1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,439 Speaker 1: Ridiculous crime. It's a production of iHeartRadio zaren. 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 2: Zar. 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 3: I was talking to Sorry, are they good? They're good? 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 3: They were licking my hand. Oh, that sounds wrong. They 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 3: don't tell hr. No, I won't the four Legged ones, 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 3: how are we? 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 2: Oh? Because I was gonna say, like for the other ones, 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 2: for like Braiden Limb, jay Lee and Jaye. I was like, 9 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: those two, Oh my god, I don't want to give 10 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 2: them the college credits that they're supposed to be earning. No, 11 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: they Braiden Limb erased all the emails again again. 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that they've lost their car, or at 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 3: least lied to me and said that they couldn't come 14 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 3: into work because they lost their car. I don't know 15 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 3: which one it is. 16 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 2: No, I can't tell. I can't tell them apart. 17 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm like, is that a lie or just an 18 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 3: ambition of your stupidity? 19 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 2: I know, we'll both do you know what? 20 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 3: It's ridiculous? I do, Elizabeth. Yeah, this is kind of 21 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 3: a little bit more serious and a heartfelt plea for 22 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 3: the world to slow down and stop changing, because I'm 23 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 3: not a fan of all these changes. 24 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,279 Speaker 2: Oh, I know you and me both, sister. 25 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,959 Speaker 3: No book for real like, okay, I don't know about you. 26 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 3: I loved mass market paperbacks, those little books. They would 27 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 3: fit in your back pocket. When I was in college, 28 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 3: I was known to always have a book on me 29 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 3: because I wore big pants like junko, totally like big 30 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 3: sake skateboard pants. 31 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 2: Put like two friends in each leg. 32 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 3: Oh, I could put a forty in my front pockets. 33 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: I used to used to steal a pound of cheese 34 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 3: from the Safeway on Marcus Street and Church. 35 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 2: They looked like ball gowns. 36 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, it was. It was insane. We used to 37 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 3: do so much. But one times friends we used always 38 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 3: amuse themselves and ask me to empty my pockets and 39 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 3: it would take like twenty five minutes because I had 40 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 3: so much in there, anything way more than what I 41 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 3: have now, which is like basically a pocket knife and 42 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 3: a couple other things like a lucky penny, a rock 43 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 3: or two. 44 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: Then it was like tell the truth, Tell the truth 45 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: about what you keep in the like kangaroo pouch of 46 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: your hoodie, what you have like a notebook, a pen, yeah, 47 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: an extra pair of glasses, a rock. 48 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: Okay, I still do the same thing. 49 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: There's just random I've seen you have to empty it 50 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: out to security. 51 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 3: If you see me going to the airport, always like sir, 52 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 3: could you consolidate some of this stuff? They always complained 53 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 3: to me at security about how much stuff out in 54 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 3: my pocket, or they'll wave somebody over to look at 55 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 3: how much stuff came out, Like I'm like a drunk kangaroo. 56 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 4: I'll just pulling. 57 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: Stuff seeing you like look for something. Oh no, we 58 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: were at some show and you were pulling out Okay, 59 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 2: my phone, some glasses, here's a rock, and pads and 60 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: a pen, and then an unopened can of sparkling water. 61 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 3: It's true anyway. 62 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: And that thing of trail mix, Oh. 63 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, the trail mix. A pack of a trail mix. Okay, 64 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: they get peckish. So I used to always be known 65 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 3: for having a mass market paperback on me, you know, 66 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 3: like just like a John D. McDonald mystery just whatever, 67 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: like a lot of mysteries generally. And I've learned recently 68 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 3: they are stopping the publication of mass market paperbacks. They're 69 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 3: gonna be like, oh, I got to get a kindle 70 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 3: and I don't even have a kindle. I think I've 71 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 3: been given a couple of gifts on never use them, 72 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 3: and I have to find those and dust them off, 73 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 3: because my favorite form of book well pocket size. 74 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 2: In paperback, but it's the ones that like you see 75 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: on the display these them in supermarkets. 76 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, totally yeah, like yeah, all the like the Clive 77 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 3: Custlers and the what's the John Grisham books and the 78 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 3: Valley of the Dolls. 79 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: And like can how that's like it keeps popping up 80 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: in like my timeline and those like guys kind I 81 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: love that, but. 82 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 3: I'm just so bummed the end of that era. I mean, like, 83 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 3: come on, what about so now I have to go 84 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 3: to like good Wills and why. 85 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: Why people don't know how to read anymore? 86 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 3: That is true? Have you seen the numbers? 87 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 4: It's sad post post COVID. 88 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: It fell off a cliffs because before then it was 89 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 3: going bad and it was like all of a sudden, 90 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 3: the car just went right off the road and they 91 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 3: could stop going downhill and just went into a ravine 92 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 3: and then the being caught fire. 93 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: Everything, and then it burned all the way up to 94 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: the river and it set the river on fire. 95 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 3: Lake Erie and there's all they want. Yeah, it was ridiculous, right. 96 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: Do you want to know what else is ridiculous? I've 97 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: been hired to star in the next Marvel movie called 98 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 2: Hammock Woman. And if you believe that, I've got a 99 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: bridge to sell you, Yeah, this is Ridiculous Crime, a 100 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: podcast about absurd and outrageous capers, heists and cons. It's 101 00:04:54,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 2: always ninety nine percent murder free and one hundred percent ridiculous. 102 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 3: You damn right. 103 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. Uh, you know. There's that old trope 104 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: that if someone's gullible, we say, well, I've got a 105 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 2: bridge to Celia. Oh yeah, I've heard that, and the 106 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 2: person is talking about the Brooklyn Bridge specifically. Yeah, it's 107 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: There are references to this in movies and in cartoons. 108 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 2: For example, the nineteen thirty seven comedy every Day is 109 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 2: a Holiday. In it, a bodacious babe con artist named 110 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: Peaches Oday Great Name, played by May West Yes sells. 111 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 2: Peaches Oday new alias sells the Brooklyn Bridge to a 112 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 2: guy for two hundred dollars, and the bill of sale reads, 113 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 2: one bridge in good condition. 114 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 3: Very distracted. 115 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 2: I'm sure he was. She gets busted, she's run out 116 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: of town, but she's like a tough, bressy broad so 117 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: she comes back in a black wig, calling herself Mademoiselle Fifi, 118 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: and then she goes on to be elected mayor of 119 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 2: the city, of course, and so every day is a holiday. 120 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 2: Is on my watch list? Yes, my two watch list. 121 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: So yeah, okay, there's that. In the nineteen forty nine 122 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 2: cartoon Bowery Bugs, Bugs sells the bridge to an old 123 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: man after charming him with the story. And so there 124 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,359 Speaker 2: was a time when everyone knew this phrase. If you 125 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: believe that I've got a bridge that I want to 126 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 2: sell you. Oh and so it had to come from somewhere. 127 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 3: Where did it come from? 128 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 2: Let me tell you there were actually a lot of 129 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: swindlers who tried to sell people the Brooklyn Bridge. 130 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 3: It wasn't just like one famous incident. 131 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 2: No no, no, no, no, no, no, no no. Okay, So 132 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: let's learn a little about the thing. The Brooklyn Bridge 133 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,239 Speaker 2: is one of the most important engineering landmarks in American history. 134 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: It is a good looking bridge. 135 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 2: I didn't know it was this big of a deal. 136 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 2: So it connects Manhattan and Brooklyn over the East River. 