1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 2: Hey, let's do this. 3 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 3: There, I'm here. 4 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 2: Are you ready? 5 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 3: I am so ready. It is so hot in this. 6 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 2: Room right now. 7 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:11,079 Speaker 3: Oh my god, it is. 8 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: It's getting hot in her you know, it's ridiculous. 9 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 3: Elizabeth, I'm so glad you asked me this question because 10 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 3: I do. 11 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: Oh good. 12 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 3: Yes. In fact, one of our listeners, Monica del Vallier, 13 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 3: she sent this to me and she was like, get 14 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 3: Elizabeth with this. Oh she didn't say that at all. 15 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 3: She was very nice anyway. Apparently over in Germany there 16 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 3: is this really odd legal fight going on, like very odd. 17 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 3: There's this landlord who liked a sunbathe in the courtyard 18 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 3: of his building. The only one problem is the landlord 19 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,279 Speaker 3: but sun bathed nude. So the building had tenants, right, 20 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 3: and they're like, oh, we don't want to see all that, 21 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 3: like all that and uh, but didn't just have resident tenants. 22 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 3: It also had business occupant tenants as well, right, and 23 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 3: so yeah, exactly, And one floor was rented out by 24 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 3: a human resources company. So that company apparently got tired 25 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 3: of explaining the nude landlord to the people who came 26 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 3: to the HR company because they're like, what's your policy 27 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 3: on this? Anyway, the company decides to withhold rent, so 28 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 3: the landlord takes him to court and get this, the 29 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 3: court sides with the naked landlord. They're like, the German 30 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 3: court ruled that the usability of the rented property was 31 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 3: not impathed by the plaintiffs stunning himself naked in seclatat. 32 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 3: So the court did side with the renters, though on 33 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 3: one thing, Elizabeth, they decided that the rental could be 34 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 3: lowered for three months due to their being noisy construction. 35 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 3: So in Germany, nudity is deemed acceptable for doing business, 36 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 3: but the noisiness is comp. 37 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 2: Wow. I just can't, okay, I would think that that 38 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 2: definitely interferes with your with your ability to conduct work. 39 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: One would they make a guy with his ding ding Yeah, 40 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: and just a lot. 41 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 3: Of him showing off and he's like, really like taking 42 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 3: up all the sun? 43 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 2: Yeah? 44 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 3: No, thank you, no sun for the rest of us. 45 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: I'll tell you what else is ridiculous? 46 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 3: Okay, please do. 47 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: Conning your way into a life as a celebrity restaurant tour. 48 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 4: How do I do this? 49 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: This is ridiculous Crime A podcast about absurd and outrageous 50 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: caper's heiss and cons. It's always ninety nine percent murder 51 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 2: freezerin and one hundred percent ridiculous Elizabeth, I got us 52 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: another ridiculous criminal. 53 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: All right, an impostor, Oh I love them, impostor? 54 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 2: Before I begin, what do you know about the Romanov family, like. 55 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: The Russians, Like they're like the Peter Yeah, sure, yeah, 56 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 3: So it was the Russian royal family before the revolution, 57 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: and the last Romanovs was Peter Yeah, Nicholas, Nicholas two 58 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: second and his daughter Anastasia becomes supposedly the last of. 59 00:02:54,480 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 2: The Romanov Nicholas or Nikolay second Alexandrovitch Romanov was the last, 60 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: like you said, last emperor of Russia. He was booted 61 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: during the Russian Revolution in nineteen seventeen. 62 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 3: Bolsheviks were out putty. 63 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: He abdicated for himself and his son, and then he 64 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: and his family were imprisoned in the Russian Provisional Government 65 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: by the Russian Provisional Government excuse me not in it 66 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 2: and exile to Siberian right. The Bolsheviks took power in 67 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,119 Speaker 2: the October Revolution and then the family was murdered seventeenth 68 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: of July nineteen eighteen. 69 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 3: We want to step outside the captain for a second. 70 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 2: I have a quiet moment. What about resputant, Yes, the 71 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 2: unkillable one, an illiterate Siberian dude. 72 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 3: That guy was like when I was a kid, I 73 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 3: read all sorts of weird stuff, and I read a 74 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: lot about resputing and all the stuff about him not 75 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 3: being able to be killed. That's impressive, right, But the 76 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 3: stuff about what he was doing before he got killed 77 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 3: is way more impressive. The guys insane. He comes out 78 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 3: of nowhere. He gets up to the being with the 79 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 3: czar arena and he's like, I can fix your hemophiliac boy. 80 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: They're like, I gotta have him. I don't care. 81 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: Then he got better everybody. 82 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 3: He did, and then he starts to like sleeping his 83 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 3: way through the court. He's like, I don't care, my boy. 84 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: So he's a as you're talking about. He's an advisor 85 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 2: to the Romanovs's. 86 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 87 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: When the n was near for the Romanovs, people panicked 88 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,119 Speaker 2: and a group of nobles were led by Prince Felix 89 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 2: Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovitch and then as well 90 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 2: as right wing politician Vladimir Pershkevich. 91 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 3: Okay, I'll just take your word for that. 92 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: Sure, ar me too. They decided that Rasputen's influence over 93 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 2: this Zarmina was threatening the empire. Yeah, so they came 94 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: up with a plan to kill him December nineteen sixteen, 95 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: and he was murdered. That's not our one percent, that's 96 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 2: like this as a historical. 97 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 3: And they did it so many times it would be 98 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 3: like two percent. 99 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, And that was the thirtieth of December nineteen sixteen, 100 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 2: at the home of Felix Yusupov. I just wanted to 101 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: get those established because they'll come up later. So let 102 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 2: me take you back now to eighteen ninety. 103 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 3: Oh please, I thought i'd have to ask. 104 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: Let's go. It was in that year that Herschel Gaguzen 105 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: was born in Russian territory. The location would later become 106 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 2: Poland and then after that Lithuania. But that's not important here. 107 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 3: Who cares. 108 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 2: I just want to lay some groundwork. 109 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 3: I want to be through like you, I appreciate that 110 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,559 Speaker 3: Lithuania was a huge force and then all of a sudden, 111 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 3: now with just a. 112 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 2: Little nublins huge little Herschel. His dad died when Herschel 113 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: was very young. His father died trying to make peace 114 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 2: between street fighters during a visit to Warsaw. 115 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 3: Wow, that's tough stuff. A peacekeeper who died. 116 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: From It's I get the end of stand by Me, 117 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: where I'm going to spoil it for everyone. Where the 118 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 2: kid grows up to get stabbed in a restaurant. 119 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 3: Wait a minute, I haven't seen that. I should have 120 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 3: stopped you, I know. 121 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: So anyway, his mom, Herschel's mom's like, I can't handle 122 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 2: this kid. He's a whole message trouble. So he's ten 123 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: years old. She's like, tells her cousin, Joseph Bloomberg, take 124 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: Herschel with you to New York City. I heard that's 125 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: where you're going. Joseph's like, all right, take some with him. 126 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: They get to the US and Herschel he changed his name, Well, 127 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 2: it was changed for. 128 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 3: Him, as was the habit Island style. 129 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, they couldn't pronounce names out at Ellis Islands, so 130 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: they gave people monikers that were anglicized close enough for 131 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 2: government work as I liked. 132 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was his new names? Erin Oh, I don't 133 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 3: know if it was Herschel Harry. 134 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: Yes, he went from Herschel Gaguz into Harry Gurgison. 135 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 3: They added, Okay, Harry. 136 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: Gurgison sounds like a grim diagnosing totally. 137 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: I hate to tell you this, Elizabeth. You have Harry Gurguson, Gurguson. 138 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 2: I don't think it's a real name. I mean there's Gerguson, yeah, 139 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 2: and there's there's Gurgic like Gary slash Jerry from Parks and Reck, 140 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 2: a show I've only heard about and have not watched 141 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: twice in its. 142 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 3: Entire No, no, of course not. 143 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: I don't know if it's true that I'm half Leslie 144 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: and Nope and half April Ludgate. I don't know who 145 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: those people are. Who am I? Where am I? What 146 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 2: is this? 147 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 3: Can you be more than half anyway? 