Ridiculous Crime

London in the late 1600s was a little chaotic. So it only makes sense that an agent of chaos like Mary Carleton would become famous for her crimes. Crimes like repeated bigamy and stealing pants in the night. An audacious woman determined to chart her own path, she wrote her own pamphlets like some olden times Riot Grrrl and made herself a witness to history along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether we're talking the hand of Mary Magdalene, the Skull of St. Foy, the Bones of St. Mark, in the Dark Ages holy relics were ripe for the taking. Thieving monks, conspiring bishops and rebel princesses all went to outrageous lengths to secure the blessings of the bones and body parts of the saints. Sometimes crime requires a little faith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of April Fools' Day this week, Zaron Burnett dug into a persistent legend surrounding Richard Nixon. With a little help from his pops, Zaron ventured into smoky clubs to unpack a bizarre tale of jazz, drugs, and politics. After the episode, Dana talked about her upcoming book, The Arcane Arts, and Zaron discussed his role in a recent Jordan Peele documentary. Listen to Zaron on Very Special Episodes every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Step right up! Witness the amazing circus con, promising a menagerie that will never appear! Be amazed by the daring moves of the corporate scoundrel, stealing from a non-profit show! Stare in awe as a low down fraudster tries to pull a fast one on a small town, only to have the tables magically turned! Behold! The ridiculous and criminal side of the big top!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He worked his way into the executive level of the coal industry. Where he was let in on a dirty little secret. Crime was rampant in the coal industry. So, Larry Wayne Price Jr. did what any self-respecting wannabe would do, he also got heavy into crime. One dreamhouse later and things were looking good. But when his scams and schemes collapsed and Price tried to escape, not even a made-up outlaw bike gang could save him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Ernst Worrell Keely was a blue collar scientist, a visionary, a meticulous con man. He spent time and talent rigging an elaborate fraud workshop where he promised unlimited vibe-based energy. In just two weeks. He promised. He just needed a little more funding. Cash for vibes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the story of two scientists who pushed the envelope of both good taste and morality as they experimented with dolphins. The idea was simple. Give dolphins LSD and then see if we can teach them to speak English. The results were not so simple or clear-cut. But they were certainly ridiculous... and criminal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fredericka Mandelbaum (Marm or Ma, if you're nasty) was the powerful ruler of a criminal empire. Based on pickpocketing, theft, bank robbery, and forgery, her organization raked it in at the end of the 1800s in New York City and beyond. Out of reach from the law thanks to payoffs and complicity, Mandelbaum got away with her crimes, even when the Pinkertons got involved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Single mom Nadine Vaujour was something of a romantic. Which helps explain why it pained her heart so to be separated from her lover. It also helps explain why, one day, she decided it was time to spring her lover from the French prison where he was locked up. And to make her daring jailbreak plan work, she learned to fly a helicopter. Ah, the things we do for love! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Country star George Jones was a real character, to be certain, often on the edge of the law. But the most ridiculous crimes were the ones that surrounded No Show Jones. Missing recordings, drug runs, and stolen crypto. Throw in an old pickup, a loyal dog, and a broken heart and you'd have a heck of a country song. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.