue and the shoes are red. When the pricey and contentious ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz were stolen from a museum, all hope was lost. But hope never dies. And for the slippers, there was no place like home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When most college-age kids need a little excitement, they do extreme sports or snap into a Slim Jim. Shon Hopwood robbed five banks in 11 months. When he was done paying his debt to society, he built himself a totally legal and totally cool new career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behold as juggernaut hard rock band Guns n’ Roses takes on airplanes, beer, gun stores, video games, and the city of Philadelphia. You know where you are? You’re in Ridiculous Crime, baby! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Basquiat started as a graffiti artist but soon through talent and ambition he became one of the greatest painters in American history, an artist whose works regularly set records for their auction prices. And you know what that means… crime! Meet the art fraudsters pushing fake Basquiats, fraudulent Warhols and counterfeit Harings, and making millions off well-heeled buyers with more money than sense. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Group think. Collective acts of violence. Humans can get each other pretty riled up. Sometimes that can be for a good cause, but not on this podcast. Aeronauts, magic tricks, seasonal beverages. You never know what will set people off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rick Deitsch was a business man with a big big plan — he wanted to make Big Snake. He would use science to milk Wall Street of millions by scamming biotech and pharma investors with the hype for novel new medicines his lab created based on… cobra venom! Unsurprisingly, this modern day snake oil salesman’s grift was not a successsssss… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Caped Crusader fights crime, but what happens when he IS crime? Stolen movie scripts, missing toys, and the mother of all Bat memorabilia. Tune in! Same crime time, same crime channel! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For more than 4 decades the CIA – doing their best impression of Wile E. Coyote – tried to kill Fidel Castro. The spy agency made 634 assassination attempts on the Cuban leader. And almost all of them were ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you decide to prove to a preacher that the Bible is hokum, the most logical thing to do is craft a stone giant, right? Right? George Hull certainly thought so. He put a large man in the ground and a little birdhouse in your soul. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When a beloved pet goes missing, who do you call? If you’re Paris Hilton you hire a team of pet psychics, dog whisperers and pet detectives. But what about an everyday person? Luckily, for us, there’s a veteran investigator who’s never charged for her services. Bring ‘Em Back Babs: pet detective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What do you get when you mix spiritualism, bereft seekers, kids drinking wine, knuckle cracking, an Arctic explorer, and chicken bones? You get the Fox Sisters, America's original psychic con artists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 1998, the rivalry between Stanford University and UC Berkeley escalated to kidnapping and hostage videos. But in the geeky tradition of both colleges, it was actually a tree-napping. Some Cal frat bros, calling themselves The Phoenix Five, stole the Stanford mascot (…but really, they stole our hearts). Hijinks ensued! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most people spice up their boring lives with fun hobbies or social events. That wasn't enough for Lawrence Bader. He went and made himself a whole new life, this time as Omaha, Nebraska's hippest bachelor. Flagpole sitting, war injuries, hearses, pillow piles -- his new life had it all! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He was not a real rock star but Robb TaLLLLL University played one in his fantasies. In reality, Mr. University lacked star power or musical talent. Kinda a shame, but he was one helluva bank scammer. He made millions as a pretend rock star. Too bad no one really dreams of growing up to be a bank scammer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everybody loves an entertaining exiled royal. And when that royal is exposed as a fraud? Everybody still loves him! From slinging lies in Brooklyn to slinging fancy strawberry desserts for Hollywood celebrities, Prince Mike lived one ridiculous life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Like Ricky Bobby, he was a pretend NASCAR driver — only this was no movie. L.W. Wright was a fake racer in real life who took on the legends of NASCAR by scamming his way onto the track at Talladega. “Shoot, this story should be a movie!” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A city as fabulous and sinister and romantic as Venice, Italy, deserves a fabulous, sinister, and romantic cat burglar. The ultra wealthy were honored to be his target, and he was happy to take their priceless works of art (and the occassional cashmere sweater). His crimes were almost as egregious as Elizabeth's butchering of the Italian language. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The song is the band’s most popular. The legends, the conspiracies, and lore that surrounds the song are incredible. But the legal struggles, inspired criminals, and cocaine antics take center stage as we focus on the Eagles and Hotel California. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