148 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: Gurguson? 149 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 3: So also, I like Gurgison is a name, because then 150 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 3: it's like, oh, I am the son of gurger Well, 151 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:56,679 Speaker 3: no Gurgu, Sorry you found it, son of Grogu. 152 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 2: Okay, so Gurgson. I don't. I'm sure that it's an 153 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 2: actual surname that exists, but I don't. I don't care 154 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: to know more. Who knows Harry hated his last name 155 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 2: like we do. One time he punched a New York 156 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 2: Times cinema critic for addressing him as mister. 157 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 4: So he hit him. 158 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, so he came up with better names, a bunch 159 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: of them. He had aliases like Arthur Wellesley, Willoughby, d Burke, 160 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: Williby I don't know, and Count Gladstone. 161 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 3: These are all better names. He should be naming people should. 162 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 2: They should That's the job he should have had. While 163 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 2: he was faking it on the name front. He also 164 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: decided to play fast and loose with his history as well. 165 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: Good for him, So he told people he went to 166 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 2: Eton and when he also went to Harvard, and he 167 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 2: went to Heidelberg. He went to Oxford and Princeton. 168 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 3: He's very smart and Yale. He must be very educated, 169 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 3: so many degrees. 170 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 2: He liked Oxford the best, and that's what he used 171 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 2: most of the time when he was telling his stories. 172 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 3: Oh so he didn't say all of them, which. 173 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: Felt I kind of like to imply that he used 174 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: them all that back to his childhood. So the Bloombergs, 175 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 2: they said, do New York, and they got really sick 176 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 2: of hairy I bet they did, Like get your hairy Gurgison. 177 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 2: That gurgu is like an invitation star wars, like you 178 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: go to like a dollar store and there's a coloring 179 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 2: book with like a little monster and his name is Gurgu. 180 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 3: And your aunt who doesn't know anything about star Ya 181 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 3: And just like the thing you like with the girl. 182 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: Gona didn't nice you, gurg No. It's like it's like 183 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: you go into party city and you get a costume 184 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 2: that looks like baby Yoda, but it's a gurg copy, 185 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 2: right exactly. You don't want to tangle with the mouse house. 186 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 4: Uh. 187 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 3: Anyway, they get. 188 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 2: Sick of hairy Gurgu, and he's over them too. 189 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 3: I bet he is. 190 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 2: He just stands in the doorway and goes whatever. They 191 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: sent him away to a Hebrew orphanage, and then he 192 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 2: ran away, and then they sent him off to five 193 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 2: other places that he ran away from. He's just a troublemaker. 194 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: And you know, I like that they put it in 195 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 2: his permanent. 196 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 3: Record, something you're always worried about. 197 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,959 Speaker 2: But here's the thing he's gotten in his permanent record 198 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 2: that he's a big pilot trouble the gurgoos. But he's 199 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: also super likable, really engaging and charming, except for family. 200 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 2: If he liked someone, that's the thing he doesn't like 201 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 2: because exactly if you liked someone, he could ingratiate himself 202 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,719 Speaker 2: to that person immediately you put it on for him. Yeah, 203 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:31,839 Speaker 2: and he was like a really good mimic and also 204 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: a good storyteller. So you combine all those things, that's 205 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: a con man. That's a con man. Society ladies would 206 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: be doing charity work at orphanages, and they loved him 207 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 2: so much, like, come with us, We're going to take 208 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: a weekend to our country home. 209 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 3: You're not quick to adopt you, but what we're going 210 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 3: to come with you a little. We're going to tease 211 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 3: you with fun and good talks. 212 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: It'll make me feel good for the weekend. 213 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 3: I'm going to use you, Okay, I'm going to rent 214 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 3: you out so I feel good to come with me. 215 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 3: A boy boy of gurgoy. 216 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 2: One early benefactor said he was one of the most 217 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 2: convincing liars you ever met. 218 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 3: Like they're just loving this. 219 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 2: So Gergason, he spends years living as a runaway, a stowaway, 220 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 2: a deportee. He got deported ten times. 221 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 3: Teenager. 222 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was a straight up jailbird. And he also 223 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: escaped from Ellis Island. Escape from Ellis Island. That's the 224 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 2: knockoff escape from New York, New York. So he's a 225 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: confidence man, he's a fraud, a check bouncer, a thief. 226 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 2: He would sleep rough in like barns, doorways, park benches. 227 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 2: You know, he's just it's him versus the world, versus 228 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 2: the world. So he gets arrested and jailed four times 229 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 2: on charges of fraud because he would buy like stuff 230 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 2: at jewelers or tobacconists, boot makers, British tailors. He gets 231 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 2: goods and services there. When the bill comes, he's like, 232 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 2: I forgot to tell you. Russian nobles settle their accounts 233 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 2: with trades people only once a year, So get back 234 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 2: to me. Then, I'm only going to pay once once 235 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 2: a year. 236 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 3: So is he hoping that they've never met another Russian nobles. 237 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:09,199 Speaker 2: I'm a fancy one. 238 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 3: Couldn't you ask any Russian hazes. Probably I'm just. 239 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: Saying they don't buy into it. They're like, no, that, no, 240 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 2: I don't care. Okay, this is the Saint Russia pal 241 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 2: pay up. So he referred to all his bad check 242 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 2: charges and stints in correctional facilities in various cities and 243 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 2: counties and countries as being quote in residence. 244 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 3: Well and then I was in Juliet. 245 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 2: When he was in prison, he carried a walking stick 246 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 2: during the exercise time, not as a means of defense 247 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 2: because but he wanted to look distinguished in prison. I 248 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 2: guess he couldn't get his hands on a monocle. 249 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 3: Yeah, you want to the top half. 250 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 2: Hello, I am offensive. 251 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 3: Affecting a limp and an accent. So when he was 252 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 3: in his prisoners love his fancy man. They just love that. 253 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,439 Speaker 3: They that all the time. Like if I go to prison, 254 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 3: first thing I'm looking for and I'm going to be 255 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 3: power the fancy I'm going to beat him up so 256 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 3: people know I am the new fancy guy. 257 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 2: King of the fancy hill. So when he's in his 258 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 2: early thirties, Zeren, he got a job as a pants presser. 259 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 2: And just like you, that's weird. It's a job a 260 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 2: pants presser in Brooklyn. He's Gurgu the mimic, right, son 261 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 2: of Gurgu. He listened carefully to like the fancy sorts 262 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 2: that he encountered in this high flying Brooklyn pants pressing scene, 263 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: and he developed like a British upper class manner. So 264 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,599 Speaker 2: not only the accent, but just the you know, the 265 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,679 Speaker 2: wealthy and the apectations of aristocracy carry themselves a certain thing, 266 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 2: a continental notion. So March twentieth, nineteen twenty three, he 267 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 2: turns up in Hillsboro, Illinois, with an Oxford accent, a 268 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 2: sophisticated malacca walking stick, and at last a monocle. 269 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 3: Finally got'll play in Illinois. 270 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, so he'd stolen a man's military papers, and 271 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 2: he used them claim that he was a British lieutenant 272 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 2: or as they say, lieutenant. Yes, yes, the Saint Louis papers. 273 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 2: They announced a few days later, but the city was 274 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 2: entertaining royalty and ran photos of son of Gurgu. 275 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 3: We got guys photos. 276 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: There's a caption on the photo, Prince Michael Romanov. 277 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 3: Oh okay. 278 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 2: The some problem though the locals recognized him because he 279 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 2: wasn't new in town. He'd actually lived there before as 280 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 2: Harry Gurgson. The Gurgs exposed as a fraud. 281 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 3: He's like dark. 282 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 2: So at one point during his struggles, American artist Rockwell 283 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 2: Kent befriended him, and Rockwell provided Gurgison with both lodging 284 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 2: and employment, and Gurgison returned the favor by passing himself 285 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 2: off as Rockwell Kent. 286 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 3: That's the deal. You let me stay with you, I'll 287 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 3: go be you you. 288 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 2: On another occasion, he stole military brushes from Paul Mellon 289 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 2: of the Pittsburgh Melons. 