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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the WWW Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

The Straw Hat Riots – Podcast #263

Published on September 23, 2026

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Fashion & Design, Podcast

It started as a harmless Wall Street tradition: smash the straw hats of any man foolish enough to wear one after September 15. Then teenagers took up the cause, and before long, New York City was in the grip of the bizarre—and sometimes deadly—Straw Hat Riots.

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Sucking Subway Tokens (1983)

Published on September 22, 2026

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Imagine dropping your subway token into a turnstile slot. As soon as you do that, someone places their lips over the coin slot and sucks your token out. It really did happen...

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You Can Call Me Al, Just Al (1966)

Published on July 21, 2026

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Al Capone, Jr. didn't like living in the shadow of his notorious father. He preferred to lead a clean life, so he took action to fix the problem.

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Nat King Cole Attacked (1956)

Published on May 1, 2026

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Pianist and singer Nat King Cole was performing on stage in Birmingham, Alabama when a group of men stormed the stage and attacked him simply because of the color of his skin.

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Wife May Pick Husband’s Pockets (1912)

Published on December 5, 2025

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

Is it legal for a wife to pickpocket her husband's wallet while he slept. A 1912 Philadelphia court case helped to settle that question.

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The Denver Spiderman – Podcast #241

Published on June 4, 2025

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Death and Murder, Podcast

A man was found murdered in his own home. The most unusual part was that all of the doors and windows were locked from the inside. How did the killer get away?

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Police Get the Wrong Masked Man (1965)

Published on May 29, 2025

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Money & Financial, Tidbits

Massachusetts State Police were on the lookout for two men who supposedly robbed a bank in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The two men they arrested were innocent. The only crime committed was that one of the men wore a surgical mask.

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Ice Nickels (1938)

Published on May 27, 2025

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Fraud & Deception, Money & Financial, Tidbits

Students at Stanford University came up with a unique way to avoid paying for phone calls. Ingenious? Yes. Legal? Probably not.

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Ding Dong Daddy – Part 2 – Podcast #235

Published on February 25, 2025

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Love & Marriage, Podcast

Part 2 of the wild, true story of Francis Van Wie, a charming streetcar conductor whose scandalous marriages captivated 1940s San Francisco, transforming a wartime distraction into a national sensation.

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Ding Dong Daddy – Part 1 – Podcast #234

Published on February 10, 2025

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Love & Marriage, Podcast

In 1915, a man known only as John F. Kennedy appeared in Kenosha, WI unable to recall his past. With only a few cryptic clues and a suitcase marked with the initials "R.E.J.," he embarked on a journey to uncover his forgotten life.

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A Ventriloquist’s Day Out (1941)

Published on November 19, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Escape and Survival, Tidbits

The oddball true story of a ventriloquist in Joliet, Illinois who was able to use his voice-throwing skills to avoid paying a court-ordered fine.

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Stowaway Hides in Coffin (1902)

Published on October 4, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Death and Murder, Tidbits

A stowaway aboard the Oscar II found what he thought was the perfect place to hide: inside of another man's coffin.

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Lies in the Fast Lane – Podcast #223

Published on August 13, 2024

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Death and Murder, Fraud & Deception, Law & Order, Podcast

Truck driver Eugene Wood hid a big secret from his friends and family. No one suspected anything. That was until he was killed in a traffic accident and a judge in Troy, NY uncovered the truth.

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5-Year-Old Outsmarts Bandit (1953)

Published on August 5, 2024

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

A grocery store bandit thought that he had gotten the better of 5-year-old Danny Bailey. But Danny outsmarted him.

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10-Year-Old Tries to Go to Honolulu (1951)

Published on August 1, 2024

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Unbeknownst to her parents, 10-year-old Janet Knoski decided to go to Honolulu by herself. Just how far would she get before anyone noticed that she was gone?

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