Italian-born Charles Ponzi had grown up hearing from his mother that he was destined for greatness, so it was no surprise to her when she visited him in America to find him wealthy beyond her wildest dreams. Ponzi had come up with a get-rich-quick scheme that he insisted was legal. To his credit, it took federal authorities a good seven months to figure out how it wasn't. In this episode, meet the man whose name would go down in history to be synonymous with "grifter."
 
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

• Hiya Health Products. Get 50% off your first order of Hiya Health’s best-selling children’s vitamin by going tohiyahealth.com/COTC

• Field of Greens. For 15% off your first order plus free rush shipping, visit FieldofGreens.com and use promo code COTC.

In the midst of nationwide bombings that pit union backers against anti-union bosses, an explosion at the Los Angeles Times building crossed a line that changed everything. At 1:07 a.m. on Oct. 1, 1910, a blast tore through the Times building, killing 21 people. Times officials immediately blamed organized labor, which ultimately bore out: Not only were three union-affiliated co-conspirators convicted soon after the bombing, but nearly 40 other union officials would eventually be convicted on charges related to that and other bombings that had been plaguing the country.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode sponsor:

• Ritual. Synbiotic+ and Ritual are here to celebrate, not hide, your insides. Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/cotc. 

In September 1944, a 24-year-old married woman named Recy Taylor was walking home with friends from church when a carload of seven men stopped her. Forced into the car, Recy, a Black woman, was repeatedly raped by six white men at gunpoint, then tossed roadside with a warning: Tell anyone about this, and you're dead. Recy ignored the threats and her tale soon galvanized activists throughout Alabama -- including a woman whose name would eventually become synonymous with the Civil Rights movement.

Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode sponsors:

• Smalls. Get 50% off your first order of protein-packed, preservative-free cat food by going to Smalls.com/cotc and use promo code COTC. 

• Wildgrain. Get $30 off your first box of bake-from-frozen breads, pastries and pastas plus free croissants in every box when you go to Wildgrain.com/cotc to start your subscription. 

• For Wellness. Get 25% off your first order from this functional food brand when you go to ForWellness.com/cotc and use code COTC.

Hey, Crimes of the Centuries listeners! COTC is now part of Grab Bag Collab, a Patreon-based podcasting network. You can find our other shows available at patreon.com/grabbagcollab

Alcoholism, multiple husbands and boarding houses. This is the story of The Landlady. 

Dive deep into the upbringing and backstories of individuals who committed history's most notorious crimes, shedding light on the psychological factors that shaped their paths. With a suspenseful twist, the identities of these individuals won’t be unveiled until the end of each episode. ‘The Catalyst’ will unravel the complex narratives behind these disturbing cases and try to understand what triggered them.

When luggage leaking blood arrived at a Los Angeles train depot in 1931, the woman who'd traveled with the items feigned ignorance -- and then disappeared, leading to a nationwide manhunt that captivated the nation. Because one of the two victims found inside the Winnie Ruth Judd's trunks had been dismembered -- and because both she and the victims were beautiful women -- the case generated hundreds of headlines and a memorable moniker: The Trunk Murderess. But were prosecutors' theories about the Phoenix, Arizona, deaths really true? Or did Judd take the fall for a well-connected accomplice?

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode sponsors:

• Hiya Health Products. Get 50% off your first order of Hiya Health’s best-selling children’s vitamin by going to hiyahealth.com/COTC
• Field of Greens. For 15% off your first order plus free rush shipping, visit FieldofGreens.com and use promo code COTC.
• Factor Meals. Head to factormeals.com/COTC50 and use code COTC50 to get 50% off.

The morning of Aug. 1, 1966, 25-year-old Charles Whitman called his wife's boss to say she'd be out, then did the same for his mother. After killing the two women, he climbed atop the observatory tower at the University of Texas and relentlessly began picking off pedestrians below in an attack unlike any before witnessed in America.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:
    •    Rocket Money - Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/COTC.

• Caden Lane - Your one-stop shop for all your newborn, infant and toddler apparel. Head to CadenLane.com/COTC and use code COTC for 20% off your order.