290 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 3: Wow, like me, Sally, wealthy family. 291 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,439 Speaker 2: They get their riches from banking and oil and brushes. 292 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 2: Sure well the brushes. They were gold backs and monogrammed 293 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: with the initials PM. 294 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 3: And made out of elephant eyelashes. 295 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 2: Gergison said the initials stood for Prince Michael. They're not 296 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 2: cyrillic Prince Michael. In nineteen Prince Mike, it's Mesian name Mike. 297 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 2: In nineteen twenty seven, he turned up in Hollywood for. 298 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 3: A little bit good cause. 299 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 2: Of course, that's where all the good bs artists go. 300 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 3: There's a magnet there that draws him. 301 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 2: He worked as a technical advisor for a film about 302 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: pre revolution Russia somewhere he'd only been from the ages 303 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 2: of zero to ten. So the truth always comes out though, 304 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: And he was exposed as a fraud by a former 305 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: Russian general. 306 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 3: And he doesn't have a Russian accent. He's affecting. He's 307 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 3: British now. 308 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: He's British now because he says he went to Oxford. 309 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 2: But here's the thing he wouldn't speak Russian while they're 310 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 2: on the set, because you know, he was raised speaking Polish, 311 00:14:58,440 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 2: not Russian. 312 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 3: He was lithuaniann't speak Russian, I bet not. 313 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 2: I mean, what is that? So he's there there, the 314 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 2: Russian you know, general or whatever. He's like, you know, 315 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 2: chatting him up, and he's just deer in the headlights. 316 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: So Gergison would also try and pass. 317 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 3: On stoic Russian word exactly. 318 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: He tried to pass himself off as the son of 319 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 2: Prince Felix Yusupov, the man who killed Resputant. So he's 320 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 2: like playing both sides of the fence. That's the cat 321 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier. He was to be deported a number 322 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 2: of times, as I told you. The first time was 323 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: on grounds of moral turpitude when it came out that 324 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: he told this story about having spent eight years in 325 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 2: a German prison for killing a German baron in a 326 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 2: duel at Heidelberg. Not true, but obviously, so he escaped 327 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 2: and he disappeared from Ellis Island. 328 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 3: And he's telling people I killed this German baron because 329 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 3: you know, I rolled tough like. 330 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 2: That, and they're like, well that that that lie that's wrong. 331 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 2: If you had actually killed and we'd be fine with that, 332 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 2: but you lied about it. Now we must support you. 333 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 2: So he escapes and he disappears. He claimed that he 334 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 2: swam to New Jersey from Ellis Island, and then the 335 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 2: legend was that he swam to New Jersey in a 336 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 2: silk top hat. Wow right, I mean this made everyone 337 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 2: believe he was an accomplished swimmer if you're going to 338 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: do that swim. 339 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 3: And a snazzy dresser. 340 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 2: He was not. He was a snazzy dresser, not a swimmer. 341 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 2: So that lie was uncovered later in his life when 342 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 2: he fell into a swimming pool and just sank. So 343 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 2: the immigration men who were supposed to be watching Gergison 344 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 2: said that he actually stowed away on a ferry boat. 345 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 2: After his escape from Ellis Island, he began going by 346 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 2: Prince Obolenski. 347 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 3: Like Prince Albert and the can. 348 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: Well Maybe newspapers ran interviews with him about the trials 349 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: of a nobleman attempting to find employment so hard. Luxurious 350 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 2: weekend getaways came from the stories, but no jobs. However, 351 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 2: at one point a wealthy friend sent him to the 352 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 2: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, where he 353 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: enjoyed life is a representative of the university's chess team. 354 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,400 Speaker 2: Put the monocle back on. I'm serious, fancy striped trousers 355 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,239 Speaker 2: and a silk hat. He's like the monopoly man one 356 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 2: around have it Yard. He ended up being expelled because 357 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 2: they found out he was not an exchange student from Oxford. 358 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 3: When did he start selling peanuts? 359 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 2: Exactly? 360 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 3: That's right. 361 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 2: The monopoly man does not wear a monocle. Yeah, anyho, So, yeah, 362 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 2: they're not You're not on exchange from Oxford, You're just 363 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 2: old Harry Gergerson. April nineteen thirty two. He takes off 364 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 2: for England on the White Star Liner Olympic. He gets 365 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 2: to Southampton and he declares himself a superstow away. Well, 366 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 2: I don't know, I guess super sen. 367 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 3: He gets money for doing that. 368 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 2: I'm glad he said it after he arrived. But you 369 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 2: know who heard it and wasn't glad? Scotland Yard. Oh yeah, 370 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 2: they knew right away that he was trouble. He got 371 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 2: wind of them, you know, yeah, them getting wind of 372 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 2: him exactly, and so he ran off to Paris. Scotland Yard. 373 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 2: They know how to get in touch with people. They're willing, 374 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 2: so they called the Parisian police. Gergison figured he'd head 375 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 2: back to the States, where municipalities are less likely to 376 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 2: communicate with each other, so he stows away again, this 377 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 2: time on the liner Ill Difference. He changed cabin Snightley 378 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 2: to avoid getting caught. Obviously, during that time he reads 379 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 2: up on Russian history because he's like, if I'm going 380 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 2: to be a roll enough, I kind. 381 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 3: Of need to know what happened sometimes I should probably 382 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 3: know that. 383 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 2: Let me do some focus on the Russian royal family. 384 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 2: Following the Revolution, the Russian aristocracy fell into chaos and disrepair, 385 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 2: and so for him that's an opportunity. 386 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 3: Whoever, seven thousand other country he can't get. 387 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 2: Caught because they can't talk to any royal families. They're dispersed, 388 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:47,479 Speaker 2: they don't have official time. 389 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 3: Russian Revolution created more Russian nobility than I think we 390 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 3: could ever understand. 391 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: So while he's crossing the Atlantic, he decides to become 392 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 2: someone new, someone exciting. He says, he's the nephew of 393 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,120 Speaker 2: the late Czar Nicholas. 394 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 3: Of Good Call. Go to the top. 395 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 2: Let's take a break. When we come back, you're gonna 396 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 2: find out just how that claim went for old gurgu. 397 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 5: Hello, Harry Gurguson, Prince Obolenski, and now Prince Michael Romanov 398 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 5: Prince Mike. 399 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 2: Yes, my dude, Yeah, No matter the name, the guy's 400 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 2: an incredible character, ridiculous criminal. The first class passengers ate 401 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 2: up his story at being Prince Michael Romanov nephew Tizar Nicholas. 402 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 2: The second he got a little loose with his bragging 403 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 2: though he was in the smoking room smoking it up. 404 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 2: I like to imagine it either like a nineties sleazy 405 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 2: hookah bar, like a vape shop, for the inside of 406 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 2: a van in the parking lot of a fish concer. 407 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 3: Now we're talking. 408 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, So anyway, he's in the smoking room, he tells 409 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 2: all the swells and fat cats that he's friends with 410 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 2: the captain. Someone, of course, later mentions this to the captain. 411 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 3: On that boat, not a captain, that captain. 412 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 2: Hey, cap'n ron, it's so coolier pals with a missing Romanov. 413 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 2: The captain then sends a stewart to investigate, like, who's 414 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 2: this quote. 415 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 3: Unquote friend, who's my friend? 416 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 2: Gregson gets caught and revealed as a stowaway. Here's an aside, 417 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 2: though later in his life. He had this influential friend, 418 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 2: and that guy drafted a to whom it may concern 419 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 2: letter for him to carry around anytime he got on 420 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 2: an overseas voyage, and the letter bagged officials of all 421 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 2: nations not to harass the quote prince as he had. 422 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: He was not a stowaway, but rather a researcher of stowaways. 423 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: Wait what the old the old Pete townshend. 