137 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 2: It was the first steel wire suspension bridge ever completed, 138 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 2: and at the time of its opening, it was one 139 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 2: of the longest suspension bridges in the world. So before 140 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 2: the bridge, if you wanted to get between Brooklyn in 141 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 2: New York City, you had to take the ferry. Construction 142 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: started in eighteen seventy. So as an aside, which I 143 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 2: know you love I do, I found some interesting information 144 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 2: about the designer of the bridge and the construction when 145 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 2: I was doing all my research. So John A. Roebling, 146 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 2: he was the mastermind behind the bridge. Yeah, he was 147 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: like this genius engineer. But in eighteen sixty nine, while 148 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 2: taking compass readings on the edge of the river, his 149 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: foot got crushed by a docking ferry. Oh right, and 150 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: so he developed tetanus and he died a couple of 151 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 2: weeks ago. 152 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 3: Oh lord, from a ferry accident. A couple He. 153 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 2: Smashed his foot and that's f E R R y 154 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 2: the boat. 155 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, sprite, I don't know. 156 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 2: Sometimes it's you know, could happen. So, yeah, tetanus and 157 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 2: jaw locked up. That was it. So his son, Washington Robeling, 158 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 2: took over the project. He was also an engineer or 159 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 2: he was a Civil War vet. He refined the design 160 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 2: and he oversaw the most difficult construction phases, so like 161 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,559 Speaker 2: when they're digging the giant chambers that are sunk into 162 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: the riverbed, for the towers. A lot of workers got 163 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 2: decompression sickness, and so they'd be like they'd get joint pain, paralysis, 164 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: some even died. Washington Robling himself became seriously ill from 165 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 2: decompression sickness and was left partially disabled during his illness, 166 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 2: so he's out. His wife, Emily Warren Robling, took on 167 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 2: like this very crucial and well documented role. She studied 168 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 2: engineering principles, material strength, cable construction, and she became the 169 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 2: on site liaison between her husband and the field engineers. 170 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 2: And then she like she had this like sustained technical 171 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 2: managerial involvement that made her one of the earthiest widely 172 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 2: recognized women in major civil engineering work in the United States. 173 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 3: So is she kind of doing like the Edith Wilson 174 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 3: Woodrow Wilson thing was like I'll take this to him 175 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 3: and then comes that just. 176 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 2: Comes back he said this, Yes, okay, she was calling 177 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 2: the shots. So those are some fun facts. Yeah, it's fine, 178 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 2: aside from like the foot stuff anyway, which is rough, 179 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 2: which is cool, buddy. So the bridge officially opened May 180 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: twenty fourth, eighteen eighty three, after fourteen years of construction. 181 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 2: Opening day major celebration US President Chester A. Arthur was there, 182 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 2: New York Governor Grover Cleveland. 183 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 3: All the fact totally were you in New York politics 184 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 3: and kind of hanky. 185 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 2: Come on, Emily Robling, she got the first ceremonial ride 186 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: across the bridge and then but right after it opened, 187 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 2: there was rumor that it was going to collapse and 188 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: there was this like crowd panic, all these people. They 189 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 2: had a stampede, people died. So to restore public confidence. P. T. 190 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 2: Barnum marched a parade of elephants across the bridge in 191 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 2: eighteen eighty four to demonstrate its strength. 192 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 3: That is a scientist. 193 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. And then everyone's like, oh crap, Well, if 194 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 2: the elephants can do. 195 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 3: It, we can take a parade of elephant. Fine. You 196 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 3: know about the Golden Gate Bridge where they had like 197 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 3: too many people on the bridge and the bridge almost 198 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 3: collapse because they had like basically a march when it 199 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 3: opened it they had too many people. 200 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: And Grandpa was on there. Really yeah, he was in 201 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: the navy and this ship was docked and they marched 202 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 2: them all across and he tells it bounced. 203 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, like the boat. They gave its boat on an 204 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 3: inverted way, like convex and they went concave right. 205 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 2: So many people. So it happens with these things. The 206 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,839 Speaker 2: eleve they did, they needed more elephants. So when immigrants 207 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: arrived in New York via boat, they saw two things, 208 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 2: the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. And the 209 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: bridge instantly became this iconic you know, it was. It 210 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 2: was a symbol of the feeling of endless possibility. 211 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 3: The New World industry. 212 00:10:57,480 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: Those who were already here saw it as this marvel 213 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 2: of engineering, and so if you're just arriving, anything's possible. 214 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: Twenty three years before the bridge opened in eighteen sixty, 215 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 2: a boy child was born. His parents, Irish immigrants, named 216 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: him George C. 217 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 4: Parker. 218 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 2: So he has this big Irish family. It's like a 219 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 2: true American story. Seven kids, some of them even got 220 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 2: to graduate from high school. 221 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 3: Wow, it's a big thing. Then, yes, back then. 222 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 2: And to make an even truer American story, George liked 223 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 2: to be on the wrong side of the law. 224 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 3: Nice, good for you, George. 225 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 2: He was super charming. He's like a pretty good looking guy, 226 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 2: particularly if you're into handlebar mustaches. 227 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 4: Oh at the time, yeah, in the game, oh yeah. 228 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 2: And he documentation on his childhood is limited, because you know, 229 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 2: that's kind of how it works for non elites at 230 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 2: that time. We do know just from like the year 231 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 2: of his birth and that he grew up during the 232 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 2: post Civil war, that he was there for this crazy 233 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 2: expansion in New York. It's growing and growing, immigration, tourism, 234 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 2: speculative business ventures like that. There's just so much fertile 235 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: ground for fraud. 236 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 3: I think all those we talk about pre war buildings, yeah, 237 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 3: being built. 238 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: Right now exactly. 239 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 3: So. 240 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 2: By the eighteen eighties and the eighteen nineties, Parker was 241 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 2: already operating confidence tricks in New York City. Yes, and 242 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 2: his specialty was property and title fraud with a little 243 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 2: impersonation and forged documentation sprinkled. 244 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,320 Speaker 3: In okay go the stamp well Yeah. 245 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 2: Unlike short con street swindlers, the three card monte men 246 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 2: and the like, he had these like elaborate scenarios. So 247 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 2: his victims thought that they were making large, legitimate investments. 248 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 2: They thought they were entering the realm of the robber baron. 249 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 2: They were going to be a captain of industry at 250 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 2: some point. By the late nineteenth century, he had started 251 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 2: posing as the legal owner or authorized agent of all 252 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: these high profile New York properties, so he had like 253 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:03,479 Speaker 2: these consistent elements he always used. He would rent offices 254 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 2: near the property that he planned to quote unquote sell. 255 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 2: He would draw up forged deeds, permits, ownership papers, like 256 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 2: he was really good at fake paperwork, and he had 257 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: all these accomplices posing as clerks, lawyers, government officials, like 258 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: it was a huge protection. Yes, and despite his own parents' 259 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 2: history of crossing the Atlantic on an Irish coffin ship, 260 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 2: he went after recent immigrants. 261 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 3: Well, you know, he got to go with what you know. 262 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: Some out of towners as well, but like they were 263 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: dazzled by everything their new home had to offer, and 264 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 2: they knew that this is the land of opportunity. Anything's possible, 265 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 2: you can go from rags to riches. They're also thinking, 266 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 2: like the laws are different, it's more open here when 267 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,439 Speaker 2: it comes to property ownership. 268 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 3: And oh yeah than the landlords of old. Right. 269 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: It was intoxicating, and Parker was there to pour him 270 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,839 Speaker 2: a cocktail of hope. He's like, come on, dude, he 271 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 2: understood that newcomers are often assumed that official looking paperwork 272 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 2: and a rented office meant legitimacy and not just newcomers 273 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 2: who fall for that. People do the same today, but 274 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 2: back then there were no tidal verification systems. 275 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 3: It was all right where you can look at the 276 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 3: history of the building. 277 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: Exactly, and it wasn't as centralized, so document fraud was 278 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 2: pretty easy to carry off at that point. Before Ellis 279 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 2: Island opened in eighteen ninety two, immigrants were processed at 280 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 2: Fort Clinton in Lower Manhattan, and then even after Ellis 281 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: Island opened, there are all these newcomers still passed through 282 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 2: Lower Manhattan transit points where all the fixers and the 283 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 2: swindlers operating. They kind of had to run the gauntlet. 284 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: So Parker and all these like similar con artists, they 285 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 2: were looking for folks who had some savings, maybe spoke 286 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: limited English, wanted to invest quickly, and did not understand 287 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 2: US property law. 288 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 3: And did not have access to a lawyer. 289 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 2: No, so he had inside on site who would point 290 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 2: these types out to him, like those taking yeah and 291 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 2: then yeah. He'd present himself as this connected insider who 292 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 2: could sell them revenue producing infrastructure or prime real estate. 293 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 2: So he started selling office buildings to immigrants who thought 294 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: they'd like hit the right guy at the right time 295 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 2: and they could establish themselves in their new home. But 296 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 2: then he wanted up the stakes and the money. So 297 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 2: he started selling the Brooklyn Bridge and he would say 298 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 2: I own the bridge, or sometimes he was like I 299 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 2: have control of it. And he would offer victims the 300 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 2: right to operate toll booths or control access, and he's like, 301 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: it's steady revenue. People go back and forth between Manhattan 302 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 2: and Brooklyn constantly. Yeah, And then he'd say, look, it's 303 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 2: this privately owned bridge, or there's actually there's a transferable concession. 304 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 2: And so he's thrown around all these terms. He had forged, 305 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 2: franchise rights and operating permits. All the documents looked totally legitimate, 306 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 2: especially to someone new on the scene. Everything looked official important, 307 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 2: And the contracts that he drew up granted the buyer 308 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 2: toll collection authority because that's the money maker. 309 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 3: That's what they're looking for. 310 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 2: So all these victims reportedly attempted to set up toll 311 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 2: gates after their purchases. They get it all set up, 312 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 2: and then the cops would show up and tell them 313 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 2: to dismantle it and get off the bridge, like, no, 314 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 2: move out of here. 315 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 3: You don't get to charge a toll for this poor suckers. 316 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 3: I know, but Parker, the paint's not even dry. 317 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 2: The Parker was back, like he bribed the captains at 318 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 2: Ellis Island Ferry to find him more marks. There was 319 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 2: always a new crop, and it wasn't just the Brooklyn Bridge. 320 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 2: So he told new arrivals that Ulysses S. Grant was 321 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: his grandpa and that he wanted to pay tribute to 322 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 2: this war hero and construct a breathtaking monument a tomb. 323 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 2: But he didn't have the cash on hand to do it, 324 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 2: so he needed investors. Would they like to buy into 325 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 2: this most American and patriotic of efforts, Like did they 326 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 2: want to be part owner of Grant's tomb? And these 327 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 2: are people, they're coming here for a new life. They 328 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 2: want to be part of this amazing country that has 329 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 2: so much to offer. Like of course, all chip in 330 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: and they may have barely spoken English, but they knew 331 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 2: who Grant was. 332 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 3: Won the Civil War, and they knew America. 333 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: They're like coming in. 334 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 3: Yeah. 335 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 2: He also made a go at selling a piece of 336 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: Madison Square Garden and the Metropolitan. 337 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 4: Museum of Arts, of course names and. 338 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 2: Then also the most American of all landmarks, the Statue 339 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 2: of Liberty of course, you know, mother of exiles. Give 340 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 2: me you're tired, you're poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe, free, 341 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 2: the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the 342 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 2: homeless tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside 343 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,959 Speaker 2: the golden door. That one. That's the one. 344 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 3: So it's such a great phrase. 345 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,679 Speaker 2: So he's just going along selling things that aren't his 346 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 2: to sell. There are reports that he sold the bridge 347 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 2: two times a week for years. 348 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 3: How is he finding that many buyers? 349 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 2: It seems like an exaggeration, but he did pull it 350 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 2: off a lot. 351 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 3: It seems like people like talk would get around or 352 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 3: somebody like you, Yeah. 353 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 2: But they're new, you're right off the boat. 354 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 3: But still the family, Yeah kah. 355 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 2: You can only pull it off so many times and 356 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 2: for so long. Sure it's bound to catch up, and 357 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 2: it does. 358 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 3: I think it also because in the immigrant community this 359 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 3: would be like kind of a story that would get 360 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 3: passed around. 361 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 2: I think. Well. And he did get arrested for either 362 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 2: selling the Brooklyn Bridge or swindling someone three different times. 363 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 2: And he would do a little spell inside and then 364 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 2: he'd get out and he'd go back to his one 365 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 2: and only job con artist. 366 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 4: Uh huh. 367 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 2: But then in nineteen twenty eight things got a little sticky. 368 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 2: Let's take a break and when we come back, I've 369 00:18:53,080 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 2: got some complicating factors. Oo zaren So I was telling 370 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 2: you about George C. 371 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 3: Parker. I was. 372 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 2: He's credited as the guy who originally inspired the whole. 373 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 2: If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell 374 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,399 Speaker 2: you mine. And there are all sorts of articles about 375 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 2: him and his exploits. He's mentioned in books. He has 376 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 2: his own Wikipedia page, and there's a photo of him 377 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: on there. Like I said, handsome gent. 378 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 3: Did he have the actual mustache? Described it? 379 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 2: He totally did. Yeah. And on that page there's a 380 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 2: link to another swindler, a guy named William mcclowndy. He 381 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 2: also has a Wikipedia page, although it's terribly thin and 382 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 2: there's no photo. So I went diving into the newspapers 383 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 2: dot com archive for information mclowndy, and I found just 384 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: one run of articles from nineteen twenty eight. Some had 385 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 2: a photo of him, and he was not a particularly 386 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 2: handsome gent. 387 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 3: Was he well worn? He written? 388 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, But in those articles they list George C. 389 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 2: Parker as an alias of William mclowndey, and mclowndey's criminal 390 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 2: history and legal woes line up with those of Parker. WHOA, 391 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: so were they the same guy? 392 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 3: Parker go through a couple of rough years of hard drinking. 393 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 2: The photos, I mean it's not even close to the face. 394 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 3: No, no, no, not at all, not at all. 395 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 2: He has like a totally different face, different sized body, everything. 396 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 2: The photos argue against them being the same guy. But 397 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 2: the news reports sure make it seem like they're one 398 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 2: in the same. And yet George Parker has his own 399 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 2: set of nineteen twenty eight news articles. None of them 400 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 2: mentioned mclowndy. 401 00:20:59,440 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 3: Interesting. 402 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so mclowndey articles, those are from July of nineteen 403 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,719 Speaker 2: twenty eight. The Parker articles are from November December nineteen 404 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: twenty eight. So mclowndey's listed as sixty eight years old 405 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 2: and Parker is listed for the most part as fifty 406 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 2: eight years old, but some say sixty eight. 407 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:18,679 Speaker 3: Let me read you. 408 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 2: A short article about George Parker from a December eighteenth, 409 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty eight wire story. Man who sold Brooklyn Bridge 410 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 2: gets life term. His hands trembling beneath the frayed cuffs 411 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 2: of his wrinkled coat. George C. Parker fifty eight, one 412 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 2: time king of the confidence Men, was sentenced to life 413 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 2: in prison today for forging a one hundred and fifty 414 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 2: dollars check. Parker, famous in the Naughty nineties as the 415 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 2: biggest of big time confidence men, is the city slicker 416 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 2: who first sold the Brooklyn Bridge to what was then 417 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 2: called a hay seed. It made him later. Parker started 418 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 2: one new year right by walking out of a local 419 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 2: jail where he was awaiting trial, wearing the overcoat and 420 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 2: resplendent official cap of the new Sheriff of the City 421 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 2: of New York, starting his first day in office. Altogether, 422 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: Parker was arrested twelve times and sentenced seven times. As 423 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 2: is usual, his first conviction started him on the downward 424 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 2: path from his eminence as a crook. He was sentenced 425 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 2: today under Baum's Law, which makes mandatory on a judge 426 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 2: the life sentencing of a fourth offender against criminal laws. 427 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 2: In his prime, Parker was known as the best dressed 428 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 2: grafter in New York. His clothes today were threadbare, and 429 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 2: he seemed broken after his long duel of wits with society. 430 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 3: So this is twenty eight. He got famous in the 431 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 3: naughty nineties, so we're like looking at thirty years at least, 432 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 3: yeah later, and he's still like the talk of the 433 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 3: town enough that people are referencing him like guy number one. 434 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 2: He's the king of the con men. 435 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 3: But he's fallen off and say hard. 436 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 2: Times, and he's not all over the paper in those years. 437 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's crazy. So it's kind of like a throwback like, oh, 438 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 3: this guy got caught. Yeah, yeah, ask your parents about it. 439 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 2: Gets pinched for a check for one hundred and fifty. 440 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 3: Bucks and why locked up for life? 441 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 2: But then I'll get to that. But so then in 442 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 2: the Brooklyn Daily Times five months earlier, there was the 443 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 2: story about William mclowndy. He's listed as sixty eight years 444 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 2: old and living at three forty nine Third Avenue, Asbury Park, 445 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 2: New Jersey, and they mentioned him selling the Brooklyn Bridge 446 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 2: and other properties, and they say he spent twenty years 447 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 2: in prison. So he's pulled from New Jersey into New 448 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 2: York because a guy named Max Schmeier said mclowndey sold 449 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: him ten lots on Highland Boulevard and the problem was 450 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 2: that mclowney didn't own them. So in the article they 451 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 2: list off all of mclowndey's aliases, I owe you O'Brien. 452 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 3: Get out of town. I owe you a bra that's 453 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 3: a hell. The street name Captain George C. 454 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 2: Parker. 455 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: Okay, so that's when he wheres his uniform. 456 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 2: Warden James Kennedy. Smart, But see that overlaps with Parker's 457 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 2: thing of that he dressed like the police chief to escape. 458 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: So apparently he'd been passing himself off as quote, captain 459 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 2: of a large ocean liner and also warden of the 460 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 2: city prison. When he sold the bogus lots to Schmeyer, 461 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 2: he was calling himself Albert Merch and said he was 462 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 2: a real estate man. So the article says mcclowndy first 463 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: sold the Brooklyn Bridge in nineteen oh one, and he 464 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 2: was arrested for that and did two years and six 465 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 2: months in sing Sing prison for it. Then in nineteen 466 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 2: eleven he sold interests in city Hall and that got 467 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 2: him another two years in sing Sing. Once out, he 468 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 2: gets busted for forgery, does another four years and five 469 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 2: months in sing Sing. According to the article quote. He 470 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 2: served ten days in the King's County Jail in nineteen 471 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: oh seven on a grand larceny conviction. Other terms included 472 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 2: nineteen fourteen impersonating a police officer, six months in city prison, 473 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 2: nineteen fifteen, one year in penitentiary for four day, nineteen 474 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 2: twenty three, six months city prison, attempted grand larceny, nineteen 475 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 2: twenty three grand larceny, Boston, Massachusetts. No disposition. So there's 476 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 2: an article in the Brooklyn Eagle the next day that 477 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 2: has even more detail, but a little different. There's no 478 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 2: mention of Schmeyer in it. They do talk about the 479 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 2: extradition from New Jersey, but it has a little. 480 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 4: More juice to it. 481 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 2: Zaren, close your eyes. Oh, I want you to picture it. 482 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,479 Speaker 2: You are a New York City Police detective fellow by 483 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 2: the name of Benny Drisco. It's July sixth, nineteen twenty eight, 484 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 2: and you're working a string of cons that goes back decades. 485 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 2: You've been chasing this Purp all over. He tried to 486 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 2: sell the Brooklyn Bridge, if you can believe it, and 487 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 2: city Hall, and he's constantly passing bad checks and swindling 488 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 2: folks out of their hard earned cash. But this afternoon 489 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 2: this stops. You and your partner have driven over to 490 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 2: Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was a real drive your 491 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 2: future great grandkids will be able to zip through the 492 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,719 Speaker 2: same trip driving a little over an hour on smooth 493 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 2: paved roads and sleek cars with power steering and anti 494 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 2: lock brakes and suspension systems and air conditioning and radios 495 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:24,719 Speaker 2: and touchscreens and heated steering wheels. You though, are chugging 496 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 2: along down rutted roads and under construction highways in a 497 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 2: brand new Ford Model A. You are an impatient driver. 498 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 2: An old Gelopi pulls out in front of you around 499 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 2: perth Amboy and creeps along, slowing your progress. You hit 500 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 2: the switch for the growler siren and it slowly comes 501 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 2: to life to turn on the red lights. The truck 502 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 2: pulls over to the side a bit, and when the 503 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 2: driver sees the emblem of NYPD on the side of 504 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 2: your car, he shakes his fist at you out the 505 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 2: open window and yell something you can't make out. After 506 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 2: what feels like an eternity, you arrive in Asbury Park. 507 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 2: Your partner draws his finger along the map and his 508 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 2: lap and directs you to a house. It's a few 509 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 2: blocks from the beach. People still have American flag bunting 510 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,360 Speaker 2: up on their porches from the fourth of July. It's 511 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 2: a hot day, but there's a lovely breeze coming off 512 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 2: the water. You pull up in front of a small 513 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 2: clapboard house and stop the car. Some kids come stare 514 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 2: in awe at the cop car from New York City. 515 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 2: You get out and you reach into the back seat 516 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 2: for your hat and your suit jacket. You fan yourself 517 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 2: with your hat before propping it on your head and 518 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 2: donning your light jacket, your shirt sticking to your back 519 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 2: with sweat. What are you doing here, mister? A brave 520 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 2: kid shouts at you from across the street. Your partner 521 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 2: tells him to beat it, and you both head for 522 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 2: the door of the house. You step onto the porch 523 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 2: and knock. No answer. You hear a cough coming from 524 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 2: behind the house, so you nod at your partner and 525 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 2: the two of you make your way to the backyard. 526 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 2: You peek over the fence and see a man. He's 527 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 2: a short, squat fellow with small eyes and tiny round glasses. 528 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 2: He wears a straw pork pie hat with a blue 529 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: and red stripe ribbon around the bottom of the crown. 530 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 2: He has a measuring tape in one hand and the 531 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 2: other hand on his hip. He looks up and spots 532 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 2: you and your partner. Can I help you Fellas he calls, 533 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 2: smile on his face William mcclowndey. You ask, uh, sure, 534 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 2: who's asking? He replies, Detective Benny Drisco. You announce come 535 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 2: out from back there. The man's face falls and he 536 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 2: begins a slow trudge toward you. He opens the gate 537 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 2: and looks up at you. You tell him he's under arrest. 538 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 2: Then you list off the litany of crimes that got 539 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 2: him there, and you hold out a judge's order directing 540 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 2: his extradition to New York. Just then, a man approaches. 541 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 3: Hey, what's the big idea? 542 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 2: He booms. You tell him to mind his own business, 543 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 2: and he tells you to get out of his yard. 544 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 3: Your yard. 545 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 2: You ask yeah, He tells you this is his house. 546 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 2: You stare at William mclowndey. He looks sheepish. Your partner 547 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 2: grabs a tape measure from his hand and slaps cuffs 548 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 2: on him. You start marching mclowndy toward the back seat 549 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 2: of your forge. You tell the homeowner that you'll be 550 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 2: out of his hair now, but he shouldn't be surprised 551 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 2: if someone else shows up. Saying they just bought this place. 552 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 2: If so, call the cops. You tell him. He looks confused. 553 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 2: With mclowndey in the back seat. You get the cargoing 554 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 2: and the engine wars to life. Shame you picked me 555 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 2: up when you did. Mclowndey tells you, why is that 556 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 2: size of that lot? I could have sold that place 557 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 2: for seventeen thousand dollars. You shake your head and pull 558 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 2: out into the road. The kids from across the street 559 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 2: chasing after you, the long drive ahead of you, and 560 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 2: a real wise acre in the seat behind you. 561 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 3: So are people just paying like full cash for these properties? 562 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 2: Yes? Yes, and he draws up a fake deed and 563 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 2: then so. 564 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 3: They're basically like doing like a loan in their immigrant community, 565 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 3: with somebody getting the money cash on the barrel, had. 566 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 2: Even all at once. He's saying, you can do it 567 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 2: on a payment plan. 568 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,959 Speaker 3: Sure, but that'd be sure he gets the chunk. Payment 569 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 3: plan is like in not forty years or thirty years. No, No, 570 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,719 Speaker 3: it's it's like ten payments or something exactly. So if 571 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 3: he can get just a couple of them, seriously. Love Also, 572 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 3: by the way, that mclowndy was selling like it's like 573 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 3: pieces of city Hall because it's like, you know, the people, 574 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 3: the powers that be, that's their job. They sell the 575 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 3: city Hall. They're going to be real, Maddie. 576 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 2: We already own it. 577 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. 578 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 2: So back to that article. The article said that he 579 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 2: sold the Brooklyn Bridge for fifty thousand dollars in eighteen 580 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 2: eighty five, so that's about like one point seven million. 581 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 3: Thank you for the conversion. 582 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 2: No problem for that sale, though he served two years 583 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 2: and six months in sing sing And the article says 584 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 2: that mclowndey was selling to visitors from quote the West, 585 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 2: not immigrants coming from Europe or the East. 586 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 3: So are we thinking the West means like Ohio? Or 587 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 3: do you think West means like Oregon, California? 588 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 2: I have no idea. They just keep calling it the West. 589 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 2: And here's the overlap. The article, this one that I 590 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 2: was talking about, unlike the other one, says that the 591 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 2: indictment against mclowndey was for a bad check for one 592 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty dollars that he tried to pass to 593 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 2: missus Emma Ramsey of fifteen twenty six Kimball Street. That 594 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty dollars check, that's like Parker. They 595 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 2: also mentioned that quote. Six months ago, he gained the 596 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 2: confidence of Missus George B. Titus, widow of a police inspector, 597 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: and obtained from her a diamond ring valued at five thousand. 598 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 4: Dollars widow of a police inspector. 599 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 2: Right, he told Missus Titus he would take it to 600 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 2: Tiffany's to have it fixed. The police expect to locate 601 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 2: other victims of mclowndey's wily ways, many of whom have 602 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 2: kept quiet because of a distaste for publicity. 603 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 3: Oh, rub yeah, so that one. 604 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 2: I hadn't seen in any of the Parker stuff. The 605 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 2: article continues quote mclowndey, whose favorite alias is Warren Kennedy, 606 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,959 Speaker 2: pretending to be the warden of a jail, talked freely 607 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 2: about his various arrests with the inspector and mentioned the 608 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 2: earlier ones quote. They were in the good old days 609 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 2: before the police became so systematic, he told the inspector 610 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 2: in court. Maclowndey said he did not have funds to 611 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 2: employ counsel, and David Melbourne was assigned to defend him. 612 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 2: He said he had four children but does not know 613 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 2: their whereabouts, but not they're going to try and keep 614 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 2: it that way. So some of the details are the same, 615 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 2: some are different, different names. The most striking thing for 616 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 2: me is that the photos are not the same guy. 617 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 3: And could not be. Like it's like, oh, this guy's 618 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 3: five seven, this guy's six to two. This guy's got 619 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 3: a square face, he's got a rectangular face. 620 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, so is it the same guy? I do know 621 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 2: there were multiple people trying to sell the Brooklyn Bridge 622 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 2: to dupes, and that's why we have that trope. Did 623 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 2: the press get confused by all the aliases? Was it 624 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 2: just one guy whose crimes and identities were hard to 625 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 2: keep straight? The articles on both men mentioned that Bomb's Law. 626 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 2: So that was a New York state law enacted in 627 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty six that was designed to address rising crime 628 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 2: rates by targeting habitual criminals or what they were calling 629 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 2: four time losers. Yeah. So Senator Caleb H. Baums was 630 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 2: the one who put this together. He wanted to curb 631 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 2: crime by incapacitating repeat offenders. And this is like a 632 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 2: version of three strikes. 633 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 4: Yeah. 634 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 3: So the law. 635 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 2: Removed judicial discretion for fourth time felons, so automatic life sentence. 636 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 3: So mandatory sentence, saying judges like, look, my hands are 637 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 3: taped anything about like you should kind of deal. No, 638 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 3: there's no deal to do before this occurs. 639 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 2: Like on your second or third of when you hit four, 640 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 2: you got a life sentence. That's it. And the felonies 641 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 2: didn't have to be violent. 642 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 3: I didn't sound like it. Yeah, it seemed like if 643 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 3: you go before a judge four. 644 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 2: Times, convin felony. Yeah. And so in addition to the 645 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 2: fourth felony rule, it introduced longer sentences for first time offenders, 646 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 2: and it tightened up parole restrictions. So they amended it 647 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 2: in nineteen thirty six to allow for a little more flexibility. 648 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 2: But like we said, it went on to influence three 649 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,879 Speaker 2: strikes like California we got in nineteen ninety four. 650 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 3: Now do you think that was because baseball by them 651 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 3: was so much more popular? I think three strikes four 652 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 3: four balls, take yours. 653 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 2: Ours wasn't revised until twenty twelve to require that the 654 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 2: third strike be serious or violent. So anyway, this newish 655 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,759 Speaker 2: law is mentioned in the pieces about both Parker and mclowndey, 656 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,280 Speaker 2: and then that would fit if they were two men 657 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 2: or one just one. Either way, a lot of felonies 658 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 2: were committed, so we attribute the fame of selling the 659 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 2: Brooklyn Bridge to Charles Parker, who may or may not 660 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 2: have also been William mclowndy. 661 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,319 Speaker 3: It seems like he started the game much earlier than mclowndey's. Yeah. 662 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 2: Rest, but there's a dark horse out there. We got 663 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 2: the third option, someone I stumbled upon in the old papers. 664 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 2: Another big shout out to newspapers who really should become 665 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:06,560 Speaker 2: our sponsors. I found a compelling case to move this 666 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 2: guy up to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge salesman list. 667 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 3: Really more on him when we. 668 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,439 Speaker 2: Come back from these ads. And if there's one that's 669 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 2: trying to sell you the Golden Gate Bridge, it's fake. 670 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,160 Speaker 2: And if there's one selling off the Washington Monument, you 671 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 2: may want to do a little more research. 672 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 3: What if it's trying to sell me a ballroom in Washington, DC. 673 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 2: It's probably legit. 674 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 4: Be right back, all right, Zaren Elizabeth. 675 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:51,640 Speaker 2: So, I promised you a new guy, but I do 676 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 2: want to finish up the story of the other two 677 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:54,240 Speaker 2: before we move. 678 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, please tie off that strand yes. So. 679 00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 2: On December seventeenth, nineteen twenty eight, George C. Parker was 680 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 2: sentenced to life in prison for all of his crimes 681 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 2: thanks to Bomb's Law. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle quote, 682 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 2: this amazing rascal, who already has served two terms in 683 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 2: sing sing and who has been convicted seven times for 684 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:19,760 Speaker 2: confidence games, is said to have sold Madison Square Garden 685 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 2: to a trustful visitor from the Southwest earlier, but the 686 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 2: sale of the Brooklyn Bridge for one thousand down and 687 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 2: four thousand to be paid in quarterly installments was his 688 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 2: most noteworthy transaction. He goes to sing sing for the 689 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,760 Speaker 2: rest of his life because he was convicted of forging 690 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 2: a check for one hundred and fifty dollars under Bomb's 691 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,319 Speaker 2: Law as a fourth offender, life sentence was mandatory. 692 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 3: So it answers my question how you get life sentence 693 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 3: out one hundred and fifty dollars for checks? And that's 694 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 3: it then Balm's law. 695 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 2: After the articles about mcclowndery's arrest, he never appears in 696 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 2: the paper again, so not even about sentence anything like that. Really, 697 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 2: Parker did spend the rest of his life in sing sing. 698 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:06,359 Speaker 2: He passed away in nineteen thirty seven at the age 699 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,320 Speaker 2: of seventy seven, which would confirm that the news articles 700 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,880 Speaker 2: claiming he was fifty eight at the time of his arrest, 701 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,319 Speaker 2: had typos and he was really sixty eight. Ok So 702 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 2: this new guy when we look back. The first documented 703 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 2: newspaper story describing someone trying to sell the Brooklyn Bridge 704 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 2: appeared in the New York Herald in May of nineteen hundred, 705 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 2: and of course the article made its way to the 706 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 2: National Wire Service because it was like an only in 707 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,800 Speaker 2: New York type story. Ah, I gotcha, and within weeks 708 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 2: it gets in all these papers across the US. It's 709 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 2: in Hawaii papers, you know. 710 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,480 Speaker 3: So this scheme Sandwich Island Times, ex So you said 711 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 3: it was completed in eighteen ninety three, so like in 712 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 3: seven years after it's completed, we had the first person going, 713 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:53,799 Speaker 3: I'll sell you that. 714 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. 715 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 3: Okay. 716 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 2: So the scheme to sell the bridge was described as 717 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:01,840 Speaker 2: a new variety of Bunco fraud. 718 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 3: Yes, okay. 719 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 2: And we've talked about Bunco in depth, and that was 720 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,359 Speaker 2: another thing about the story that drew interest. Everybody knew 721 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 2: about Bunco, but no one had seen something this audacious before. 722 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 2: So even the attorney who received the complaint indicated that 723 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 2: he had not encountered this type of scam before. He 724 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 2: did what now, And so this article that's talking about it, 725 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 2: it's you know that the victim goes to an attorney 726 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:33,080 Speaker 2: to make the complaint and then it goes from there. 727 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 2: So here's how it starts off. 728 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:35,280 Speaker 3: Quote. 729 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 2: The police are looking for an Italian bunco man who 730 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 2: has been swindling his fellow countrymen for the past month 731 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 2: in a novel manner. He was first heard of when 732 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 2: Signor Luigi Corelli, an Italian merchant who recently landed in 733 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 2: New York, went to the office of lawyer Robert Racy 734 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 2: in the Erin's Building at the corner of Elm and 735 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:58,879 Speaker 2: Franklin Streets and told a remarkable story of how he 736 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 2: had been fleeced by this swindler. He told his story 737 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 2: through an interpreter, explaining that he'd been buncoed out of 738 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,319 Speaker 2: five hundred dollars. So now I need to add here 739 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 2: that this is primetime yellow journalism. Everything is sensationalist and insensitive. 740 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 2: So in convey in conveying what the translator says, the 741 00:39:21,719 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 2: newspaper makes sure to give the best stereotypical Italian accent 742 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 2: written oh yeah, oh yeah, so can I read to 743 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:35,440 Speaker 2: you transcripts? How did the bunco man get it, asked 744 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 2: Lawyer Racy. He's sella the Brooklyn Bridge to my friend, 745 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 2: explained the interpreter. Sold the Brooklyn Bridge to your friend, sure, 746 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 2: answered the interpreter. Only not all the bridge, only New 747 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,799 Speaker 2: York Aside. He'd tell him, my friend of Mayor van 748 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 2: Week own a durest. He'd tell him, I a friend, 749 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 2: the Brooklyn Bridge do much a business. He maya friend, 750 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:05,080 Speaker 2: just so soon does ship come in? He find out 751 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 2: his name? Sure, pretty soon he say hello, Signor Correlli, 752 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 2: and he's shake the hand. My friend think he know 753 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 2: him in the old country. But forget the name all right. 754 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:25,160 Speaker 2: He say he's sella my friend one piece New York 755 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 2: Aside for a week. And then he liked by all 756 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 2: Brooklyn side two for ten tous dollar. Very cheap for 757 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 2: the Brooklyn side of the bridge, remarked lawyer Racy. I'd 758 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 2: give that much myself for it, my friend by a 759 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 2: Central Park bear two and two stores, continued the interpreter. 760 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:49,799 Speaker 2: So the article goes on to talk about all the 761 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,799 Speaker 2: others who got scammed by some Italian guy, and then 762 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 2: the lawyer tells Signor Correlli that he'll report the matter 763 00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 2: to the police. Here we go back, you know, catching 764 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,560 Speaker 2: him today, asked the interpreter, And when the lawyer said no, 765 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 2: the signor threw out his chest, tugged at the end 766 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 2: of his mustache and exclaimed, Lucina, no man, my friend 767 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:17,160 Speaker 2: very bad, explained the interpreter. It's like Bora, I know, 768 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:20,240 Speaker 2: he say when mister Bunco no bay at the bridge. 769 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 2: Back he kill a mister Bunco tomorrow, goodbye, and off 770 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:28,600 Speaker 2: they went. 771 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,160 Speaker 3: You don't fix it today, my friend here. 772 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 2: He's gonna kill mister Bunco. 773 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,720 Speaker 3: Can you imagine coming over here with like your steak 774 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:39,640 Speaker 3: to start a new life. Yeah, you meet a guy 775 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:42,040 Speaker 3: who thinks from the old country. You're like, oh, this 776 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 3: will be my first business. And he's like, you're just 777 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 3: like buying a butcher shop. You're imagine it would be 778 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:47,480 Speaker 3: great for. 779 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:50,400 Speaker 2: Your family, and it's a money maker. 780 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:52,759 Speaker 3: It's a bridge, it's you know. And he does it 781 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 3: and he's like, what I don't He loses his whole 782 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:57,640 Speaker 3: nut and then he's like the only thing I got 783 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 3: left is a mike pissed though, but okay, thank you. 784 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:12,040 Speaker 2: And so the fugitive Italian confidence man remained anonymous, but 785 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 2: not for long. Eventually his identity was discovered. 786 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,759 Speaker 3: Edward Basso. 787 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, so his name came out during a hearing in 788 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 2: federal court on a separate immigration fraud case. There were 789 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,600 Speaker 2: witnesses there that were like, oh, yeah, I was conned 790 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:32,239 Speaker 2: into buying the Brooklyn Bridge by that guy. Oh yeah, 791 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 2: I know him. There was a man named Frank Madaline. 792 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:40,239 Speaker 2: He was the son of an Italian saloon keeper. He'd 793 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 2: been arrested for quote making a false statement in his 794 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 2: application for citizenship papers. So during his confession he said 795 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 2: that he had been hoodwinked by someone claiming to be 796 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:55,240 Speaker 2: his cousin and who gave his name as James Madaline. 797 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:56,720 Speaker 3: So this is Frank. 798 00:42:57,600 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 2: James is like, oh, I have the same last name. 799 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 2: We're and he said, you know what, I can help 800 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 2: make you a full fledged citizen. I can get you 801 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,840 Speaker 2: in the door. And so a witness that the hearing 802 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 2: testified that this James had also sold the Brooklyn Bridge 803 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:16,640 Speaker 2: to two other Italians. If they chip in. 804 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 3: Five dollars five dollars, I got. 805 00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:25,480 Speaker 2: Five on it. I've got yeah. So they did, and 806 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:28,360 Speaker 2: the Italians went looking for this new property of theirs, 807 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 2: and they found the bridge, but they couldn't find the seller, 808 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:36,279 Speaker 2: and so but they track him down. James Madelene gets 809 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:40,919 Speaker 2: identified as Edward Basso. Several months later, a federal grand 810 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:45,920 Speaker 2: jury formally charged him with impersonation connected to the acquisition 811 00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:52,760 Speaker 2: of naturalization documents. And so then he faces prosecution again 812 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:56,799 Speaker 2: for providing counterfeit citizenship papers to this time a guy 813 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 2: Antonio Petrillo in exchange for twenty b oh. Yeah, and 814 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 2: that's like seven hundred dollars today. So Basso explained himself 815 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:07,520 Speaker 2: to the court and was like, okay, no, no, there's 816 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:09,160 Speaker 2: a huge misunderstanding. 817 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 3: I can't wait to hear this. 818 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:15,480 Speaker 2: I am a United States Court interpreter and I'm working 819 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:20,480 Speaker 2: with the Secret Service to uncover forged naturalization records. So 820 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:25,839 Speaker 2: I'm deep undercover right now, thanks guys. Yeah. Wow. And 821 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 2: so nineteen oh four he got arrested. 822 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:31,440 Speaker 3: Did they let him out on deep cover? 823 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:35,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, nineteen oh four he gets arrested and then jailed 824 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 2: for all these fraud schemes tied to immigration. He had 825 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 2: arrangements with lawyers who would like solicit newly arrived immigrants 826 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:48,840 Speaker 2: at Ellis Island. There was an operation where Italian travelers 827 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:51,200 Speaker 2: were headed up to Canada and he sold them all 828 00:44:51,239 --> 00:44:56,840 Speaker 2: these worthless railroad ticket vouchers. Oh, and so this is 829 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 2: all the stuff that he did came to light because 830 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:04,360 Speaker 2: people started complaining to the Society for the Protection of 831 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:05,840 Speaker 2: Italian Immigrants. 832 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,000 Speaker 3: Oh, it's like the Society of Italian Opera Lovers, but 833 00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:10,759 Speaker 3: the real version of Anciety for. 834 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:12,480 Speaker 2: The Protection of Italian Immigrants. 835 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 3: They must have been getting worked over, baby. Yeah, you 836 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 3: can see why the mafia had to come about and like, look, 837 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 3: we'll take care of. 838 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 2: Every So during the prosecution, he agreed to cooperate with 839 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 2: authorities and testify against the attorneys who had paid him 840 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 2: for steering vulnerable immigrants to their offices, and so that 841 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:36,280 Speaker 2: everyone's indicted, Bosso cooperates and he acknowledged that, like, yeah, 842 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 2: I totally did this. I would pick people off the boats, 843 00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:42,439 Speaker 2: send them to these lawyers, and then I got half 844 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 2: the fees. He said he referred more than fifty cases 845 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 2: and most of them didn't need any legal representation whatsoever. Yeah, 846 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 2: and he's like yeah, and then about the railroad tickets, Yeah, 847 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 2: I was in on that. I got a cut, I 848 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,960 Speaker 2: got a third of it. And so you know, it's 849 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:04,840 Speaker 2: not clear like he made that deal what kind of 850 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 2: deal that got him. That was in nineteen oh four, 851 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:10,759 Speaker 2: nineteen oh five, he's back at it though. That year 852 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:13,400 Speaker 2: he got sentenced to a year in jail for selling 853 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:17,719 Speaker 2: Ellis Island visitor passes for ten dollars apiece. And the 854 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:20,480 Speaker 2: problem is that Ellis Island visitor passes were free. 855 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:26,080 Speaker 3: So wait, visitor passes is to like meet your immigrant family, Like. 856 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:28,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you want to go see them, it's ten bucks. 857 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:30,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not like you've arrived in So he goes 858 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:31,680 Speaker 3: and he gets a stack of free ones. 859 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:33,760 Speaker 2: It kind of reminds me when I was a freshman 860 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:36,399 Speaker 2: in high school, the seniors went around like the first 861 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 2: couple of weeks of school and said they were selling 862 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:42,040 Speaker 2: discount pool passes for ten cents each for the march 863 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:44,000 Speaker 2: of times and it would get you like a week's 864 00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 2: pass at the pool. And when asked where the pool was, 865 00:46:48,719 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 2: they said it was on the roof. And that was 866 00:46:51,480 --> 00:46:54,359 Speaker 2: like and they would act like that's the stupidest question 867 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:55,959 Speaker 2: they'd ever heard, like, where's the pool? It's the pools 868 00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:00,080 Speaker 2: on the roof, now, my mama and my grandmama and 869 00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:02,600 Speaker 2: raise no dummy. So I just like rolled my eyes 870 00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:05,440 Speaker 2: and walked away. There's no way there was a pool 871 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:07,960 Speaker 2: on the roof, and like that's too dangerous. 872 00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:10,920 Speaker 3: The building's so old, like it's just not happening, not 873 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 3: working out. 874 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,799 Speaker 2: But there were girls that fell for it, so much 875 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 2: so that the nuns had to make an announcement one 876 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:19,880 Speaker 2: morning explaining that there was no pool on campus, not 877 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,759 Speaker 2: on the roof, not in some basement under the auditorium 878 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:25,920 Speaker 2: as others were told, and that we were not to 879 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:29,040 Speaker 2: give anyone a dime or any other change for anything. 880 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 2: So basically I went to school with a bunch of 881 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,840 Speaker 2: budding bossos just they just wanted change to buy chips 882 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:36,760 Speaker 2: for the vending machine. 883 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:38,800 Speaker 3: Oh dude. We did the same thing in high school, 884 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,200 Speaker 3: which is you had students like at Jesuit, you'd have 885 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:44,440 Speaker 3: to like do turns of like as you were a freshman, 886 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:47,680 Speaker 3: because everyone knew you weren't driving, and so you would 887 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:50,840 Speaker 3: have to work the like for basketball games and different 888 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:54,759 Speaker 3: nighttime events, basically directing people into because our school had 889 00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:57,319 Speaker 3: a big, long road going into where you would park, 890 00:47:57,480 --> 00:47:59,000 Speaker 3: so you'd stand at the far end and tell them 891 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:00,799 Speaker 3: you're coming the right way, and then someone else would 892 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,759 Speaker 3: guide you. So those of us who stood at the 893 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:06,600 Speaker 3: gate would charge people money, like five dollars for parking 894 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,080 Speaker 3: to come on and they're supposed to be free. So 895 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:11,399 Speaker 3: we were thinking, these parents don't care. They're well off. 896 00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:13,759 Speaker 3: We would make like fifty bucks really quick. 897 00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:16,400 Speaker 2: I've told you I used to do that, like at bars, 898 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:18,320 Speaker 2: like when there's no bouncer. 899 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:20,799 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, stand outside, and I. 900 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:23,239 Speaker 2: Would stand outside and tell people is a five dollars cover? 901 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:24,160 Speaker 3: Exactly? 902 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 2: Did you check? 903 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:27,279 Speaker 3: Id's as long as you have change and you act 904 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:29,439 Speaker 3: like you're annoying, and we checked ideas. 905 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:35,279 Speaker 2: And take money that way anyway, So Bosso we all 906 00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:39,440 Speaker 2: got at everybody a little boso in them. When the 907 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 2: Ellis Island Past thing came out, paper started connecting the 908 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:46,279 Speaker 2: dots and like running stories that included information about his 909 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,840 Speaker 2: previous scams about selling landmarks. Here's from the New York Times. 910 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,880 Speaker 2: Edward Bosso, an Italian who once upon a time derived 911 00:48:54,920 --> 00:48:57,360 Speaker 2: a considerable income from the sale of shares of the 912 00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:00,719 Speaker 2: Brooklyn Bridge, the custom House, and the city all to 913 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:05,080 Speaker 2: confiding fellow countrymen just landed, was sentenced yesterday to a 914 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:08,439 Speaker 2: year in the penitentiary by Justice Wyatt in the Court 915 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:12,200 Speaker 2: of Special Sessions. The charge against him was petty larceny 916 00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:16,719 Speaker 2: and was made by Antonio Mancuso, a Brooklyn shoemaker, who 917 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:19,240 Speaker 2: said that Basso sold him a pass to Ellis Island 918 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,239 Speaker 2: for ten dollars. Passes to Ellis Island are free upon 919 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 2: application to the steamship companies owing to the efforts of 920 00:49:26,600 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 2: the Society for the Protection of Italian Immigrants. Basso was 921 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:33,440 Speaker 2: arrested last April on the charge of grand larceny. He 922 00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:37,160 Speaker 2: pleaded guilty before Judge Newberger in General Sessions, and on 923 00:49:37,239 --> 00:49:41,680 Speaker 2: an apparent earnest promise to reform, sentence was suspended. His 924 00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:44,400 Speaker 2: lawyer yesterday made a plea for him on the ground 925 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:46,760 Speaker 2: that he had a wife and eight children to support. 926 00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:50,840 Speaker 2: Quote that's a poor reason for defrauding the wives and 927 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:54,400 Speaker 2: children of hundreds of families, remarked Justice Wyatt, as he 928 00:49:54,520 --> 00:50:01,319 Speaker 2: imposed the limit allowed by the law exactly so much 929 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:06,000 Speaker 2: like William mcclowndy, Edward Bosso faded from the public eye 930 00:50:06,160 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 2: after repeated incarceration. But there is a very good chance 931 00:50:10,280 --> 00:50:13,759 Speaker 2: that it was he and not George C. Parker, who 932 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:17,120 Speaker 2: introduced the idea of selling the Brooklyn Bridge to the gullible. 933 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:20,400 Speaker 3: So the Italians started it. The Irish picked it up 934 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,719 Speaker 3: and ran with it. Right. This is very New York story, 935 00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:23,160 Speaker 3: isn't it. 936 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:29,200 Speaker 2: It's so so Will Rogers deserves the last. Yes, he 937 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 2: is quoted as saying, they may call me a rube 938 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:36,200 Speaker 2: and a hicic, but I'd a lot rather be the 939 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,839 Speaker 2: man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the man who 940 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:39,279 Speaker 2: sold it. 941 00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:42,719 Speaker 3: Oh look at him there it is. That's a nice 942 00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:43,920 Speaker 3: little moral twist. 943 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:46,240 Speaker 2: Right, So Zaren, what's your ridiculous takeaway? 944 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:51,080 Speaker 3: Wow? So what was the bridge that eventually got put 945 00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:52,920 Speaker 3: in Arizona? Is that the London Bridge? 946 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:56,080 Speaker 2: No, that's the Brooklyn Bridge. The actually like had people 947 00:50:56,239 --> 00:50:59,840 Speaker 2: sold versions of it and it got moved. Really, No 948 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:04,319 Speaker 2: London bridges in Arizona, Right, it's like Tennessee or something. 949 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:05,799 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, that's the other one. 950 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:09,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, London Bridge is the one that was another. 951 00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:11,520 Speaker 3: One that they were selling all the time. Right, So 952 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:13,759 Speaker 3: what is it about bridges? I guess in the old 953 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:15,520 Speaker 3: world you could put up a toll booth and so 954 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:17,680 Speaker 3: really this is like a concession for how do I 955 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:20,200 Speaker 3: make money off of other suckers? Right? So it's a 956 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:21,640 Speaker 3: classic conya when. 957 00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:24,239 Speaker 2: You think about it. There is an Italian company that, 958 00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:25,000 Speaker 2: particularly in. 959 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:26,959 Speaker 3: The American Cus totally. 960 00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:29,279 Speaker 2: Goes through and builds toll roads that are. 961 00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:30,759 Speaker 3: Really nice attractive roads. 962 00:51:30,840 --> 00:51:34,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then they they for the cost of building it, 963 00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:35,799 Speaker 2: then they collect the tolls and. 964 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:39,680 Speaker 3: So in perpetuity practically, so they're making a grip yep exactly. 965 00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:42,040 Speaker 3: So this is really a modern tales. What you're telling 966 00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 3: it very much is piculous takeaway. 967 00:51:46,960 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 2: I you know, I think about we look at it 968 00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:52,439 Speaker 2: as this like symbol of gullibility of like you would 969 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:55,680 Speaker 2: buy the Brooklyn Bridge. But I just keep you know, 970 00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:58,520 Speaker 2: like you mentioned, these are people who have every last 971 00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:02,719 Speaker 2: penny to their name and their family's name, and you 972 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 2: know they're leaving. No one wants to leave their homeland, 973 00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:09,520 Speaker 2: you know, where they feel connected to and so but 974 00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:12,160 Speaker 2: you have to to survive or for a better life 975 00:52:12,239 --> 00:52:14,279 Speaker 2: or I mean like literally for you to run for 976 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:17,840 Speaker 2: your life and oftentimes and so you come here with 977 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:18,840 Speaker 2: this promise. 978 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:19,160 Speaker 3: You know. 979 00:52:19,239 --> 00:52:22,520 Speaker 2: It's like I've talked before about how they would market 980 00:52:22,640 --> 00:52:25,120 Speaker 2: California to people if like you can walk down the 981 00:52:25,120 --> 00:52:27,399 Speaker 2: street and pick an orange off the tree and it's 982 00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:32,160 Speaker 2: always always sunny and you know all these things oeeople, Yeah, 983 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 2: or that you walk in the mountains and you scoop 984 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:36,440 Speaker 2: the gold out of the river. And so you know, 985 00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:40,719 Speaker 2: there's the there are these myths that arise, and you 986 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:42,960 Speaker 2: know there's always like some hint of truth to it. 987 00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:46,120 Speaker 2: They did find gold oranges. You can grow oranges in 988 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:50,840 Speaker 2: southern California with relative ease. But if you think that, 989 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,360 Speaker 2: like what that must be like to take that gamble, 990 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:58,000 Speaker 2: to say I'm going to risk it and take everything 991 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:01,560 Speaker 2: I have and go start over takes so much hope 992 00:53:02,200 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 2: and like the exploitation of that hope is so sickening 993 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:07,000 Speaker 2: to me. 994 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:10,560 Speaker 3: And it's so easy. It's it's so easy. You can 995 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:11,480 Speaker 3: see it in their eyes on. 996 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:13,800 Speaker 2: This well, and you hear all sorts of success stories, 997 00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:16,319 Speaker 2: and it could be something like, yeah, my cousin came 998 00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:17,840 Speaker 2: over and he bought a butcher shop and. 999 00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 3: Then yeah, hit seventeen dollars. 1000 00:53:19,719 --> 00:53:22,040 Speaker 2: You think, yeah, okay, well I've got this money and 1001 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:26,320 Speaker 2: it's yeah, it's fine. You got five dollars on the 1002 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:29,080 Speaker 2: Brooklyn Bridge. You know, they're like, okay, I'll scrape this 1003 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:31,600 Speaker 2: together and then I can be in on this, and 1004 00:53:31,800 --> 00:53:33,600 Speaker 2: I'm you know, you look around too. 1005 00:53:33,719 --> 00:53:35,760 Speaker 3: At that time, it was just filled with these stories. 1006 00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:38,480 Speaker 2: But it's also filled with incredible wealth. 1007 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:39,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1008 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 2: You know, you see the absolute sickening wealth all around you, 1009 00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:44,320 Speaker 2: and you think, like I want a piece of that. 1010 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:46,360 Speaker 3: And there's also the rags to riches aspect, which is 1011 00:53:46,600 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 3: what's to stop you could become super well, Yeah, exactly. 1012 00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:51,239 Speaker 3: Is it's not like in the old country where only 1013 00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:52,920 Speaker 3: certain people had the chance to get wealthy. 1014 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:55,800 Speaker 2: So it's this clash. This fascinates me because it's a 1015 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:59,280 Speaker 2: clash of like the best of humanity and the worst 1016 00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:02,120 Speaker 2: of humanity. Because it's not even that they're. 1017 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:05,719 Speaker 3: Not violent, it's just so low and petty. Yeah, it is. 1018 00:54:05,840 --> 00:54:08,200 Speaker 3: It's as low as like the cut purse, but it's 1019 00:54:08,280 --> 00:54:11,200 Speaker 3: preying upon a person's optimism, the hope, the best parts 1020 00:54:11,239 --> 00:54:11,800 Speaker 3: of themselves. 1021 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:14,759 Speaker 2: Yeah. And also I just feel too, like, you know, 1022 00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:17,719 Speaker 2: it's hard enough to be an immigrant who doesn't speak 1023 00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:19,960 Speaker 2: a language and go somewhere and to have a fellow 1024 00:54:20,080 --> 00:54:24,200 Speaker 2: immigrant turn on you like that, Like that's that's slow 1025 00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:24,800 Speaker 2: as well. 1026 00:54:24,719 --> 00:54:30,279 Speaker 3: To get bill a butchered exactly exactly. So you told 1027 00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 3: me your takeaway, Yeah, you did kind of. I danced 1028 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:36,320 Speaker 3: around one. I think my takeaway is, to quote your nephew, 1029 00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:38,960 Speaker 3: sometimes you have to risk it for the biscuit and 1030 00:54:39,120 --> 00:54:40,279 Speaker 3: I respect people who do. 1031 00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:45,520 Speaker 2: You do something. Oh. 1032 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:53,239 Speaker 3: On that note, I would like to talk back. Oh 1033 00:54:53,320 --> 00:55:04,399 Speaker 3: my god, I w hey's Aaron Elizabeth. My name is Chris. 1034 00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:07,120 Speaker 3: I'm from Bristol, Virginia. I just want to let you 1035 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:11,279 Speaker 3: know that I was high for thirty one years. 1036 00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:14,080 Speaker 2: I've been sober for two and whenever I'm feeling down, 1037 00:55:14,160 --> 00:55:17,840 Speaker 2: whenever i'm jones into go get higher, having cravings, I 1038 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,080 Speaker 2: will go to your show and it helps get me 1039 00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:21,000 Speaker 2: through each time. 1040 00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:26,080 Speaker 3: Thank you for being there, brother. 1041 00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:30,280 Speaker 2: We are so glad to do Chris two years congratulations, 1042 00:55:30,840 --> 00:55:31,560 Speaker 2: that's awesome. 1043 00:55:31,680 --> 00:55:34,200 Speaker 3: I respect you for that. That is awesome. As somebody 1044 00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:37,080 Speaker 3: who spent a lot of their life high, I totally relate, 1045 00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:40,839 Speaker 3: so I can say one hundred percent. I respect your 1046 00:55:40,880 --> 00:55:44,719 Speaker 3: ability to find a positive like a deviation from your 1047 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:47,120 Speaker 3: typical to say, your old path of like, oh, I'll 1048 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:49,040 Speaker 3: just do this to you know, and we're glad that 1049 00:55:49,160 --> 00:55:50,239 Speaker 3: we get to be that for you. 1050 00:55:50,440 --> 00:55:54,040 Speaker 2: Yes, as someone who's sober and the world tells you 1051 00:55:54,239 --> 00:55:57,279 Speaker 2: like you don't want to block it all out? Yeah, no, 1052 00:55:57,640 --> 00:56:00,359 Speaker 2: you know you hold fast, You hold fast. I I'm 1053 00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:01,160 Speaker 2: so proud of you. 1054 00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:02,600 Speaker 3: You know. 1055 00:56:02,800 --> 00:56:05,080 Speaker 2: Luckily we're on call twenty four to seven if you 1056 00:56:05,160 --> 00:56:07,640 Speaker 2: need to listen to maybe if you want to like 1057 00:56:07,760 --> 00:56:09,680 Speaker 2: really laugh, you could listen to one of the stories 1058 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:17,120 Speaker 2: I tell anyway. That's awesome, Chris, thank you for sharing 1059 00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:17,520 Speaker 2: that too. 1060 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:18,600 Speaker 3: I like that. 1061 00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:21,920 Speaker 2: You know, we've said it before, like we got to 1062 00:56:21,960 --> 00:56:24,200 Speaker 2: stick together and all this, all of us, we do 1063 00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:24,879 Speaker 2: this for y'all. 1064 00:56:25,160 --> 00:56:27,320 Speaker 3: I mean, like, we're not telling each other stories, but 1065 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:30,320 Speaker 3: we really what motivates us is to tell you stories 1066 00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:32,719 Speaker 3: to y'all and to know that from what we hear 1067 00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:34,640 Speaker 3: back that it means so much and it helps you 1068 00:56:35,160 --> 00:56:37,000 Speaker 3: because we would like to be helped that same way. 1069 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:38,960 Speaker 3: So it's like a big circle. We're all helping each 1070 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:39,520 Speaker 3: other get by. 1071 00:56:39,560 --> 00:56:42,080 Speaker 2: Here we are and rude Dudes, we all have each 1072 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:43,000 Speaker 2: other's backs. 1073 00:56:43,040 --> 00:56:44,920 Speaker 3: When we have rough weeks. Doing that you guys are 1074 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:45,919 Speaker 3: out there, helps us. 1075 00:56:45,840 --> 00:56:51,160 Speaker 2: Have no idea honestly, seriously, that is it for today. 1076 00:56:51,320 --> 00:56:54,239 Speaker 2: You can find us online at Ridiculous Crime dot com. 1077 00:56:54,800 --> 00:56:58,239 Speaker 2: We're also at Ridiculous Crime on Blue Sky Instagram. We're 1078 00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:02,480 Speaker 2: on YouTube at Ridiculous Crime Pod. Email Ridiculous Crime at 1079 00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:05,279 Speaker 2: gmail dot com and then leave us a talkback. Rude 1080 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:14,080 Speaker 2: Dudes on the iheartapp reach Out. Ridiculous Crime is hosted 1081 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:17,600 Speaker 2: by Elizabeth Dutton and Zaren Burnett, produced and edited by Dave. 1082 00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:20,240 Speaker 2: I'm not a notary, but I play one. On TV 1083 00:57:20,680 --> 00:57:25,120 Speaker 2: Coustin starring Analice Rutger as Judith. Research is by Marissa 1084 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:29,000 Speaker 2: There's a show about a Notary Brown and Jabbari. I 1085 00:57:29,080 --> 00:57:31,960 Speaker 2: think it's on Wednesdays on CBS. It's called NOTARYE. 1086 00:57:32,320 --> 00:57:32,680 Speaker 4: Davis. 1087 00:57:33,160 --> 00:57:35,720 Speaker 2: The theme song is by Thomas I saw a commercial 1088 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:39,000 Speaker 2: for that one. It stars Donald Logan, David Sharvey, Lee, 1089 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:43,880 Speaker 2: and Travis no That's Title Company on NBC. Rotary stars 1090 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:48,040 Speaker 2: Analice Rutger Dutton. Host wardrobe is provided by Botany five 1091 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:51,080 Speaker 2: hundred guest Haarn, makeup by co owners of the Saint 1092 00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:55,520 Speaker 2: Louis Arch, Sparkleshot and Mister Andre. Executive producers are me 1093 00:57:55,720 --> 00:57:58,880 Speaker 2: TV executives who Green with a show about a notary, 1094 00:57:59,280 --> 00:58:01,040 Speaker 2: Ben Bolin and Noel Brown. 1095 00:58:06,280 --> 00:58:13,480 Speaker 1: Ridicous Crime Say It One More Time Pridiquious Crime. Ridiculous 1096 00:58:13,520 --> 00:58:16,480 Speaker 1: Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. Four more podcasts from 1097 00:58:16,480 --> 00:58:19,640 Speaker 1: my heart Radio visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1098 00:58:19,640 --> 00:58:21,400 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.