Criminalia
217 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago - ★★★★ - 1.2K ratingsHumans have always committed crimes. What can we learn from the criminals and crimes of the past, and have humans gotten better or worse over time?
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Episodes
How Perkins Tractors Taught Us the Placebo Effect
April 02, 2024 07:00 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBToday, if you’re asked to think of a tractor, most of us probably imagine farm equipment. But in the late 18th century, a physician named Elisha Perkins made and sold a different kind of tractor – a device consisting of small metal rods that could cure what ails you simply through touch. And for several years, people were mad for the Perkins Patent Metallic Instruments, or Perkins Tractors as they became popularly known -- even though it all turned out to be what we now know as the placebo e...
Madame Yale Made a Fortune as America’s 19th-century ‘Wellness Guru’
March 26, 2024 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBEpisode Description When Maude Mayberg was 38 years old, this was back in 1890, she 'discovered' an elixir that transformed her life. It was called Fruitcura, she said, and it cured her ailments when medical doctors could not. Two years later, she was a patent medicine entrepreneur and saleswoman going by the name, Madame Yale. Let’s talk about how that’s code for, snake oil peddler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How ‘Rattlesnake King’ Clark Stanley Became King of Snake Oil Sales
March 19, 2024 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBClark Stanley was a silver-tongued Texas cowboy who called himself the ‘Rattlesnake King’. Back in the late 19th century, he wasn’t the first charlatan going from town to town in the American West, hawking quack products -- during this time when patent medicines were gaining popularity, American consumers could buy all sorts of fraudulent snake oil products like his. But Clark had a certain flair. A certain charisma and showmanship others didn't. And, for a few years, he really was the Rattl...
Welcome to the Season Finale of Criminalia's 'BLACKMAILERS'
March 12, 2024 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBFrom illicit love letters to political bribes, everyone has a secret, and it’s the threat of exposure that’s key to this crime -- and we discovered a whole lot of surprising examples along the way -- including a man who built his own submarine, hoping to escape with his payout under Lake Michigan; it sounds made up, but we speak the truth. We have enjoyed sharing these sometimes-almost-unbelievable stories of crime and criminals with you. Listen as Holly and Maria share their favorite shows ...
Welcome to a New Season of Criminalia: 'THE SNAKE OIL SALESMEN'
March 12, 2024 07:00 - 2 minutes - 2.33 MBSnake oil. Today the term describes any worthless remedy that's promoted as a cure-all. And, by extension, snake oil salesmen are considered a bunch of rip-off artists who peddle fraudulent goods. We’re rolling straight from the criminal world of blackmail and extortion into a new season -- we’ll see you there, not only with some very real stories about some very bogus things, but also with the cocktails and mocktails made to go with them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Blackmail Accidentally Uncovers Political Corruption
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThis is a story of a Texas oil tycoon, a congressman from Idaho, and a financial commodities broker in Oklahoma City. It’s a story of blackmail, yes. But it’s also a story of political corruption and ethics uncovered by that blackmail. There’s a lot going on here, and pretty much everyone’s guilty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duke of York and Mary Anne Clarke
February 27, 2024 08:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBMary Ann Clarke attempted to blackmail her ex-lover, the Duke of York — who led the British army — by threatening to publish his letters. Sounds similar to Wellington but it takes a turn: His political enemies took notice, and they discovered that Mary Ann was selling army commissions (meaning, men who wanted a military rank or promotion would pay off Clarke, who would then demand that the Duke give her clients what they wanted). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Story of Walter Minx, the Sears Extortionist and His Homemade Submarine
February 20, 2024 14:42 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBMilwaukee Magazine once described Walter Minx as slender and fidgety, with, "the kind of sharp-featured handsomeness that the movies had taught people not to trust." He was German-born, and immigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his parents, his brother, and his sister in 1925. He aspired to be a successful American businessman; he wanted to make a fortune -- and a name for himself. He did make a name for himself, but not quite the kind as he’d hoped for. See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Blackmail Fail: What Happened When George Ratterman Reformed 'Sin City of the South'
February 13, 2024 08:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBWhen All-American footballer George Ratterman announced his candidacy for sheriff of Campbell County, Kentucky, in April of 1961, he said, “I am told that if I run for sheriff, I will be the victim of all sorts of personal slanderous attacks, but I say to our opponents, let the attacks start now, if they must.” And, well, the attacks did start – culminating in a high-profile set-up of Ratterman in a compromising position with a woman named April Flowers. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
Inheritance Lost: The Murder of Captain Joseph White
February 06, 2024 08:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBJoseph Jenkins Knapp, Jr. was expecting to receive a sizable inheritance upon the death of his 82-year-old great uncle, wealthy retired shipmaster and trader Captain Joseph White. But with debts piling up, Knapp decided he couldn’t wait for natural causes; in April of 1830, he and his brother, John Francis Knapp, hired a hitman to murder him, faked some blackmail letters, and, in the end, didn't get any inheritance at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
‘Acid Burns’: That Time Mae West Was Blackmailed, Know What I Mean? See?