424 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:55,119 Speaker 3: Say just wait, tell met somebody to give him a 425 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 3: letter that says, basically, oh please don't interrupt him. He 426 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 3: is studying this stuff. Yeah, he's research And who was 427 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:02,120 Speaker 3: the person who gave him his letters? 428 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 2: Doesn't matter, It doesn't matter. 429 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 3: How do I get one of these letters? 430 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: I gave it to him. I'll write you one. So 431 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: Gergison was taken back to an old haunt by the police. 432 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 2: When the ship talked in NYC, the Big Apple, the 433 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 2: city never sleeps Ellis Island. 434 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 3: So yes for a name. 435 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 2: An order was passed to deport him back to France. Okay, 436 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 2: we don't want him here, will detained? 437 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 3: Wait to port him back to France. He's not a 438 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 3: French whatever'll. 439 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 2: Kick him out. Whatever where was the last place you were? 440 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: You go back there. So he asked to be to 441 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 2: have this monitored escort take him into New York to 442 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 2: collect his effects. And on the way he and his guard, 443 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 2: James Drury, they stopped at a speakeasy. 444 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 3: You know, yeah, I get it. 445 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 2: So while the guard is distracted at the speakeasy, he 446 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 2: makes his escape. The escape was highly publicized. Four people 447 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 2: ended up being suspended over at Ellis Island, probably unquote 448 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: paid leave you know whatever. This, though, was the start 449 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 2: of Gurgison's notoriety. A dozen agents were sent to search 450 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 2: for him. They hit up every speakeasy in the Upper 451 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: east Side. They had to check them all, some more 452 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 2: than once to be sure. 453 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 3: I'd see the floor show, the floor show. 454 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:17,360 Speaker 2: One day, Gurgison was in Jim Moriarty's speakeasy off Fifth Avenue, 455 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 2: and Moriarty got a tip that immigration police had arrived 456 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,239 Speaker 2: looking for Gergison. So he tells Gurgu slip out through 457 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 2: the kitchen. This is what Gurgison said back to him, 458 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 2: A romanov kent' escape through the kitchen. Moriarty, clever irishman responds, 459 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 2: your uncle Tazaar. 460 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 3: Did ohaykay leave it to an irishman. 461 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 2: So out to the kitchen he went Gurgu. He roamed 462 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 2: free in New York for days, but was eventually caught. 463 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 2: He'd been hanging out at a speakeasy on East fifty 464 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 2: eighth Street. He was made there, but agents watched him 465 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 2: as he went to an apartment building on East sixty eighth. 466 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,640 Speaker 2: So he goes ten blocks home. That's where they nab him. 467 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 2: He was carrying a lot of money, and this made 468 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,199 Speaker 2: investigators pretty sure that he had accomplices assisting him in 469 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 2: his life as a fugitive. They wanted to find these friends, 470 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 2: so those people could be charged with conspiracy to aid 471 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 2: a fell in an escape. No luck couldn't find him. 472 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 3: Ah, they got greedy. 473 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, So Gurgison he goes free on bail twenty five 474 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 2: hundred dollars, and he appeared before vaudeville audiences while awaiting trial. 475 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 3: He's like, let me do a quick set, let me 476 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 3: get to a quick five. I got the time. Guys 477 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 3: want to work some stuff to go back to court 478 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 3: till four. 479 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 2: So the headlines of the day Gergison indicted on perjury 480 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 2: charge and he will halt vaudeville career to face accusation 481 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 2: of false swearing at Ellis. 482 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 3: Island, wow. 483 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 2: Yeah. He pleads guilty to perjury and violation of the 484 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 2: immigration law in January of nineteen thirty three. At the time, 485 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,120 Speaker 2: Federal Judge John C. Knox was informed that the Department 486 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 2: of Labor decided to forgive, though not forget Gergison's transgressions. 487 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 3: The Department of Labor can do. 488 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 2: This, Apparently I had no idea Gergison. He gets sentenced 489 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 2: in April of the same year to ninety days in 490 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 2: the Federal House of Detention. And he also had Tomis 491 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 2: Pinky swear to stop using the name Prince Michael Romanov. 492 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 3: Okay, so like, okay. 493 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 2: This guy is not I don't wouldn't hold any any 494 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: of his words exactly. 495 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 3: He doesn't have whatever. 496 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 2: So the sentence gets suspended. He doesn't even do the 497 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 2: ninety days. He's given three years probation. His attorney said 498 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 2: of him, he has violated the law, he admits that, 499 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 2: but there's nothing vicious about him. And he has an 500 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 2: amazing number of friends. 501 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 3: He's well liked, he's part he's a good dancer. 502 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 2: He dresses well, so he could have been sentenced to 503 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 2: fifty five years. 504 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, but no. Luckily he cooks well. So people are 505 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 3: like look, he has the best inner parties. What can 506 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 3: we do? 507 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 2: Here's what the judge says. I did not see any 508 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 2: reason for treating this case in a matter altogether different 509 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 2: from others. I admit it is peculiar in many respects, 510 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 2: but he had little cause if indeed, there can be 511 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,400 Speaker 2: a cause or justification for perjuring himself. 512 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 3: So the judge's writing excuses from two. 513 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 2: Yes, he's likable, what can you do? 514 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 3: I just can't help it. I just love this kid, 515 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 3: you know, he's. 516 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 2: So magnetic knocks. The judge said that if Gergison violated 517 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 2: his probation at any point over the next three years 518 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 2: in any way, quote, sentence will be imposed to such 519 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:11,199 Speaker 2: an extent that it hurts. 520 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 3: I'll make you come back here and smile more at me. 521 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 2: No, he's gonna put the hurt on. 522 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't believe it. 523 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 2: February thirteenth, nineteen thirty four. Where were you, zaren. 524 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 3: Okay, nineteen thirty four. I was in Zurich. That doesn't matter. 525 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 4: Go on. 526 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 2: United Artists. They're premiering their latest film, Catherine the Great 527 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 2: in Manhattan, The. 528 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 3: Great Manhattan Movie. 529 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 2: He's gonna say, Katherine Orgate takes man so Monroe Greenthal, 530 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 2: the United Artist chief of publicity. He wanted to have 531 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 2: a famous Romanov why not? So he figured, I'll get 532 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: the famous Romanov impost At the premiere, he reaches out 533 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 2: to Gurgison and invites him as an honored guest. 534 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 3: Like, I just need publicity, I don't need truth. 535 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, baby, Gurgu though, He's like, I got conditions. I'll 536 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 2: do it, but. 537 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 3: Hold on, I'm gonna need a white furt coat. 538 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 2: I'm going to give you a list of what I'm 539 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 2: going to need for this one. A stunning blonde that's 540 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 2: a literal, a stunning line. Two one hundred and fifty 541 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 2: dollars spending money, wow, his little cash. Three a Rolls 542 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 2: Royce complete with a liveried footman and chauffeur. Four. The 543 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 2: footman has to be dressed in a tan stovepipe hat, 544 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 2: tan coat with gold buttons, a scarlet vest, and knee 545 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 2: high tan boots with bufftops. 546 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 3: That's what we do it in fake Us. 547 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 2: They gave him everything. They let him have it at 548 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 2: their premiere. He and his stunning blonde. They went to 549 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 2: the Stork Club afterwards. Sorry and El Morocco. They did 550 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 2: it up. He toasted double health to his great great 551 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 2: great aunt Catherine. He spent all his money except thirty dollars, 552 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 2: and that's what he used to tip. The footman and 553 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,239 Speaker 2: the chauffeur took care of everybody good for him. When 554 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 2: he was dropped off at home, he found the key 555 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 2: hole plugged up and his apartment was inaccessible. Baby gurgu 556 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 2: hadn't paid his rent, oh yea, so he spent the 557 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 2: night at what our researcher Andrea called his old winter palace. 558 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 2: The safe the subway get it so. For a short time, 559 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 2: Gurgason assisted antiques dealer h michel Ayan with selling hand 560 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 2: painted gold masters. However, he ended up spending several months 561 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,640 Speaker 2: in jail after he was caught pocketing the money. So 562 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 2: he's making the sales and it doesn't make it to 563 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 2: the register. The guy said later that nothing hurt him 564 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 2: more in life than having to prosecute Gurgison. Why because 565 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 2: this is what he says, quote, he is one of 566 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 2: the most remarkable men alive. I believe his name will 567 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 2: go down in history. Maybe mine will go down in 568 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 2: history with him. What this guy's magic zaren? Apparently Gurgason. 