As Orson Welles would say, "Ah, the French." Here, in a lead up to the French Revolution, we consider the tale of one randy Cardinal, one social climbing almost-noble, one doomed queen, and one hideous diamond necklace. C'est ridicule (especially Elizabeth butchering all French pronunciation)! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Meet Antoine Yates, the man who raised a tiger in a fifth-floor public housing apartment in Harlem. Until, one day, the tiger remembered that it was a tiger. But Antoine didn't just live with a tiger, he also had a lion and a full-grown alligator. Naturally, this one is both wild...and ridiculous! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aaron Tonken was celebrity obsessed from a young age, so naturally he made his way to Hollywood. He also made his way into the good graces and wallets of many entertainment icons. With phony or plain chaotic charity galas, Tonken fleeced the rich and famous in one whirlwind fever dream of a conning career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An ultra-wealthy British son of a Royal Naval officer partnered with a Danish master of disguise to become major players in the international drug-smuggling scene. And they would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those pesky... Welsh lobstermen and farmers' daughters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With a love of robbing banks and the love of a good woman, Forrest Tucker pulled off heists with no violence involved. Plenty of arrests ensued, but so did plenty of prison escapes. He was a man with a life so extraordinary, Robert Redford played him in a movie...that put Zaron to sleep. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At the end of the 19th century, two outlaws made names for themselves around the world, but over time both have been forgotten. This week, we resurrect the tales of these outlaw folk heroes. Lady outlaws. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He ran for sheriff, saying he'd take on the mob. Instead, he lined his pockets with their cash. He ran for Congress, saying he'd fight for working Americans. Instead, he had people work for him for free. All the while, James Traficant made a name for himself with his denim suits and a hideous hairpiece. In the words of ol' Jimbo himself, beam me up! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Imagine a horse. Now imagine if that horse could read your mind. And imagine you paid for this experience. You would be in good company –– even the President of the USA listened to the prophecies of Lady Wonder, the psychic horse. Of course, it was all a long con. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Getting a degree is tough work. Or at least it should be. There are some out there, though, who want to get or give a college diploma the easy way: hot off the presses, no questions asked. From fake high school diplomas to phony medical degrees, come browse the college catalog of bogus academic achievement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Known locally as the Robin Hood of the Great White North, Ken Leishman was a gentlemen thief who pulled off the greatest Canadian gold heist ever. But he really made his name and criminal fame when he took to the skies and became... The Flying Bandit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What do Fats Waller and Jimi Hendrix have in common –– other than both being brilliant musicians who changed the course of American music? The answer is: they were both kidnapped... by the mafia! But it's cool, it's cool... who would ever wanna hurt them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ridiculous crews, both History and Crime, join forces to play everyone’s favorite guessing game: 20 Questions. There were questions. There were answers. There were half court shots at the buzzer. Join the gang for some puzzling good fun! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Like MLK and Biggie Smalls, Marianne Andle also had a dream. Her dream? That one day she could become Irish. After that plan failed and Marianne had to flee Northern Ireland with the cops hot on her trail, and after a quick name change and return to the US, she found a new dream. That new dream? Conning the semi-rich and gullible of Los Angeles, California, by posing as an Irish heiress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The president’s wife. Hers is an interesting position, Really just window dressing. Or not. Almost criminal in nature, Trusting the stars to Guide foreign policy is Overly woo-woo. Astrology ran the White House in the 80s and This is the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Money (or the appearance of it) attracts money. Lord Edward Ormus Sharrington Davenport knew this and capitalized on it. With posh mansions, lavish parties, and celebrity pals, Edward Davenport used the appearance of wealth to gain actual wealth by amassing other people's money. Welcome to the lifestyles of the rich and famous...and felonious. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When a teenage astronomy fan is gifted a piece of the moon by NASA, he’s inadvertently pulled into the seedy underground moonrock trade. But don’t worry. With help from H. Ross Perot, NASA secret agents are on the case. * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story every week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow Zaron, Dana, and Jason down a different rabbit hole eve...
