The grandson of a Georgia plantation owner, “Soapy” Smith turned to crime when his family’s morally-criminal fortunes vanished at the end of the Civil War. Travelling from Texas to Colorado to Alaska, Smith was a natural leader who couldn’t help but expand his short con mini-gangs into full-fledged political and criminal empires. But how on earth did he get ... Show More
Oct 15
An Offense to Forgers: The Fake Italian Amphitheater
There's a lot of money to be made in tourism, especially in culturally rich areas like Italy's Veneto region. So what's a philanthropist/entrepreneur/orchestra conductor to do? Build a fake ancient amphitheater, of course! The Italian government, though, doesn't take kindly to th ... Show More
56m 11s
Oct 13
The Great Yosemite Gold Rush of Pot
Last week, Elizabeth shared a story from the Gold Rush. And this week, Zaron brings us a story from the Yosemite Gold Rush. If you've never heard of it, that's when a bunch of dirtbag rock climbers who called Yosemite home learned about a downed pot smuggler's plane that was trap ... Show More
1h 8m
Nov 2019
BILLY THE KID Ep. 2 | "Crooks, Killers and Thieves"
Lincoln County in southeastern New Mexico Territory grows into a hotbed of corruption and murder. Men named Murphy, Dolan and Brady align themselves against others called Tunstall, McSween and Chisum. An outlaw gang kills and steals at will, and it’s about to add a new man to its ... Show More
34m 21s
Oct 2019
The American Dream | Chapter 1
Mike Thevis was the son of Greek Immigrants and a family man, living the American dream. He was also known as the Sultan of Smut, the king of a $100 million adult entertainment empire run out of all places, Atlanta, Georgia. Who, exactly, is Mike Thevis?
Zebit: Get up to $2,500 ... Show More
40m 52s
Jul 2022
Chechen Mobsters, Bombs, Bumps and Special Ops: The Criminal Tale of Caviar
Caviar has been considered a delicacy since ancient times. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, a black market flourished—and kicked off gang wars along the coasts of the Caspian Sea. Then, years later, the caviar mafia came to a tiny Missouri town. But its maritime mobsters hadn ... Show More
47m 50s