569 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 2: He gets a job as an assistant gardener at an 570 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,920 Speaker 2: estate on the Hudson River. He has elegant manners Oxford accent. 571 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 2: People are wondering, who is this gardener? 572 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 3: I'm wondering, what's your backstory? 573 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 2: So the laundry made she sees something on his silk 574 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 2: undershirts and she brings it to the mistress of the house. 575 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 2: The women look at the embroidery and knew right away 576 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 2: what it was, the Romanov coat of arms. This man 577 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 2: had his undershirts embroidered with the Romanov coat of arms. 578 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 3: And people recognize the roman of me. 579 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,919 Speaker 2: So the women see it, They're like, wait, he's Russian 580 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,679 Speaker 2: Royalty right under our roof, mulching our roses. Are you 581 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 2: kidding me? So Gergison. He is confronted by the lady 582 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 2: of the house and he admits, yes, I am actually 583 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 2: a prince. Okay, you got me. You know, he's all 584 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 2: humble about it. They can't have him working outside like 585 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 2: a peasant. He's moved into the guest chambers and he 586 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 2: stays there for months. Later, he gets exposed as a fake, 587 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 2: but everyone was so charmed by him that no one cared. 588 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 3: Absolutely want the story. He makes me feel some kind 589 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 3: of way, I'm good enough. 590 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 2: That he starts to leave, and they beg him to stay, 591 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 2: please stay. When he did leave, you know they're they're 592 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 2: absolutely just crushed. This is what it said in an 593 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 2: article in Time. Quote, Mike Romanov was the real tinsel, 594 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 2: a phony who wore his phoniness with such transparent innocence 595 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 2: that it turned away wrath. 596 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 3: I'm about it was he and I forget me for 597 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 3: asking this, But was he like charming looking too? Did 598 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 3: you see a picture of him? Was to say, because 599 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 3: I'm wondering if he looks like, you know. 600 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 2: Like not really, I don't I don't want to say it, 601 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 2: but yeah, not really, because like you know. 602 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 3: Like Peter O'Toole could get away with stuff that I 603 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 3: think Robert Mitcham could not. Just based on Robert Mitchum 604 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 3: looks like a mug and you're like. 605 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 2: Oh, this guy, I could see it. 606 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, I want to do you think that helped? 607 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's not like intimidating handsome fellow. 608 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, and probably not excessively like Harry and low brow. 609 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 2: So he's like oh yeah, no no, So nineteen thirty six, 610 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 2: he knew where he had to go, where he belonged. 611 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 3: Nineteen thirty six, the Olympics. 612 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 2: Right, Hollywood, Oh god, he should tried. Yeah, represent Russia. 613 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 2: So he passed through Hillsboro, Illinois on his way to Hollywood. 614 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 3: Remember that place. 615 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 2: That's where he tried to float the whole Prince Mike 616 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 2: thing for the first time. 617 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 3: He was like catching like route sixty six, baby, yeah. 618 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 2: I don't know. 619 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 3: Is that to Chicago? 620 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 5: Yeah? 621 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 2: Sure? Okay, So yeah, so he's there. They're they're seeing 622 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 2: him as a minor celebrity. They don't care he had 623 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 2: done this. He was given the honor of standing on 624 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 2: a platform in front of the courthouse to give out 625 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 2: cash prizes on their trade day. Yeah. 626 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:10,719 Speaker 3: So they had like a special like this is our 627 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 3: field day and everybody gets out and has fun. We 628 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 3: have this local celebrity stand on a box and give 629 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 3: people checks and pretty much. Yeah. 630 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. So, while making his way west on this. 631 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 3: Whirlwindow people did before there was TV in the internet. 632 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 2: Okay, he stopped to dine at Antoine's, a restaurant known 633 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 2: as the best in New Orleans. He thought the meal 634 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 2: was a disappointment, but he still had a great time. 635 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 2: He loved sharing stories over you know, wine and food, 636 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 2: living it up. He wanted to make this his living. 637 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 2: He decided he was going to open a restaurant Romanovs. 638 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 2: He envisioned his place would be the place to see 639 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 2: and be seen in Hollywood. 640 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 3: Wait a minute, he did it. 641 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 2: He did it. 642 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, Oh my god, this is the time. This is amazing. 643 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 2: He rented a room for two dollars and fifty cents 644 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 2: a week, and he shared that room with Prince Yuka Trubetskoy. 645 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 3: You say that three times. 646 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 2: No, I can't even say it the right way. For 647 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 2: one time, this guy was actual Russian aristocracy. 648 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 3: Okay, so he got himself a real Russian Yes. 649 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 2: And that guy would go on to marry Marcia Stranahan, 650 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 2: the heiress to the Champion's spark Plug's Fortune. 651 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 3: Not the Champion spark Plug Fortune. 652 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 2: And Prince Yuka. His brother. Prince Igor was a race 653 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 2: car driver and would later become one of the many 654 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 2: husbands of the Woolworth five and dime heiress Barbara Hutton. Wow, 655 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 2: he's in like the heiress aristocracy. 656 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 3: So he's good at tennis that kind of stuff, I guess. 657 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 2: He would later be roommates with the agent Pat DeCicco, 658 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 2: who would become the first husband of the then seventeen 659 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 2: year old heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. Wow, future mother of Anderson Cooper. 660 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 3: See, I think I'm hanging on all the wrong. I 661 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 3: don't know any heiresses anymore. 662 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 2: Gerguson then lived with Decicco's cousin, Cubby Broccli. 663 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 4: What. 664 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 2: Yes, Cubby would become famous and very very rich by 665 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 2: producing the James Bond movies. 666 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 3: This is crazy. Yes, Barbara BROCCOLI's connected to. 667 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 2: The h Gergison. He referred to himself as a social barometer. 668 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 2: He said only the phonies and upstarts couldn't afford to 669 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: be seen with him. 670 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 3: I'm a test for reel. 671 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 4: Yeah. 672 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 2: He was able to cement his place among Hollywood celebrities. 673 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 2: John MacLean, whose mother, Evelyn Walsh MacLean, who owned the 674 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 2: Hope Diamond and showed up in our episode about Gaston me. 675 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 2: He decided to host a ball as a means of 676 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 2: repaying past hospitalities. The grand affair was orchestrated by Gergison 677 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 2: and took place at the Clover Club. A little about 678 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 2: the Clover Club located at eighty four to seventy seven 679 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 2: Sunset Boulevard. It was originally a palatial private home and 680 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 2: it was raided in February nineteen thirty for illegal gambling, 681 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 2: and it was called the Sphinx Club. Then in March 682 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty three it was operating as Club Sokolef and 683 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 2: it was rated again, this time for liquor violations. In 684 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 2: August of nineteen thirty three, it was the Han Club. 685 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 2: Nola Hahn was another game ambler associated with that address. 686 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 2: Soon after it was you know, got the name the 687 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 2: Clover Club. The place was raided all the time her 688 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 2: thirties and forties. It was like other upscale Hollywood night clubs, 689 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 2: you know, dining, dancing, paparazzi, occasional fisticuffs. The illegal gambling 690 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 2: rooms were hidden. Only those in the know, including a 691 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 2: lot of Hollywood elites, got access. There wasn't any stigma 692 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 2: attached to the club, though, so society and Hollywood gossip 693 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,959 Speaker 2: columns at the time reported breathlessly on the events being 694 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 2: held there. But it was repeatedly closed down for violations 695 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 2: and then reopened until, you know, usually by a new 696 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: mafia owner. 697 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, they didn't have like a Mickey Cohen paying everything off. 698 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 2: Now, they'd just passed it around, like Detroit mafia would 699 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 2: open it and then they'd pass it to another. This 700 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 2: was the perfect place for such a party, Carrie Grant, 701 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 2: Jimmy Stewart. They had two bands. Hogy Carmichael played the piano. 702 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 2: The party lasted until dawn. Both dinner and breakfast were served. 703 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 3: That's a party, yeah, that's a baller club and they 704 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 3: got a good breakfast. 