Podcasts · History · True Crime
Ridiculous Crime
iHeartPodcasts
300 episodes
True Crime is more than blood, guts, mayhem, and murder. Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton share outlandish tales of capers, heists, and cons that shine a light on the absurd and outrageous side of criminality. Always 99% murder-free and 100% ridiculous, this is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
Episodes page 6 of 6
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Guns, Sperm, and Steal: the Gaston Glock Story
He's the man who invented the gun that bears his name. He's also the man who ran a truly surprising second business. But the biggest surprise is how Gaston Glock once faced down an assassin –– without a gun. See…
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A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Mark Twain
A bar fight and a stint on the lam transformed Samuel Clemens into Mark Twain — and changed the course of American literature. Settle in for Mark Twain's origin story. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason…
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We'll Always Have Circus Circus: Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solis
In our ongoing effort to get sponsored by Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, we present to you the tale of one man, one woman, one goat's blood altar, one private jet, one armored car, one parade, and millions of dollars…
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D.B. Tuber: The Craigslist Bank Robber
A man, a plan, a bright yellow innertube. Tony Curcio made his name as the Craigslist Bank Robber after he used the site to devastating effect to hire temp workers. And then, years later, he needed a new name after he…
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Everyday, Everyday I Steal the Book: Three Major Book Heists
Rare books are, obviously, valuable. And that means people want to steal them, often in ridiculous ways. Sometimes in huge quantities, sometimes over huge amounts of time. This is the tale of three big book heists that…
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Ten–Cent Beer Night: The Cleveland Fans vs. Billy Martin
On June 4, 1974... all hell broke loose in Cleveland. You see the Stroh's Beer Co. parked a few of its trucks at the ballpark for a cheap beer promotion –– that culminated in a full-scale riot. Things got so bad Billy…
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Psssst…Wanna Buy the Taj Mahal?: Natwarlal
India's greatest con artist, Natwarlal, never met a load of cargo he couldn't scam his way into possessing. His many arrests, convictions, and escapes captivated a nation. Especially when he sold the Taj Mahal…thrice!…
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Joe Bergl: Al Capone's Mechanic
During Prohibition, the gangsters and the outlaw folk hero bank robbers agreed on one thing: you need a good mechanic. Enter Joe Bergl. The preferred mechanic of the underworld. He was the favorite car guy of "Bottles"…
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Casino Heists: Ocean's 130 Years For Casino Robbery
If we say casino heist, you probably think Ocean's 11, 12, 13... Maybe Ocean's 8... Or the original Sinatra Rat Pack version. Look, we all do. This week, Elizabeth has got way more real life stories of international…
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Citizen...Can You Not?!: Orson Welles vs. William Randolph Hearst
The radio and theater phenom, Orson Welles, was the real life Max Fisher from Rushmore. He has early success after success, and then goes off to Hollywood to makes his first film –– Citizen Kane. However, the great man…
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Oh Yes It's Ladies Heist: Josephine O'Dare and Amélie Condemine
The fictional character Raffles established the public's notion of a gentleman thief. But what of the ladies? Josephine O'Dare and Amélie Condemine took the Raffles playbook and blazed their way through European…
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Nic Cage and Patricia Arquette: The Love Quest
Nic Cage is a mixed bag of nuts. But Patricia Arquette is also no slouch when it comes to being, um, unique. Now imagine the two of them together –– young and in love. Well, you don't have to because it already…
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Sisters are Scheming it for Themselves: Lady Banking Scams
Charles Ponzi didn't invent the Ponzi scheme. No, two women pioneered the con on both sides of the Atlantic decades before Ponzi struck. Remember folks, if returns on your investments seem too good to be true, they…
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Rainfurrest 2015: Send In the Furries!
In 2015, a convention descended on the Seattle–Tacoma Airport Hilton Hotel. The 3-day gathering of Furries was meant to be a fun place to let your fur down... but some let the fur go too low. Public nudity, diaper…
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None of Your Byzantium: Prince Henri
A guy born in Italy moves to France and says he's the heir to the throne in Constantinople, then he heads to the United States to peddle fake titles. You know what that is? Ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
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Jeffrey Alan Manchester: The Roofman Cometh
Paratrooper Jeff Manchester used his skills to burgle Corporate America as The Roofman. First, he'd focused on McDonalds and other fast food. Then, like a criminal butterfly, he morphed into a Toys 'R' Us Man who built…
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Tonight There's Gonna Be a Jail Break: Two Escaper Boys
Jack Shepherd was a petty, pretty thief. He wasn't very good at it, so he got caught a lot. And he escaped a lot. Just like Henry More Smith. He, too, couldn't stop stealing and couldn't stop freeing himself from…
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Who Stole Our Big Boy?!