Like Lenny Kravitz, sometimes you want to get away. That was Agatha Christie in 1926. Why did the most famous mystery novelist in the world want to disappear? Hint: her husband. But there's so much more. And it all gets... ridiculous! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Competition is human nature. And sometimes crime is, too. And sometimes these two come together to give us total ridiculousness. Fat bear ballot box stuffing, cheating Irish dancers, crooked fishermen — this episode has it all. And then some! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
They say a person's wedding day is one of the most magical and memorable days of one's life. Now imagine if you used that extra-special day to pull off... an epic crime. Get ready for tales of wedding bandits! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A crack team of seasoned bank burglars strikes in a tony enclave in Southern California. A tale as old as time. Only they are from Ohio. And the money in the vault might belong to Richard Nixon. And that money may have been extorted from Jimmy Hoffa. And Jimmy Hoffa may have hired this crack team of seasoned bank burglars to steal his money back. There's a lot to get your head around on this one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
You know the car from Back to the Future. But John DeLorean was so much more than his stainless steel car. He was also the father of the "Muscle Car Era." He was a maverick, an egotist, and very much a man of his times. DeLorean risked it all to build his eponymous car, and he did so powered by shady coke deals and briefcases of cash. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A burglar hits fancy estates and steals just one thing: silver. Silver salt and pepper shakers. Silver serving spoons. Silver everything. Blane Nordahl was sneaky, he was bold, and eventually, he was caught. And all that silver? Who knows and, frankly, who cares. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sometimes you just need to get away. For a Chinese dissident that meant making a daring escape on a jet ski. For a former cyclist turned "ocean jogger," it meant building himself a human-powered hamster wheel so he could run across the sea. In both cases, these men's choices were crimes, but their methods were... ridiculous! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ah, the late 1990s. Gritty realism ruled the day in film, music, and literature. And wunderkind JT Leroy took the book world by storm. A kid who survived the streets and HIV, he became the literary darling of the indie set. JT Leroy touched hearts and minds across the globe. Except JT Leroy wasn't all that he seemed. In fact, he wasn't anything he seemed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It was 2009, a different time to say the least. The stars of the era known as Young Hollywood were the targets of a ring of break-in burglars, working the Hollywood Hills. Guns, jewelry, designer handbags, artwork, and "jeans made to fit my body" were stolen from the stars. What band of professional thieves had set up shop in LA? Turns out, it was local teens, AKA the Bling Ring. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's award season, Rude Dudes! We gather now for the 2nd year of the Perpies, a chance to recognize the best capers, heists, and cons from the last year. And listen, sister, they do not disappoint. With categories like Best Drug Crime, Best Rivalry, and Best Song, you know you are in for a real thrill ride. See you on the red carpet! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Elizabeth and Zaron as they enjoy a sampler plate of some of the most ridiculous crimes to go down over the last calendar year. 2023 certainly offered up a full buffet of ridiculous crimes. Enjoy! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap. You con Al Capone. You destabilize the American dollar. You get a sheriff arrested for counterfeiting. You end up at Alcatraz. You are Victor Lustig and you are one smooth criminal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He was a small town martial arts instructor and local musician. Kevin Curtis was living the dream. Then everything went sideways. One day, he woke up, he had an arch-rival, he was furiously fighting to expose an alleged organ harvesting scandal, and someone had framed him as a presidential assassin. It was a lot to deal with for a simple Elvis impersonator from Tupelo, Mississippi. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the 80s, 90s, and early aughts, Anthony Pellicano was the go-to guy in Hollywood if you had any kind of problem. He didn't have an issue with operating outside the law, loved to allude to mafia ties, and always got the job done -- quick. But as always, things fall apart. This flashy private eye wound up in prison. But even being an ex-felon couldn't stop him from making deals and "eating the sin" of his clients. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