705 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: Vanity Fair did this interview where Dominic Dunn was reminiscing 706 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 2: with people. 707 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 3: Are oh wow. Quote. 708 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 2: Jimmy Stewart brought Rita Hayworth, said, Janet de Cordova, Jane Greer, 709 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 2: mRNA Dell. And I saw Annabella break up with Ty 710 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:14,759 Speaker 2: Power that night, said Audrey Wilder. Lyla Lee came in 711 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 2: with Howard Hughes. Janet de Cordova said, and Lyla and 712 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 2: I were both wearing red, and Howard Hughes said, you 713 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 2: can't both wear red dresses. And he called Howard Greer, 714 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 2: the designer, and Howard opened up his shop and sent 715 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 2: over a blue dress for Lila. As my conversations with 716 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 2: them ended, each woman said, I loved Mike Wow. 717 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 3: So he's just he just fits in well. 718 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 2: His life in the glamorous, you know, Hollywood entertaining scene 719 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 2: is just beginning. Nineteen thirty four, Gergison starred alongside Bob 720 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 2: Hope in the Broadway musical Say When Wait What? 721 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:46,760 Speaker 3: He's with Bob Hope in a Broadway musical. 722 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 2: Also in thirty four, the New York Times ran a 723 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 2: story that he was being charged with conspiracy regarding a 724 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: divorce case. 725 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 3: Okay, so Edward B. 726 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 2: Gould hired Gergison to drug and seduce his wife? What 727 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 2: which would allow Gould to divorce her having to pay alimony? 728 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 3: Why did he think he was the one to drug 729 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 3: instid Why not? 730 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 2: You know, to Mike Mike's you know, baby Gurgu is 731 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 2: like your man in. 732 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 3: The pocket, exactly home you need him. Mike can't do it, 733 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 3: missus Gould. 734 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 2: She had been receiving four hundred and fifty dollars a 735 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 2: month under a separation agreement, which is an incredible amount 736 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 2: of This is what the New York Times said. Quote. 737 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 2: Missus Gould charged that the defendants confederated, with one calling 738 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 2: himself Prince Michael Romanoff, to place the plaintiff in a 739 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 2: compromising position which would create the impression that she had 740 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 2: been guilty of misconduct so that her husband could divorce 741 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 2: her and the four hundred and fifty dollars would be forfeited. 742 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 2: The Prince was hired, administered a drug or narcotic to 743 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 2: the plaintiff, and then took her to an apartment where 744 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 2: the alleged misconduct was simulated. 745 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 3: So he's now a professional honey track. 746 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:51,000 Speaker 2: Yes, okay, Well, the divorce action gets dropped. 747 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 3: Edward B. 748 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 2: Gould gets sent to a sanitarium. Thank god, Prince Mike, 749 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 2: he's ready to move on. When we come back from 750 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 2: this break filled with very important ads that keep this 751 00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 2: show running free and fun. I'll tell you what Gerg's 752 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 2: next chapter held. Zarin Elizabeth nineteen thirty nine. 753 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 3: I remember it well. 754 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 2: Harry Gurgus, Yes, opened a restaurant right on. Actually, Prince Michael, Dimitri, 755 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 2: Alexandrovitch Obelenski Romanov opened a restaurant. 756 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 3: That's not enough names. 757 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 2: I know whose money did he is? 758 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,720 Speaker 3: I don't know people, I'm tired and I'm high. Lana 759 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 3: Turner and her husband Johnny stopped close. 760 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 2: This is who did he get? Lawrence Rockefeller, Alfred Vanderbilt, 761 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 2: Charlie Chaplin, Carrie Grant, Daryl Zannik, what, Jack Warner. 762 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:57,439 Speaker 3: I'm surprised by. 763 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 2: Caesar Romero and Jock Whitney manymore, a lot of them. 764 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,400 Speaker 3: I'm not surprised because they're rich and they liked it, 765 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,239 Speaker 3: like just be fooled, I think ultimately. But Xanik, that guy, 766 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 3: he was like Cagy, you know, like he don't get 767 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 3: past Darryl Zannik. 768 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 2: No, and he had but you know, they had big 769 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 2: money names from both coasts doing big, big money. Baby 770 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,800 Speaker 2: Gurgu opened Romanovs in nineteen thirty nine at three twenty 771 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 2: six North Rodeo Drive. 772 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 3: It is insane. It is the story of Romanovs. 773 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 2: This is nothing today. Roman You'll find out. Okay, so 774 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 2: today the location is the Salarentz Store. 775 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 3: Okay. 776 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 2: At the time, though, it was a luxurious palace dedicated 777 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 2: to fine dining, conitial conversation, and celebrities. Ah, the celebrities, 778 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 2: they'ren So many celebrities. 779 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 3: I gotta collect them all. 780 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 2: I gotta I gotta say it again, so many celebrities. 781 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 2: I can't. I can't emphasize that enough. Mister Confucius was 782 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 2: the name of Gergison's bulldog, Mister Confucius. 783 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,840 Speaker 3: Mister Confucius not like Senior Confusions. But I know what 784 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 3: I'm naming my next up. Seriously, I love that. 785 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 2: Mister Confucius was listed and the telephone book is the 786 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:06,319 Speaker 2: owner of Romanoce. He sold shares in the restaurant for 787 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 2: fifty dollars apiece. Okay, and so a lot of people 788 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:13,399 Speaker 2: figured the restaurant would tank. And those same people said 789 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 2: that the framed business certificate presented as return for stock 790 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 2: was a quote landmark in the art of dignified mooching. 791 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:20,719 Speaker 4: Wow. 792 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. So Whitney backed the restaurant because he had to 793 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 2: move some cash around to versify as well. He found 794 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 2: out that part of his seed money was being used 795 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 2: to pay dividends to the stockholders, so he sold his 796 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: stake back to Gergison. Yes, opening night, the place was 797 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 2: a buzz zaren closure. Ayes, I want you to picture it. Yes, 798 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 2: you're Humphrey Bogart. You're attending the opening night of Romanov's, 799 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:50,880 Speaker 2: a new restaurant you've invested in. 800 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 3: Yes, I love this. 801 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 2: You walk past the lines of people waiting outside and 802 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 2: head into the impressive dining room. The walls are mirrored 803 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,719 Speaker 2: and they're enormous. Candelabras smack dab in the middle of 804 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 2: each table. Diners laugh and chatter as they sip champagne 805 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 2: down cocktails, nibblon, imported sardines, green turtle soup, sweetbread, a 806 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 2: La King and frog legs, a real continental menu. All 807 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 2: of this you're You're seated at table number one, Yes, 808 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 2: which would become your standing reservation, and every day in 809 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:23,839 Speaker 2: the future you would go there for lunch and order 810 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 2: two scotch and sodas, an omelet, French toast, milk coffee, 811 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 2: and a brandy. 812 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:30,800 Speaker 3: I'm so hungry now just hearing my order. 813 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,879 Speaker 2: Here at the opening. One table over is Carry Grant. 814 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,560 Speaker 2: You glance at the menu and you see chicken soufle 815 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 2: for two dollars and fifty cents. There's no way that 816 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,760 Speaker 2: that tightwad Carry Grant would pay two dollars and fifty 817 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:43,359 Speaker 2: cents for dinner. 818 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 3: You chuckle to yourself, that's right, straight on. 819 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 2: Your big break hasn't come yet, but you know it will. 820 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 2: You've done thirty films so far playing villains as a 821 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 2: character actor. You made waves with angels with thirty faces 822 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:56,840 Speaker 2: last year, and you know your stars on the rise. 823 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 2: You look around the dining room, so many actors, actresses, musicians, 824 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 2: various swells just living it up. 825 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 3: You look over at. 826 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 2: The small swing band playing in the corner. Those guys 827 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 2: haven't made you think they get to make something everyone 828 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 2: enjoys and stay anonymous. 829 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 3: Play it again, shwinging band. 830 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 2: Your wife is tossing back French seventy five's and chatting 831 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 2: with the woman next to her. The two of them 832 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 2: break into cackling laughter. You see movement out of the 833 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 2: corner of your eye, and you notice Prince Mike dart 834 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,319 Speaker 2: in your way the Mayor d in tow. They rush 835 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 2: by you and stop next to Cary Grant. In his loud, 836 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 2: whispered English accent, the Prince hisses at Grant, we don't 837 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 2: have a cash register. You then hear Grant and the 838 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 2: Prince go back and forth about the matter. You said 839 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,719 Speaker 2: everything was completely taken care of. Yes, but this is 840 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 2: just one little thing. Why did I invest in this? 841 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 2: If you don't know what you're doing, Please you have 842 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,239 Speaker 2: to help. We can't make change for the guests. Okay, fine, 843 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 2: I'll send my butler to my house. And what help 844 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 2: would that do. I'm gonna have him bring back a 845 00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:56,279 Speaker 2: big box of cash, and for some reason, I keep 846 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 2: it at my house a war chest, so to speak. Okay, 847 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:00,959 Speaker 2: that's great, I can get you anything else as I'm there. No, 848 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 2: no't run really go to the place. 