He is an icon of midcentury America. He's cherubic. He's beloved. He's starred in Hollywood movies. And he's often stolen as a prank, but sometimes things turn darker –– but they always stay ridiculous. See…
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My Psychic, She Wrote Me a Letter: Maria Duval
If you have psychic powers, you should see a scam coming a mile away. Not so for Maria Duval. The French psychic only wanted to use her powers for good, but three shady dealers used her name to create one of the…
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I Say, I Say, This Here Beauty Pageant Is Rigged!
For many folks, beauty pageants feel like part of a bygone era of 'big hair, don't care' femininity. But Zaron is here to set you straight on that score. Beauty pageants are still very much a thing... and they've got…
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Coming to You Live from Ashtar Galactic Command: More Signal Interruptions
Elizabeth may not watch tv, but that doesn't stop her from regaling Zaron with tales of television signal hijacking. From porn to zombies to aliens to more porn, no broadcast is safe. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
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Point Bleak: The Flesh-Masked Bandit
In the early '90s, the Chicagoland area was home to a bank robber known for wearing very specific masks –– masks of former US presidents. Notably, he wasn't inspired by the classic bank-robbing surfers film, and Point…
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It Was a Kayak: John Darwin aka Canoe Man
With debt mounting and no relief in sight, John Darwin figured his only option was to fake his own death. One sunken kayak and a complicit spouse later, he found himself in Panama with no clothes on. But that didn't…
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Frank Zappa Makes a $1,000 Sex Tape, and Bob Dylan Is a Peeping Tom?
Musicians get arrested... a lot. These singers, songwriters and superstars were busted in some of the dumbest, weirdest, silliest ways possible. Johnny Cash. Amy Winehouse. Ol' Dirty Bastard. Bob Dylan. Frank Zappa.…
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Tehama's Most Wanted: Razzlekhan
As if the whole cryptocurrency thing wasn't ridiculous enough, enter Heather Morgan aka Razzlekhan. An entrepreneur and amateur rapper, she and her husband, Dutch, lived large. The source? Hacked bitcoin. Can't get…
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Phil Johnson: The Great Loomis–Fargo Heist
"Have you seen this man? Single, lonely, grouchy, rumpled and very possibly. the richest thief who ever lived..." so wrote the Washington Post in 1997 after one man ripped off his employer, the Loomis–Fargo armored car…
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A Cut Above: William Smarto
What do hairdressing and bank heists have in common? Precision...and a man named William Smarto. A clever bank burglar, Smarto managed to pull of a bank job almost as big as Dolly Parton's wig budget. See…
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Martin McNally: Last of the Skyjackers
His hero was DB Cooper. So he imitated his skyjacking ransom down to the letter. Only Martin McNally had never used a parachute before he became a skyjacker. And he never expected someone to play the hero with a '71…
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Diamonds are a Gaul's Best Friend: The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
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…
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The Tiger King of Harlem
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…
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The Charity Cheat: Aaron Tonken
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…
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The Narco-Baron and The Rubber-Faced Man
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…
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The Old Man and the Gun...on the Run: Forrest Tucker
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…
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The Outlaw Dora Cox and the Highwaywoman Barbara Danelia
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…
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More Like TrafiCAN: James Traficant
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,…
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The Long Con of Lady Wonder, the Psychic Horse
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…
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Big Scam on Campus: Diploma Mills
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…
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The Flying Bandit: Ken Leishman
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…
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Are You Experienced... With Kidnapping?
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…
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20 Ridiculous Questions: Historical Flex Edition
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…
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Where The Streets Have No Shame: Marianne Andle
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…
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It was in the Stars: Nancy Reagan’s White House
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…
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You Gotta Fast Eddie: Edward Davenport
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…
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Operation Lunar Eclipse
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…
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Agatha Christie: I Want To Get Away!
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…
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The Fix is In: Competition Crimes
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…
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Wedding Bandits
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…
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Nixon's Millions: The United California Bank Burglary
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…
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The Detroit Dream-maker: the John DeLorean Story
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…
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Sing Blue Silver: Blane Nordahl
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…
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