Unmasking New York's 'Mad Bomber'

George Metesky’s campaign of terror as ‘the Mad Bomber of New York’ ended abruptly on 22nd January, 1957. Between 1940 and 1956, he had planted at least 32 bombs in public places, including theatres, railway stations, libraries, and landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal. 

Police arrived just before midnight at his modest home in Waterbury, Connecticut, which he shared with his two sisters, and asked him for a handwriting sample. A search of his garage revealed bomb components matching those used in attacks across the city, along with a partially-assembled device larger than any found before. His arrest brought relief to a city that had lived with an intermittent but persistent threat for over a generation.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain Metesky’s long-simmering grievance against his former employer, the Consolidated Edison Company; discover how the  breakthrough in the case came only when police consulted psychiatrist James Brussel; and reveal how Metesky underwent a surprising recovery in institutional care… 

Further Reading:

• ‘Unmasking the Mad Bomber’ (Smithsonian, 2017): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unmasking-the-mad-bomber-180962469/

• ‘Decades before Cesar Sayoc, Mad Bomber George Metesky terrorized New York City’ (The Washington Post, 2018): https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2018/10/27/unhinged-unrelenting-mad-bomber-who-terrorized-new-york/

• ‘How New York’s First Terrorist Led to the Birth of Criminal Profiling’ (The New Yorker, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdLNbsoPD5c

#NewYork #Crime #50s #Strange

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026

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