849 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 3: Like you're supposed to do. 850 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 2: About a half an hour later, Butler screeched up and 851 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 2: Grant's chauffeur driven car and came running in with boxes 852 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:10,520 Speaker 2: of cash. 853 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,280 Speaker 3: All was well at Romance. 854 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,359 Speaker 2: The restaurant was known for its signature dessert or it's 855 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,920 Speaker 2: like I like to say yes, strawberries Romanov. 856 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:20,920 Speaker 3: Oh, it said that. 857 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 2: He said he invented it. Prince Mike said, I invented 858 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 2: strawberries Romanov. 859 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 3: He invents a lot of things. 860 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 2: I believe him, and you know a lot of people 861 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 2: believe him too. The real story was that it was 862 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:34,720 Speaker 2: originally created in London by August Escufier, you know, a ghost. 863 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:35,840 Speaker 2: Call him on Instagram. 864 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:37,479 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, we're old school from all the same. 865 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,319 Speaker 2: The American version was popularized by Gergison in the US 866 00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:42,360 Speaker 2: of A via his restaurant is that where you. 867 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 3: Put like you you core a strawberry and you get 868 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 3: some whip cream. You put that in the cord strawberry 869 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 3: and then you put them on your finger and you go, 870 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 3: look at my fingers? Is that what that is? 871 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,320 Speaker 2: Just shove it in, Just shove it right, shove. 872 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 3: Its strawberry's rose. 873 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:06,040 Speaker 2: And then you cut into a little jagged Yeah, that's 874 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,560 Speaker 2: exactly what that is. You must have been to Romano. 875 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,600 Speaker 2: It involved cream and then you whip in some ice 876 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:16,399 Speaker 2: cream because that's not enough cream, and then you serve 877 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 2: it to someone with blactose and tolerance the Gurgison what 878 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:22,839 Speaker 2: did he say? Quote everyone has the idea that it's 879 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 2: a good chef that makes a restaurant. I know of 880 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:29,160 Speaker 2: no greater fallacy. A restaurant is only as good as 881 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:31,280 Speaker 2: its owner's personality. 882 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:36,400 Speaker 3: He's talking about a Kahn con and restaurant. I get it. Whatever. 883 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 2: Carol Marcus Siroyan Mathow was a debutante who arrived in Hollywood. 884 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,240 Speaker 2: That's an expensive name, uh huh, with fellow debutante pals 885 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 2: Una O'Neill and Gloria Vanderbilt. 886 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:49,760 Speaker 3: O'Neil, the one who would marry Charlie Chaplin. 887 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 2: So this is what Carol Marcus Siroyan Mathow said. Quote, 888 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:57,840 Speaker 2: Mike was the sweetest, nicest man who ever lived. Una 889 00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 2: and I were out here alone when we were about 890 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 2: six teen or seventeen. We wanted to go to Ronoff's 891 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:05,280 Speaker 2: to see all the stars. We often went there for lunch. 892 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:09,200 Speaker 2: We never got a bill. Mike would say, you're too little, Bibis, 893 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 2: you can have anything you want here. He'd sit down 894 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 2: with us and ask us where we were going. When 895 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 2: we told him, he'd sometimes say, oh, no, don't go there, 896 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,280 Speaker 2: or you mustn't see so and so he really cared. 897 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, sounds like it totally guys who want to hang 898 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 3: out with sixteen and seventeen year old girls and tell 899 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 3: them what to do. That's called exactly. 900 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:31,879 Speaker 2: You know that famous photo of Sophila Ren and Jans 901 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:36,320 Speaker 2: Mansfield where Loren is like half spelling at Mansfield's overflowing bosom. 902 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:38,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, aage on full display taking it. 903 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:44,160 Speaker 2: Romanovs no, yes, believe me. In nineteen thirty two, MGM 904 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:47,399 Speaker 2: purchased the movie rights to Gergison's life and it never 905 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 2: got made. 906 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:50,120 Speaker 3: I bet not when they realized, like, we cannot fact 907 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 3: check this. 908 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:52,799 Speaker 2: Well, it's due in part to the fact that his 909 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 2: life violated the three unities of drama. Unity of action, 910 00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 2: unity of place, unity of time. 911 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:00,160 Speaker 3: There's no unit, there is no there's no it's not 912 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 3: a unity of opposites. You can't even because it's a 913 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:03,240 Speaker 3: push and he just moves. 914 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,719 Speaker 2: He's all over the place. They also couldn't make a 915 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,320 Speaker 2: decent comedic finish to the film because the Hayes Code, 916 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:15,000 Speaker 2: which prohibited profanity, suggestive nudity, violence, also deemed it necessary 917 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 2: that transgressors are punished in the final reel. 918 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,080 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, oh definitely, yeah, you can come up. 919 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 2: In That doesn't happening for old Prince Mike Nope. Later, 920 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:26,680 Speaker 2: one of Gurgison's oldest friends, French screenwriter and director Harry 921 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:30,440 Speaker 2: de Rost, He actually wrote an ending for the film 922 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:33,160 Speaker 2: about Prince Mike. He had it where the Prince turns 923 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,399 Speaker 2: up in Russia and is captured by Soviet soldiers. As 924 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,439 Speaker 2: he has led to the firing squad, he's told, if 925 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:42,840 Speaker 2: only you will say I'm Harry Gergison, you will go 926 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:47,799 Speaker 2: free and be welcomed as a comrade. The Prince refuses 927 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,720 Speaker 2: with a scornful shake of his head and is executed coblamo. 928 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 3: Seven times, just like respute. 929 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,800 Speaker 2: There it is. He actually appeared in eighteen movies between 930 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:01,960 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty seven and nineteen sixty seven, sometimes credited, sometimes not, 931 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 2: sometimes this as himself, sometimes not. He officially became a 932 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,719 Speaker 2: US citizen by order of Congress in nineteen fifty eight with. 933 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:11,880 Speaker 3: President Order of Congress. 934 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 2: Uh huh, with President Dwight D. Eisenhower signing the bill 935 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 2: for citizenship. 936 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:16,879 Speaker 3: Get out of town. 937 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 2: I will not. 938 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:20,200 Speaker 3: Ike went for this. Yes, he's like I like this guy. 939 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:22,719 Speaker 3: Everyone likes I like this guy. I like Mike. 940 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:26,359 Speaker 2: Well. By the late fifties, though, Romanov's started to lose 941 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:26,840 Speaker 2: its cluster. 942 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 3: Yeah. 943 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, the new generation of Hollywood celebrities were just over it. 944 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:31,200 Speaker 3: Branda did not want to go there. 945 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:34,320 Speaker 2: No, A lot of them weren't comfortable with Gergison's friendship 946 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:35,160 Speaker 2: with Jay Edgar Hoover. 947 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that's it a tough one in the fifties. 948 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:40,840 Speaker 2: They didn't like his sort of ultra conservative stance that 949 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,440 Speaker 2: he had. He was handing out right wing literature with 950 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:47,120 Speaker 2: his menus, so they're just like open it up and 951 00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:48,880 Speaker 2: it whoa, hey, there's some hate speech. 952 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 953 00:45:51,239 --> 00:45:55,359 Speaker 2: More importantly to celebrities, though, forget the ethics of it. 954 00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:59,000 Speaker 2: The front and back room were like became a competition 955 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:01,680 Speaker 2: regarding seating. So a lot of times if a patron 956 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 2: was given the table in the back room, they would 957 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 2: just leave. Everyone wanted to be in the front. 958 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 3: To be they could be seen. 959 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:10,560 Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, Gergison, he looks around. My restaurant's not doing well. 960 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:12,360 Speaker 2: I'm going to open a second location. 961 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 3: That's probably the answer. Yes, So he had one failing one, 962 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:15,960 Speaker 3: why not go for something? 963 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 2: He needed to get money to open Romanofs too, because 964 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:22,359 Speaker 2: he's not making it in Romanovs one. So he sent 965 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:24,760 Speaker 2: a telegram to Alfred Vanderbilt. 966 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:26,560 Speaker 3: I figure it's gonna be Albert Einstein. I don't know, 967 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 3: Alfred vander all right, need money. 968 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:33,560 Speaker 2: He's Vanderbilt's on vacation in Hawaii asking if he could 969 00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:37,080 Speaker 2: borrow money. Hey, Alfred on the beach. 970 00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:38,480 Speaker 3: Put down the pineoff for a second. 971 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:41,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, coking up? And so this is what happens. 