Every parent has worried about their children hauling home tainted candy on Halloween, but not everyone knows where that fear originated. On Halloween in 1974, an 8-year-old boy named Timothy O’Bryan was granted one pick from his basket before bed — and soon after downing the contents of his Pixy Stix, he went limp in his father’s arms. The investigation threw parents into a panic, prompting tons of candy to be taken to sheriff’s offices for inspection. As horrifying as the case appeared to be at first, what police uncovered was far more sinister than anyone had imagined.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:
    •    Dipsea - Hundreds of short, sexy audio stories designed by women for women. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/COTC.
    •    Smalls - Protein-packed, preservative-free cat food. Use promo code COTC for 50% off your first order PLUS free shipping at smalls.com/cotc.
   •    Ritual - Ritual and Synbiotic+ support the relief of mild digestive issues. Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/cotc. 

Notorious labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa had for decades been a polarizing figure, with his ties to organized crime investigated as early as 1957 by future U.S. Attorney General Bobby Kennedy. A jury tampering conviction eventually took him out of official power, but Hoffa worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reclaim his position -- until his disappearance in 1975. Despite countless theories about what happened to him, Hoffa's fate remains one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American history. 

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:
  • Athena Club - Upgrade your shaving experience. Go to AthenaClub.com (http://AthenaClub.com) and use code COTC to get 20% off your purchase.

• Cerebral - Online professional therapy and medication management support. Go to cerebral.com/podcast (http://cerebral.com/podcast) and use code COTC to get 15% off the first month of online therapy, medication or both.

• Laundry Sauce - The world’s best smelling laundry detergent. Go to laundrysauce.com/cotc (http://laundrysauce.com/cotc), promo code COTC, to get 15% off your order.

Living in Occupied Paris during World War II was utter chaos, with the Gestapo police constantly changing rules, kidnapping people from the streets and sidelining the Parisian police. A physician named Marcel Petiot claimed to be among the brave men and women working for the Resistance — a group determined to help smuggle endangered people to safety, far from the reach of the Third Reich. But when neighbors reported a fire at a townhouse Petiot owned, police arrived to uncover a scene so horrific, it managed to bury news about the war in newspapers worldwide.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:
    •    Caden Lane - Your one-stop shop for all your newborn, infant and toddler apparel. Head to CadenLane.com/COTC and use code COTC for 20% off your order.
    •    Dipsea - Hundreds of short, sexy audio stories designed by women for women. Dipsea is offering an extended 30-day free trial when you go to DipseaStories.com/COTC.
    •    Rocket Money - Stop wasting money on things you don’t use. Cancel unwanted subscriptions by going to RocketMoney.com/COTC.
.   Grab Bag Collab - An egalitarian podcast network that provides a hodgepodge of shows available for $5 and up at Patreon.com/grabbagcollab.

Random offenses, Institutions and Orange Socks. This is the story of The Drifter. 
Dive deep into the upbringing and backstories of individuals who committed history's most notorious crimes, shedding light on the psychological factors that shaped their paths. With a suspenseful twist, the identities of these individuals won’t be unveiled until the end of each episode. ‘The Catalyst’ will unravel the complex narratives behind these disturbing cases and try to understand what triggered them.

For years, the violence that occurred in the area known as "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921 was remembered as the "Tulsa Race Riot" - when it was even remembered at all.  But that name, promoted by the media and government officials, was at best a misleading description of what we've now started to reveal over the past few decades as a massacre perpetrated on a thriving Black community that took generations to recover.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK - NOW AVAILABLE!  Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:

• For Wellness - Snacks and supplements to help you get the most out of your body and mind. Head to www.ForWellness.com/COTC and use code COTC for 25% off your order.
• Stitch Fix - Your style partner to shop new styles and brands. Try today at www.StitchFix.com/COTC.
• Wildgrain - The first-ever baked-from-frozen subcription box for sourdough breads, pasta, and pastries. Go to www.wildgrain.com/COTC for free croissants in every box and $30 off your first box.