January 30, 2024 12:05 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBIt started just after Labor Day, with an envelope postmarked September 13, 1935, sent special delivery, addressed to Miss Mae West of 570 N. Rossmore, Ravenswood Apartments, Hollywood, California. There was nothing unusual about the envelope, but its contents were a different matter. It was the first of what would become a series of extortion letters threatening disfigurement by acid if she didn't pay $1,000. This wasn’t about keeping secrets or giving favors; it was about taking money from ...
Why Charles Augustus Howell Was Called the Worst Man in Victorian London
January 23, 2024 13:32 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBDescribed by some as a, “charming rogue,” Charles Augustus Howell was a dodgy figure in Victorian art circles, in particular London’s Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood movement. There was extortion. There was forgery. And just a whole lot of unsavory bits. Howell was an art dealer by trade who was also known to manipulate those around him so he could acquire works that would establish and increase his reputation – and his financial security. When that didn’t work, in the words of biographer Humphre...
A Murder, a Letter, and the Questions Surrounding King Edward II’s Death
January 16, 2024 08:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBThis is a story of controversy; actually, more than one controversy. It’s a story of medieval kings and queens, of revenge, and of a letter that challenges the circumstances historians thought they knew surrounding King Edward II’s death – including possible blackmail. Or maybe not blackmail. Stick with us while we try to sort it out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Emily Posts' Philandering Husband Was the Catalyst for Her Career Success
January 09, 2024 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBPhilandering husband Edwin Main Post found himself blackmailed by a scorned mistress who threatened to go public with their affair unless he paid her and her publisher to stay silent. This is a story about blackmail, yes, but it isn't actually a story about Edwin, not really; this is the story about how his wife, Emily Price Post, suffered the humiliations of his actions and the blackmail that ensued, and then rose above it. Let’s hop back to Manhattan during the Gilded Age for this story of...
‘Publish and Be Damned!’; and, Harriette Wilson Did
January 02, 2024 08:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBRegency courtesan Harriette Wilson exposed in her memoirs the names of royal, aristocratic, and political men, whom she then blackmailed to keep their names out of those memoirs. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was, famously, one of those influential names. Arthur was a national hero and wasn’t the kind of man who was easily intimidated; and when Harriette threatened to name his name, he was outraged, leading him to roar the now-famous quote: "Publish and be damned!" Let's talk about w...
Horrific Murderer and Half-Hearted Blackmailer: Meet Dr. Cream
December 26, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBThomas Neill Cream graduated with honors from Montreal's McGill medical school in 1876. His thesis had been about the effects of chloroform; and he would soon demonstrate just how devastating he could be with toxic compounds. Several people died under his 'care.' But we’re not here to talk about Dr. Cream the murderer; we’re here to talk about his other criminal offense: extortion. Thomas was ultimately undone when he attempted to frame and blackmail other people for his murders. Let’s meet ...
How Constance Kopp Become New Jersey's First 'Plucky Girl Sheriff'
December 19, 2023 12:05 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MB“I got a revolver to protect us, and I soon had use for it,” stated Constance Kopp when interviewed about the intruders intimidating her family under the cover of darkness at her home. Her assistance with solving the case led to her role as the first female appointed deputy sheriff of Bergen County, New Jersey. Let's talk about how Constance got there in a time when women were not-so-much welcomed into such work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the Season Finale of Criminalia's 'FORGERS'
December 12, 2023 08:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBWelcome to the final episode of our season of forgers, where we've been exploring the stories of some of the most amazing forgeries – and those behind them -- throughout history. But it wasn't all about fakes and forgeries. There were plenty of cocktails and mocktails to go around, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to a New Season of Criminalia: THE BLACKMAILERS
December 12, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 3.63 MBWelcome to a brand new season of Criminalia, where we'll be talking about blackmail throughout history. We’re rolling straight from the criminal world of forgers to one of blackmailers -- we’ll see you there, not only with some very real stories about some very shady things, but also with the cocktails and mocktails made to go with them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Mechanical 'Turk': Wouldn't You Prefer a Good Game Of Chess?
December 05, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBDuring the 18th century, early animatronics were hot. They were featured in circuses, carnivals, and other touring exhibitions, and were usually built and operated with various parts like axles, chains, cogs, gears, levers, pulleys, wheels, wind-up keys – you get the point. For Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, in 1769, Hungarian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen’s created the Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing machine that could beat almost any person who played against it. The Turk appeared to be...
The Calaveras Skull: The Practical Joke That Almost Changed Human Evolution
November 28, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBWhen a group of miners uncovered a skull deep in a mine shaft on the western slopes of Bald Mountain in Calaveras County, California, it was believed, at least initially, to be a history-changing discovery. The owner of the mine didn't know at first what it was that he'd dug up that day in 1866. And when he shared it with those who might, including the State Geologist of California, things went a bit, well, off the rails. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor...
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Truth Behind the 'Cottingley Fairies'
November 21, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBIn the summer of 1917, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths convinced a whole lot of people, including the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, they'd seen fairies neat their home -- and they had photographic evidence to prove it. After decades of keeping their ruse a secret, they admitted their "joke was to last two hours, and it has lasted 70 years. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fake! The Story of Clifford Irving and the Howard Hughes Literary Hoax
November 14, 2023 08:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBIn the early 1970s, McGraw-Hill Book Company landed what could have been the literary scoop of the 20th century: A writer named Clifford Irving pitched them that he'd obtained the permission of the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes to write a tell-all memoir of the mogul. That manuscript, though, turned out to be one of the biggest literary hoaxes of the 20th century, and it landed Irving in prison. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omn...
The Tiara of Saitaphernes: How Much Art in Museums Is Not What It Seems?
November 07, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBIn April of 1896, the Louvre announced it had purchased a tiara they believed must have been from the treasure house of a great Scythian king -- and that it had the exciting potential to rewrite ancient history. But only a few days after putting it on display, there were questions about its authenticity. The tiara, they would come to learn, was a fake. And in this episode, we're talking about it as part of a larger conversation of, how much art in museums is not what it seems? Executive Pro...
False Impressions: Frederic Spitzer and His Master Forgers
October 31, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBA 19th-century German goldsmith famous for his forgeries of Renaissance objects, including jewelry and vessels. His fakery was discovered after his death, during a major archive by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
To Be or Not to Be Shakespeare: The Forgeries of William-Henry Ireland
October 24, 2023 07:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MB"Done to death by slanderous tongues," wrote William Shakespeare in his play, 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Shakespeare may be a renowned English playwright, poet, and actor, but, he has a bit of a credibility problem among some circles, and he has for quite a long time. It's known as the 'Shakespeare Authorship Question', and we're going to talk about some theories that suggest Shakespeare was a fake -- before we talk about a man who wrote a five-act play pretending to be the Bard. That could n...
Eugène Boban and the Real Story of the Crystal Skulls
October 17, 2023 11:58 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBThe Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. has a fake crystal skull. And so does the British Museum in London, as does Paris's Quai Branly Museum. As of 2019, it was estimated there are more than a dozen crystal skulls known to exist. Long considered pre-Columbian relics, they've also inspired theories about the occult, aliens, and psychic abilities. But the reality is, none of it's true. Meet Eugène Boban, the real provenance of crystal skulls. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...
Alceo Dossena: The Forger Who Sued the Men Who Sold His Forgeries
October 10, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBSculptor Alceo Dossena was an impactful figure in the art world of the early 20th century because he created forged masterpieces capable of fooling even the most expert of experts. Critics attributed his pieces to famous classical and Renaissance artists, and his works were sold through dealers and purchased by museums and collectors. But in an unexpected turn of events, the forger sued the dealers who sold his work. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Cas...
Violin Virtuoso Fritz Kreisler's Great Musical Hoax
October 03, 2023 11:18 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBVirtuoso Fritz Kreisler was known and is remembered for his artistry as a violinist and composer -- and, also, as an unashamed showman. He was one of the most beloved and best known of the early recording-era artists, and a household name in his day. In fact, he was so adored by his audiences that when he revealed some of the pieces he'd performed and attributed to composers such as Vivaldi, Pugnani, and Couperin were, actually, his own compositions, the critics were irate, but his fans cont...
League of Lady Poisoners: Interview with author Lisa Perrin
September 26, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBThings are a little different on today's episode of our show. Today we're talking to Lisa Perrin, an award-winning illustrator, designer and entrepreneur. Lisa stops by to chat about her new book, “League of Lady Poisoners.” Enjoy! Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Giovanni (Jean) de Sperati: Legendary Philatelic 'Artist'
September 19, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBMillions of people around the world collect, preserve, and trade or sell postage stamps; the hobby, or investment, is known as, philately. The first stamp forgeries began to show up, well, when the first stamps showed up. The Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive stamp, was issued in 1840, and the world’s first forged stamps followed later that year. Stamp collecting has been called, quote, "the hobby of kings and the king of hobbies." And for a time in the early 20th century, a man named...
The Nicotra Forgeries
September 12, 2023 12:06 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBSome historians believe Italian forger Tobia Nicotra may have produced hundreds of document and signature forgeries attributed to names like Mozart and Galileo, before he was caught in the 1930s. He faded into obscurity, but his forgeries didn't. And for more than 80 years the University of Michigan housed a Galileo manuscript they didn't know was fake -- until a historian named Nick Wilding called its bluff. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias ...
'Lincoln the Lover': The Wilma Frances Minor Collection
September 05, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBWilma Minor's 'Lincoln the Lover' forgery has been called one of the most audacious literary hoaxes of all time, and involves an alleged love story between a young Abraham Lincoln and a woman named Ann Rutledge. There was never any conclusive evidence the two had a romantic relationship; there was nothing in the historical record – no letters or notes between them, for instance -- that showed any indication of their love. Until 1928. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Prod...
Joseph Cosey: 'Yrs. Truly, A. Lincoln'
August 29, 2023 11:48 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MBIt's said his own handwriting was a neat and graceful script, not unlike Abraham Lincoln’s. He could fake the hand of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Baker Eddy, and dozens of other historical figures. In fact, experts believe that a large number of the documents he produced in the early 20th century are still circulating today -- and inaccurately regarded as genuine. This is the story of Martin Coneely, alias, Joseph Cosey, who could sign Benjamin Franklin's name perhaps better than Ben, himself. Ex...
The Fake Etruscan Terracotta Warriors in The Metropolitan Museum of Art
August 22, 2023 07:00 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBOn Valentine's Day of 1961, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had to, for the very first time, announce they were housing a fake. Three fakes, actually. After nearly three decades as a prized exhibit, their Etruscan Terracotta Warriors, as they'd become known, were determined to be inauthentic -- but here's the story of how and why The Met should have know that fact before they ever put them on display. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bi...
Han van Meegeren's Fake Vermeers
August 15, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MBDutch painter Han van Meegeren has often been described as a dapper man, with, quote, “a small, birdlike frame constantly aflutter, and irreverent sense of humor.” His life story is anything but small. It's not just about art; it's about deception, fortune, Bakelite, and … Nazis. And, it has an unexpected twist at the end. Welcome to a new season of forgery and forgers, here on Criminalia. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/...
Welcome to a New Season of Criminalia: The Forgers
August 08, 2023 07:00 - 3 minutes - 3.42 MBSome estimates suggest that as much as 50 percent of all artwork on the market today is likely forged or misattributed. It can be difficult to verify what is authentic and what is counterfeit, from art to music to archaelogical findings. In this new season, we'll talk about who makes these fakes. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the Season Finale of Criminalia's 'Firebugs'
August 08, 2023 07:00 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBWelcome to the final episode of Firebugs season, where we've been telling the stories of some of the most destructive blazes and those who set them throughout history. But it wasn't all about fires. There were plenty of cocktails and mocktails to go around, too. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stories of Arson as Homicide in Medieval Scandinavia
August 01, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBIn Old Icelandic,'hús-brenna' means 'house burning', and it was a form of homicide by arson used to settle a vendetta, and sometimes used during political conflicts in medieval Scandinavia. Its sole purpose, make no mistake, was assassination. And it's terrifying. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Meet James Aitken, Patriot Sympathizer and Dockyard Incendiarist
July 25, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBOpposition to the British crown began years before the battles of the American Revolutionary War broke out in the Thirteen Colonies, and that opposition took many forms, like riots and boycotts. A Scotsman named James Aitken sympathized with the rebels, and stood by them by setting British dockyards on fire – if the Royal Navy didn't have any ships, then England couldn't go to war with the colonies, he believed. Let's talk about who James was, and how he wanted to be an American hero. Execu...
The Execution of Rose Butler
July 18, 2023 10:10 - 29 minutes - 27 MBRose Butler was a teenager performing domestic services for the Morris family of Manhattan when early one morning a small fire broke out. Though no one was injured, and the fire was quickly extinguished, the family accused Rose of intentionally setting it. A capital crime in New York, she was executed, making her the last person hanged for arson in the state. But her story involves something much deeper than a book of matches. Let's talk about what really brought Rose to the gallows. Execut...
All the Times San Francisco Burned Down During the Gold Rush
July 11, 2023 08:14 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBBetween 1849 and 1851, peak years of the Gold Rush, San Francisco was almost entirely destroyed by fire seven times. And there was something about these fires, at least the majority of them, that seemed somehow not accidental. Some were suspicious because they seemed to start at odd times, or when someone's temper was flaring, or they seemed to break out when, what locals reported as "odd people" were hanging around. Seven's a lot of fires, and we'll talk about some additional smaller blaze...
Firefighter Firebugs: The Small but Impactful Phenomenon
July 04, 2023 07:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBFirefighters who set fires, officially called 'firefighter arsonists', may be small in number, but they definitely make an impact. While things like insurance fraud and covering up another crime are common motives for arson outside the firefighting community, experts say those aren't what drive firefighter arsonists. So how does this happen? How does a firefighter turn into arsonist? Well. Let's take a look. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias ...
'Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning': New York City in the 1970s
June 27, 2023 10:51 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBThe Bronx in the 1970s was a perfect storm of things going wrong in New York City: poor urban planning, white flight, budget cuts to municipal and social services, and discriminatory practices coverged into a pressure cooker -- and the outcome was fiery and devastating. But we can't talk about the Bronx burning without ending on the phoenix that emerged from the rubble: the birth of hip-hop. Executive Producers: Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey Producer & Editor: Casby Bias See omnystudio.c...
The Drunken Night When Alexander the Great Burned Persepolis
June 20, 2023 07:06 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBAlexander the Great burned Persepolis to the ground during a night of drunken revelry, after being encouraged to do so by a Greek courtesan named Thaïs. It's said she told Alexander torching the royal palace would be among his crowning achievements, and it's said she inspired his soldiers and followers to take up torches. That is, at least, according to legend. Let's talk about the downfall of the Persian Empire and why anyone would have wanted to torch Persepolis. Executive Producers: Mari...
The Night Herostratus Destroyed One of the Seven Wonders of the World
June 13, 2023 08:08 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBOn the night of July 21, in 356 BCE, a man named Herostratus took a walk to the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus … and burned it down. "First," he said of his crime, "I was very scared, then it all went away once I imagined the fame I would have … ." In this episode we're shining the spotlight on the ancient Greek who burned one of the Seven Wonders of the World to the ground. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Dramatic Life and Death of a Scuba-Clad Arsonist: Michael Marin
June 06, 2023 07:07 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB"Michael Marin couldn't pay his mortgage, so he burned down his house," began Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Chris Rapp in the prosecution's opening statements at Mr. Marin's arson trial. In this episode about firebugs, Holly and Maria talk about a convicted arsonist who used arson with the intention of committing insurance fraud. But when the case went to court, things took an unexpected turn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Les Pétroleuses: 'Savage Hordes of She-Devils'
May 30, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBJoin Holly and Maria for a new season of Criminalia, one that's all about arson. In this episode, get introduced to a creature known as the 'pétroleuse', and why according to the rumors around Paris in May of 1871, these 'unruly' female incendiaries were to blame for burning down much of the city. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the Season Finale of Criminalia's 'Confidence Artists'
May 23, 2023 07:07 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBWelcome to the final episode of our season on grifts and grafts here on Criminalia, where we've been exploring the stories of some of the most notorious swindles and swindlers throughout history. And, of course there were plenty of cocktails and mocktails to go around, too. Listen as Holly and Maria continue their tradition, highlighting their Top 3 shows and favorite drinks of the season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to Season 10 of Criminalia: THE FIREBUGS
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 3 minutes - 2.88 MBThey're called arsonists, torchers, pyromaniacs, and firebugs – and each of their stories is unique, in technique, in damage, and in motivation to set things aflame. Welcome to a new season of Criminalia, where we're talking about arson and the firebugs responsible for igniting illegal blazes throughout history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.