972 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 3: Though. 973 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:44,319 Speaker 2: Twenty five thousand dollars was delivered the next morning with 974 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:49,600 Speaker 2: a note, I'm always pleased to serve my king, Vanderbilt. 975 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:51,280 Speaker 3: Did you hear that sound? That was my brain bending 976 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 3: being bruised? And wait the moon? 977 00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:55,120 Speaker 2: What my king? 978 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:58,799 Speaker 3: Okay, I've hesitated to say it before, but can this 979 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 3: guy do some trick with his hung I mean, like, 980 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 3: what is the deal here? 981 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 2: No, he's just fantastic. Everyone wants to be around someone 982 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:08,120 Speaker 2: fantastic and interesting. 983 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:09,960 Speaker 3: Guess, but I mean, I don't even think Rihannica pulled 984 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:12,719 Speaker 3: this off. May maybe maybe she is. Maybe that's how 985 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 3: she got Fandy. I don't know the. 986 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:18,200 Speaker 2: Move, though. The new restaurant did not improve things. In 987 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:22,960 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty seven, when you Humphrey Bogart pass, things started 988 00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:26,560 Speaker 2: to decline in the new Romanov Empire see Never Fear 989 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:31,520 Speaker 2: Frank Sinatra's here. After Bogart died. After you die, Old 990 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 2: Blue Eyes started inviting Prince Mike to movie shoots and like, 991 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:36,120 Speaker 2: jaunts are all over the world. 992 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:38,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, because he the original rat pack was Humphrey 993 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:41,279 Speaker 3: Bogart's poker game. And then Frank Sinatra gets in as 994 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,040 Speaker 3: a young stars and then. 995 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:45,759 Speaker 2: This takes Mike with him. 996 00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:47,799 Speaker 3: He's like, I'm taking it all. I want you back 997 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,520 Speaker 3: of it. The Russian guy. 998 00:47:51,719 --> 00:47:55,080 Speaker 2: Now that Gerson wasn't at the restaurant, neither were his 999 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:57,720 Speaker 2: famous friends, so people stopped going. Of course, just Lookie 1000 00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:00,960 Speaker 2: lose up in there, Gergrison. He starts spending more time 1001 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:05,280 Speaker 2: in Palm Springs, thanks Frank, and he decided to open 1002 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 2: a third location, Romanovs on the Rocks. The Desert Sun 1003 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:14,080 Speaker 2: ran a piece in nineteen fifty nine, saying, quote the 1004 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,680 Speaker 2: little guy with a big smile and the Big Menu 1005 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 2: opened his rock rimmed restaurant last night, with the usual 1006 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:22,720 Speaker 2: run of who's who on hand to make things festive. 1007 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:26,839 Speaker 2: One time film extra Mike Romanov unveiled his Romanovs on 1008 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:30,439 Speaker 2: the Rocks with no fanfare, no frills, just the unimpeachable 1009 00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:33,760 Speaker 2: decorum that has marked his restaurants here and in Beverly Hills. 1010 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:36,320 Speaker 2: The Little Prince made a point of explaining that he 1011 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:39,160 Speaker 2: had no immediate plans for entertainment in the huge and 1012 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 2: severe dining room and bar that overlooks the Palm Springs region. 1013 00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:45,640 Speaker 2: The words were scarcely out of his mouth before diners 1014 00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:47,920 Speaker 2: Sammy Kahan and Jimmy van Housen were seated at the 1015 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:48,880 Speaker 2: Romanovs piano. 1016 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 3: Are you kidding? 1017 00:48:50,239 --> 00:48:51,239 Speaker 2: I Am not kidding him? 1018 00:48:51,239 --> 00:48:53,839 Speaker 3: What the hell these are? Like? Oh my god, I know. 1019 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,759 Speaker 2: It's like a veritable who's Who. Yes, The Desert Sun 1020 00:48:56,800 --> 00:49:01,160 Speaker 2: said he opened another place in San Francis, but none 1021 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:03,360 Speaker 2: of his restaurants were doing well. All of them closed 1022 00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:05,920 Speaker 2: in nineteen sixty two. The original closed New Year's Eve 1023 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:06,440 Speaker 2: nineteen six. 1024 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:07,880 Speaker 3: I didn't know other one in San Francisco. 1025 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:12,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, briefly, probably like five minutes. The restaurant did provide 1026 00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:15,799 Speaker 2: him with an opportunity to meet an actual Romanov. Get 1027 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:20,799 Speaker 2: out Prince Alexander Romanov said of the occasion, quote, I 1028 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,359 Speaker 2: was taken to the restaurant and all the stars were there. 1029 00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,920 Speaker 2: I thought he was exceedingly ugly. We just said a 1030 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:28,799 Speaker 2: few words to each other. My host has said about 1031 00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:32,280 Speaker 2: me to him. Alexander is a real Romanov, he replied, 1032 00:49:32,600 --> 00:49:39,960 Speaker 2: but I'm the only Mike Romanov. Gergison passed away at 1033 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,640 Speaker 2: good Smaritan Hospital September second, nineteen seventy one. 1034 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 3: I'm the look on poor Alexander's face when that guy 1035 00:49:45,160 --> 00:49:47,440 Speaker 3: said that to him. He's a Russian road in Hollywood 1036 00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:48,239 Speaker 3: and he's got this guy going. 1037 00:49:48,280 --> 00:49:51,200 Speaker 2: I Am just like rolled his eyes and sniffed. 1038 00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 5: Now. 1039 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 2: Gergison left no memoir, no based on a true story, film, 1040 00:49:56,120 --> 00:50:00,839 Speaker 2: no documentary. He did, however, become immortalized on page by 1041 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:05,320 Speaker 2: a biography published in nineteen ninety seven called Romanov Prince 1042 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:08,120 Speaker 2: of Rogues, The Life and Time of a Hollywood Icon. 1043 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:15,600 Speaker 3: What's your takeaway, Oh man, I'm surprised that, like, like okay, 1044 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:18,040 Speaker 3: I'm not surprised that Humphy Boerger was taken. He came 1045 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 3: from money. So he's just like all the other Vanderbilt 1046 00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:21,640 Speaker 3: you know. No, he wasn't as wealthy as but he 1047 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:23,919 Speaker 3: was like, you know, mainline Philadelphia money, I think you Yeah, 1048 00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:26,359 Speaker 3: So he could be conned like all of them. But 1049 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:28,960 Speaker 3: carry Grant was in the circus because he was basically 1050 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:30,400 Speaker 3: like an orphan on the streets. 1051 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:32,279 Speaker 2: Of London and notoriously stingy and. 1052 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,160 Speaker 3: Notoriously stingy and cunning and all of that that comes 1053 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:37,840 Speaker 3: with the life of childhood poverty where he's not going 1054 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:39,960 Speaker 3: to like take something for granted, he's not He will 1055 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:42,839 Speaker 3: be generous, but he's not going to be a fool, right, 1056 00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:45,440 Speaker 3: So it surprises me that he got so in bed 1057 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 3: with him and did not sense that something was hinky. 1058 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:50,320 Speaker 3: I mean that really surprised. 1059 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:52,520 Speaker 2: Well, I'm guessing he made money while he did, no. 1060 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:54,080 Speaker 3: But just that even would want to spend so much 1061 00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:56,319 Speaker 3: time around somebody's such an obvious faker when yeah, he 1062 00:50:56,480 --> 00:50:58,040 Speaker 3: you know, he's looked the guy who's known for like 1063 00:50:58,239 --> 00:51:01,400 Speaker 3: wanting to do acid early with this therapist because he 1064 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:03,440 Speaker 3: was always after that truth. You know, he was somebody 1065 00:51:03,600 --> 00:51:05,520 Speaker 3: who was a seeker. So I'm surprised at a seeker. 1066 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,359 Speaker 3: I'm not surprised. Hoy Boger, I love Boger. You know this, 1067 00:51:08,480 --> 00:51:11,160 Speaker 3: but you know whatever. But like Carrie Grant, I'm like, 1068 00:51:11,200 --> 00:51:16,200 Speaker 3: you got Archibald Leitch. That's ridiculous. Yep, what's yours? Elizabeth? 1069 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,839 Speaker 3: You see how I did that? That's how that's done to. 1070 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 2: No, I'll tell you what my takeaway is, though, I 1071 00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:26,440 Speaker 2: would give anything to have that kind of quality where 1072 00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:29,400 Speaker 2: people just like you, no matter what I can. 1073 00:51:29,239 --> 00:51:32,440 Speaker 3: Tell you, it's a burden. It's just you would hate it. 1074 00:51:32,440 --> 00:51:35,440 Speaker 2: I want to interview more. I interview you more about that. 1075 00:51:35,840 --> 00:51:38,360 Speaker 2: I am so hot and tired in here, I can't speak. 1076 00:51:39,040 --> 00:51:41,399 Speaker 2: It is. It is like ninety degrees in this. 1077 00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:43,560 Speaker 3: Story, like just a puddle of guru. 1078 00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:46,399 Speaker 2: I'm total. I'm big gurguru right now. 1079 00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:50,160 Speaker 3: That's it, Okay, I'm done whatever. 1080 00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,800 Speaker 2: You can find us online at Ridiculous Crime dot com 1081 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:56,279 Speaker 2: and we have t shirts if you're into that sort 1082 00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:57,839 Speaker 2: of thing, but I don't know if they're still on there. 1083 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:01,279 Speaker 2: They're limited time only. Our merchan is a limited time only. 1084 00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:04,400 Speaker 2: We're also at Ridiculous Crime on both Twitter and Instagram. 1085 00:52:04,440 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 2: Email us at Ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com. Leave 1086 00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:10,200 Speaker 2: us a talkback on the iHeart app, reach Out Baby, 1087 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:18,480 Speaker 2: Tune In Next Time. Ridiculous Crime is hosted by Elizabeth 1088 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:21,800 Speaker 2: Duttan and Zarren Burnett, produced and edited by Czar Dave Kusten, 1089 00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:25,200 Speaker 2: Emperor of the Holy Flavortown Empire. Research is by Duchess 1090 00:52:25,200 --> 00:52:28,279 Speaker 2: Marissa Brown and Baroness Andrea Song Sharpen Tear. The theme 1091 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:31,400 Speaker 2: song is by Romanov's house band Thomas Lee and Travis Dutton. 1092 00:52:31,600 --> 00:52:35,479 Speaker 2: Executive producers are Sophia Loren and Jane Mansfield. Cosplayers Ben 1093 00:52:35,520 --> 00:52:36,520 Speaker 2: Bollen and Noel Brown. 1094 00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:48,120 Speaker 1: Disquime Say It One More Time Crime. Ridiculous Crime is 1095 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:51,200 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio four More Podcasts my Heart Radio, 1096 00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:54,520 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 1097 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:55,600 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows,