1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should know a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: and there's Chuck and Jerry's here too, And this is 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: stuff you should know about Northern Kentucky, that's right, which 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: was in the nineteen thirties and forties the casino capital 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: of the United States. It was the Vegas of the 7 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: United States before Vegas and fifties too. Even it's hard 8 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: to believe I've never knew any of this. So much 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: of this is very cinematic. I was just trying to 10 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: work out how to tell the story in a movie 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: without doing flash forwards and flashbacks. But that's probably how 12 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: you would have to do it. So I grew up 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: in Northern Ohio, which is not that far from Northern Kentucky, 14 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: on the other end of Ohio from it, because the 15 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: area we're talking about just across the river from Cincinnati. Um, 16 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: And I guess I had heard of this before. It's 17 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 1: one of those things where I can't remember if my 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: mind is telling me that I had a memory before 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: I actually had a memory, Like I didn't really have one, 20 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: I just want to think I did. It might be 21 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: one of those scenarios but regardless, it is like a huge, 22 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: huge piece of northern Kentucky southern Ohio history. And in fact, 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: the more you learn about it, if you were alive 24 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: and sentient, you know, in the um mid to late seventies, 25 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: it was a national thing. Like it was a really 26 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 1: big deal that this happened, this Beverly Hill supper club 27 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: fire that we're going to talk about today. Yeah, it 28 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: was definitely one of the worst, um sort of entertainment 29 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: club fires in US history. I would have to look 30 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: at numbers. I mean, it's probably one of the deadliest 31 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: fires in US history because a hundred and sixty five 32 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: people died in horrific fashion obvious, See, dying by fire 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: is always horrific. But this was as bad as it gets, um, 34 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: and I didn't know anything about it. So a big 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: thanks to you for uh commissioning this from Dave Rouse, 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: my friend, you did No, I didn't. I didn't commission this. 37 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: I didn't either. We're gonna have to this. May be 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: occasionally Dave will say like, hey, have you heard of 39 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: this cool thing? And we'll say, oh, yeah, just that 40 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: sounds great. So that may have been one of these 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: because I didn't know about this I don't think. What 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: day is it? Uh? It is Tuesday? I think, are 43 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: we Is this a job? Am I dreaming? You're like 44 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: that kid David on the way home from the dentist? 45 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: Is this real? All right? So let's go to Newport, 46 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: Kentucky in the way back machine. We haven't pulled that 47 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 1: thing out in a while, so let's dust it out. 48 00:02:54,440 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: That's fired up through the wiring, so I'll have to 49 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: hot wire it. Luckily, I'm good at that. So let's 50 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: get it fired up and let's go back to the 51 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties Prohibition era Northern kentuckt Okay, here we are, 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: Chuck and uh. It turns out that despite prohibition being 53 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: in full force, UM liquors really really easy to get, 54 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: especially especially because there was a loophole in the Volstad 55 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: Act that said, and I know we talked about this 56 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: in the Prohibition episode UM that said that if you 57 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: UM are making alcohol for medicinal use, you can't. You 58 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: have to have a huge license. Each bottle has to 59 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: be bonded by the government. You can't be it's got 60 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: to be a hundred proof on the nose. There is 61 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: a bunch of like criteria, but you could legally produce 62 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: um alcohol. And there was a guy named George Remus 63 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: who who was a lawyer. He also was a pharmacist 64 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: by trade, but he had been defending all sorts of 65 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: bootleggers in Chicago and realized, man, there's a lot of 66 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: money in bootlegging. So I saw that. He did a 67 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: little research, found out that of the legal booze producing 68 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: the United States was coming out of the Cincinnati area, 69 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: and he moved over there and said, I'm going to 70 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,119 Speaker 1: get into organized crime. And boy did he ever. Yeah, 71 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: he was living in Chicago at the time, and if 72 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: you're leaving the organized crime in Chicago to go to Cincinnati, 73 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: then he must have some good insider information, and indeed 74 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: he did. He was known after he made that move 75 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: as a king of the bootleggers because he would um 76 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: and you know, it's a great scam. He would manufacture 77 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: this quote unquote medicinal whiskey and then he would have 78 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: a setup where his guys would steal the truck, hijack 79 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: the truck, and then sell it. And this money number 80 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: is staggering because it says at one point this guy 81 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: was making forty million dollars a year in the nineteen twenties. Yeah, 82 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: it's about nine hundred million dollars today, So I mean 83 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: that's that made him probably one of the wealthiest people 84 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: in the United States if he would have been able 85 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: to keep the you know, that operation up, But of 86 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: course he wasn't for sure. So if you were a 87 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: politician or um, a police chief or even probably a 88 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: local cop in the area, it made you pretty wealthy too. 89 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: Because one of the reasons why he set up in 90 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: northern Kentucky's, particularly in Newport, was because you could pay 91 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: people off a lot easier. It was a small town. 92 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: You could basically make it your fiefdom. And that's what 93 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: George Remis did. And you're right he Um. He got 94 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: caught pretty quickly, I think, um within just a few 95 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: years of setting up this organized crime syndicate. UM. And 96 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: I just a little aside on him. He was really interesting. 97 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: He had a sellmate in jail who turned out to 98 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 1: be an FBI agent, not an informant, and actual agent 99 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: who has planted there. The agent found out about all 100 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: the money that Remus had that his wife control that 101 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: was in her name. The guy left the jail, quit 102 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,799 Speaker 1: the FBI, and started an affair with Remus's wife, Imogene, 103 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: and then talked her into basically like selling off all 104 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: his stuff and funnel money from her. So the FBI 105 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: guy robbed and blind. Remus was so mad that when 106 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: he got out of prison, he he tracked down his 107 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: wife and shot her in public in broad daylight. Did 108 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: he get pinched for that? He got pinched. He was 109 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: convicted but found not guilty and reason of insanity, was 110 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: taken to UM Sanitarium right sanatorium ortarium, I can't remember 111 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: um a mental hospital, and then, because he was a lawyer, 112 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: used the prosecutor's reasoning that he wasn't insane to get 113 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: himself released from the actual UM, the mental hospital, and 114 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: became a freeman very quickly. Boy, he knew all the angles, 115 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: Yeah he did. And also one other thing about him 116 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: is that it's pretty much a certainty that Jay Gatsby 117 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: from the Great Gatsby was based on George D. Remus 118 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: because he had met um F Scott Fitzgerald at some point. Yeah, 119 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: and probably through some pretty wild parties would be my guests. 120 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: But he didn't drink or smoke. Well, I don't, well 121 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: did Gatsby here? I could think gets to be drinks 122 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: something yeah, I um, alright, so it's he's in jail. 123 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: But by this time he had established such an operation 124 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: there in northern Kentucky that a little industry of sleeves 125 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: grew up around it. Uh, kind of a red light district, 126 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: is how Dave put it. And this is where we 127 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: get to the birth of what was then called the 128 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills Country Club. Uh. There was a guy named 129 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: Peachman who now factors in the story, who used to 130 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: be a driver for Remus and in seven he bought 131 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: this old roadhouse outside of Newport, Newport perched upon a 132 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: hill and and and basically renovated it into a casino, 133 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: and a really nice one. They had casinos there, but 134 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: they were they were called bust out joints. They were 135 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: kind of again, they were kind of sleazy places to go. 136 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: And the Beverly Hills Country Club was what was known 137 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: as a carpet joint, and it was a it was 138 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: a nice place. It was it was the blueprint for 139 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: what ended up being Las Vegas. Like a nice place 140 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: where you could go and you could gamble, and you 141 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: get a dinner and some drink and even see a show. Yeah. 142 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: So the thing about that is yes, it was. The 143 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: whole jam was kind of sleazy. In fact, Newport earned 144 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: the nickname Since City back in the thirties. And again, 145 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: Las Vegas is a glimmer in anybody's eye at this point. 146 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: It's a it's a tumble wheat. No like Newport is 147 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: Las Vegas and Atlantic City wrapped into one. And if 148 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: you were a tourist like you were, you were totally fine. 149 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: You were safe. The streets were clean, like nobody was 150 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: gonna mess with you because it was so fully mob run. 151 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: But it was mob run by a bunch of like 152 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: different disparate people who used to work with George Remus 153 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: and the Cleveland mob that led by Moe Deletes, who 154 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: went on to help found Las Vegas. He was one 155 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: of the original founders. He said, I want this action. 156 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: This is like just off the border of Cincinnati. Were 157 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: in Cleveland. We're going to get in on this. And 158 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,119 Speaker 1: he moved in on Newport and started buying up casinos 159 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: around town. Delete Deletes, that's what I saw. Oh really, 160 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: I know. I want to say dallots, but it's not dallots. 161 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: It it's delightful as what it is. If you look 162 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: at uh deletes, Uh he looks exactly what you would 163 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: think of mobster. Moe Deletes would look like he was 164 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: a big time mobster. Like he was one of the 165 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: ones that was grilled by the Kaffer Committee. He was 166 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: one of the ones that that helped found Las Vegas 167 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: years later, right, right, Yeah, that's what I was saying. 168 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: But this was years and years later. And again one 169 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: of the reasons Las Vegas was found was because Mo 170 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: de Letz was one of the first, like big time 171 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: mob guys who showed up in Newport and took over 172 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: it was. It was just the blueprint for Vegas later on. Alright, 173 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: So Schmidt and again Chuck, I want to just really 174 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: drive home. We're talking about northern Kentucky. M hm okay, yeah, 175 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: Uh you know how I know that because we said 176 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: northern Kentucky like sixty times so far I know. But 177 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: it's just still boggles the mind. So Schmidt owns this 178 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills country club, and uh doesn't want to give 179 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: it up despite mob pressure. He's like, no, this is 180 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: my place. I want to own it. So what looks 181 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: like happened as the mom said, fine, we'll burn it down. Uh, 182 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: this was not the big fire obviously that came, you know, 183 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: forty years later, this was in February. Only one fatality, 184 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: very sadly, h five year old girl, the niece of 185 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: the club's caretaker, died. And here's the thing. They didn't 186 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: prove arson. But again, everyone was on the take, so 187 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: it was kind of just understood that it was burned 188 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: down because Schmidt wouldn't sell well. Plus also, right after 189 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: the fire, Mo Deletes came and said you want to 190 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: sell now? And uh that was it. Mo Deletes now 191 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: own the Beverly Hills Country Club and with that he 192 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: basically owned Newport in conjunction with a couple other big 193 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: time heavy hitter Cleveland bosses. Yeah, with whatever they're whatever 194 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: Cleveland accent is. So you want to take a I 195 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: don't know that there is one actually know that you 196 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: mentioned it. It's kind of midwestern. Uh, hey, what do 197 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: you say, Let's let's go down to Newport and run 198 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: the plate. That's a Cleveland accent, I think by way 199 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: Steve Bush and me is it's all right, We'll take 200 00:11:53,640 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: that break and we'll we'll come back right after this, Okay, Chuck, 201 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: So Mo Deletes and the Cleveland mob have taken over Newport. 202 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: And this is when it really becomes like the casino 203 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: capital of America. Yeah, it's bustling. People are and this 204 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: isn't like, oh I came in from Cleveland or Cincinnati. 205 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: People are coming in from the West coast in New 206 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: York and Chicago. I think the population was about thirty thousand, 207 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: and uh seventy thousand people, you know, more than double 208 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: that amount would come in on the weekends to hang 209 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: out and see young Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra and 210 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: Dean Martin. And it was a literal blue print again 211 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: for Vegas. They were doing it all. Duke Ellington was playing, 212 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: and Marilyn Monroe was there and it was just, uh, 213 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: it was quite a scene. Again where in northern Kentucky 214 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: and the others. The other thing about it too, is 215 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: there was no legalized gambling in Kentucky. This was all 216 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 1: just flouting the law. And the reason why because everybody 217 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: was on the take. They just looked the other way. 218 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: And it was the casino Capital of America was located 219 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: in a state that didn't have legalized gambling. Yeah, so 220 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: so it wasn't like this is a a back room 221 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: poker game like they were literal casinos that they got 222 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: away with it, and eventually, you know, of course the 223 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: feds are going to take note, and the American Municipal 224 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: Association uh started complaining to the federal government and said, hey, 225 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: we got a real organized crime problem in this country. 226 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: So that Cafalbre Committee that you were talking about earlier, 227 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: it was a stab bush by the Senate. These big 228 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: televised hearings. They trotted out everyone, including deletes, including Frank 229 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: Costello and people like that. And here's the thing, it 230 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: kept going that had no effect on shutting Newport down. 231 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: This was in nineteen or fifty, and throughout the fifties 232 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: it was still booming. Yeah. One of the reasons why 233 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: they were able to get away with this was this 234 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: was before even the FBI would admit that there was 235 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: a national crime syndicate of organized crime. Like Up to 236 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: the like late fifties, the general consensus among law enforcement, 237 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: at least officially, was that it was all just local 238 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: hoods and thugs and you know, criminals. But there was 239 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: certainly no organized crime that didn't exist. Even after the 240 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: ki father Um Committee like revealed like, no, these people 241 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: wh are in touch with one another and they're all 242 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: mobbed up like this does exist, it still didn't quite take. 243 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: It wasn't until the Appalachian me of nineteen fifty seven 244 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: in Appalati to New York, where they literally caught a 245 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: hundred mob bosses from around the country in Cuba and 246 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: Italy meeting to figure out how to organize their crime better. 247 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: The people, including the FBI, were finally like, okay, fine, 248 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: there's organized crime. But that's one way that they were 249 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: able to get away with this is because they just 250 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: refused to accept that this was an organized crime syndicate. Yeah, 251 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: which it very much was. Uh. And it played out 252 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: in Newport in ways that you would expect in the 253 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties. They're homicide rate and you know this, you know, 254 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: pretty small place was four times the national average. Uh. 255 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: There were a lot of people that just vanished. Basically. 256 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: Dave introduced me to a new term called the Newport nightgown, 257 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: which was when you were wrapped up in chains and 258 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: thrown off a bridge. Uh. There was a reporter in 259 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: fifty seven that counted three hundred sex workers per mile 260 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: in Newport And eventually nineteen six one rolls around and 261 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: a football player, former player from Notre dame in the 262 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: Browns there in Cleveland named George Raderman ran for sheriff 263 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: in Newport as a reform candidate. Okay, you know that reference? 264 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: No is that from No No, No, no, No. Good 265 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: guess though it was Oh brother were art dal the 266 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: Coen Brothers great movie where Charles Dunning said, people want 267 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: that reform. Oh yeah. It was a good character. Yeah, 268 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: he was a southern politician. But this is what uh 269 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: Raderman ran for. Basically, I'm going to clean this place up. Uh. 270 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: And it was all going fine in his campaign until 271 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: he was found naked and passed out in a hotel 272 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: room with a sex worker and arrested. But it kind 273 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: of came back to sting the mob, didn't it. It 274 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: did because they did blood tests on George Raderman, probably 275 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: at his insistence. He said that he was drugged, and 276 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: it turned out that yes, indeed, he was drugged with 277 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: oral hydrate, which is the basis of a mickey a 278 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: Mickey finn. If you slip someone and mickey, you give 279 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: him chloral hydrate in a drink. And that's what they 280 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,479 Speaker 1: did to George Raderman and framed him. The mob, in 281 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: conjunction with the local police framed this guy who was 282 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: running for sheriff. It is a trope, but this was 283 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: actually happening. Drug him and throw him dead naked with 284 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: his sex order and take his and call the cops. Exactly. 285 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: So um with with black and white picture. It's got 286 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: to be black and white photos. Right. So Raderman actually 287 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: goes on to win the election. He like, he comes 288 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: out of this and clears his name, wins the election, 289 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: and then all of the national attention that was given 290 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 1: to this incredibly like just like almost mythical thing that 291 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: happened to him. Um. Robert Kennedy, who was new as 292 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: the U. S. Attorney General, said what is going on 293 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: down there? And started sending feds to Newport, and all 294 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: of a sudden, the party was over. That's right, The 295 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: party was very much over by this town. This was 296 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: the sixties, so Vegas was it's earlier days and people 297 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: skipped down. Basically, he said, all right, let's go out 298 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: there in the sunshine. Uh, Newport is done. And in 299 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: the mid nineteen sixties, the Beverly Hills Country Club closed, 300 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 1: but not for good, because, as we will see, it 301 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 1: was revived, which will ultimately lead us to our tragedy. Yeah, 302 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: It sounds like a break spot, but it's not because 303 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 1: we just took one, that's right. This is also the 304 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: time when the famous song Goodbye Northern Kentucky I'm going 305 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: to Las Vegas was written that Inglebert Humperdink or Gordon Lightfoot. 306 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: It was a duet. Okay, yeah, yeah, it was a 307 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: sea shantie that's right, sung into Cleveland accent. Alright. So 308 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:50,919 Speaker 1: then we will enter another character, Dick Schilling Richard Chilling Jr. 309 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: He was working at these casinos when he was just 310 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: a kid and eventually rose up to like management and 311 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,640 Speaker 1: in the late sick season sixty nine, when Newport wasn't 312 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: doing great, he had the foresight to buy this abandoned property, 313 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: the Beverly Hills Supper and renamed it the Beverly Hills 314 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: Supper Club. This time, I was like, I'm going to 315 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: restore this um giant, giant facility. I mean, like, the 316 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: more we looked into this, that video you sent me 317 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: that kind of lays out the not the schematic, but 318 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: the floor plan. It's unbelievable how big this place was. 319 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: Like they would have half a dozen wedding parties going 320 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 1: on at this and the same night in addition to 321 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: the thousand seat to Frank Sinatra. Yeah, in the other room, 322 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: like it was nuts and it was really lavishly done. 323 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: Like Dick Schilling like did a really good job bringing 324 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: this thing back and put it back on the map again. 325 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: The thing is is that long standing tradition of a 326 00:19:56,200 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: legitimate business owner buying the place, fixing it up, and 327 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: uh being unwilling to sell it to the mob, who 328 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: in short order turned around and burn it down. Um, 329 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: that happened again, just like a year after he revamped it, 330 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: right before he was able to open, and amazingly, Dick 331 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: Schilling said, no, I'm doing this, stop at mob. You're 332 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: not gonna You're not gonna deter me and the mobs 333 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: and fine, fine, go ahead and open and he did 334 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: in and you know, in just a few years it 335 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: was it was like I think they called it the 336 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: show place of the nation, a supper club in northern Kentucky. Uh. 337 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 1: And it's like, how many times can this place burn down? 338 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: And I guess the answer is three at least. Yes, 339 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: Uh and big thanks to we need to mention Dave 340 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: used to book for this research by a man named 341 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: Peter Bronson, who wrote easily I would say, the quintessential 342 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: book on the Beverly Hill Supper Club Fire. Uh and 343 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: Northern Kentucky Forbidden Fruit. Colon since Cities Underworld in the 344 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: supper Club Inferno. And was that who it was in 345 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: the video that you said to No, there's another guy 346 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: named Robert Webster who was in that video. I sent tune. 347 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: He wrote another definitive book on it, um called the 348 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire, The Store the Untold 349 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 1: story behind Kentucky's greatest tragedy. And it's really exhaustive too. 350 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: Apparently it's got five years of research behind it as well. 351 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: Colon everything that Bronson guy missed. Right, they're famously feuding 352 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: with each other to this day. They keep burning down 353 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: one another supper clubs. Oh no, no, no, alright, So 354 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: this thing, like you said, opening seventy burned, reopened in 355 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: seventy one. Chilling was not to be deterred. And uh, 356 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: it was a big deal. And Frank Sinatra came back 357 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: even he was like that place is open again. All right, 358 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: I'm back. You can still get a flight into Cincinnati, right. Uh. 359 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 1: Ella Fitzgerald played their Red Fox, The Righteous Brothers. It was. 360 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: It was again a big deal, and such a big 361 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: deal that they would routinely um over sell and overpacked 362 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: that place out. So I saw, this is under dispute. 363 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: So I think Robert Webster in particular, he chalked reports 364 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: of that up to poor reporting, early reporting after the fire, 365 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: that they routinely flaunted the building capacity, the fire marshal's 366 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: capacity um number. I don't know that that's necessarily true, 367 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 1: but it posses though. But no, but they they were. 368 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: They said that there was some minor um violations, but 369 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: nothing that costs anyone in their lives. So that to 370 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 1: that tells me right there that no, they weren't doing 371 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: any major violations like over capacity crowding. Okay, And it 372 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: was a huge place too. It was so mind bogglingly 373 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: big that I think people were like, oh, there's people there, 374 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: obviously it's over capacity. Well, I mean I think they were. 375 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: They said there were people in that one room, yeah, 376 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: where the main stage was, which was that was a 377 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: sweet looking, uh place. I mean this the decor in 378 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: this place was awesome. Alright. So Memorial Day weekend is 379 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: obviously going to be a big deal at a place 380 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,199 Speaker 1: like this, and it was certainly the case in nineteen 381 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: seventy seven. John Davidson was the headliner that night. John Davidson, 382 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: who would later make noise in the eighties for guys 383 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: like us as a co host of a show called 384 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: Real People. Isn't that right? That's incredible? Okay, Real People 385 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: was the other one. Yeah, it was the downmarket version 386 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: or maybe the upmarket version of Real People. I think 387 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: that's incredible. It was just that was the one with 388 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: Tarkenton and Kathy Rick I think, yeah. Remember she always 389 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: came out wearing a beard of bees like every episode. 390 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: I just remember the guy. I remember two guys. There 391 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: was one guy that could catch arrows. That was Kathy Rigby. 392 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: That was that would bring on people to do this 393 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: kufas uh. And then the other guy. I think I 394 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: even remember his name for some reason. It's funny how 395 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: these things stick with you as an adult from when 396 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: you were a kid. I think he was the Yogi Kudu. 397 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: He was the guy that could fold himself and put 398 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: him in a tiny, little clear cube. That was Kathy 399 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: Rigby too. You were a very confused young man. I'm 400 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: gonna have to look that up. I better. I think 401 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: it was Yogiku do Um, so, Chuck, we kind of 402 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 1: set the stage. Um, Kathy Lee Crosby, Oh nice, Okay, 403 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 1: good Cathy Rigby. It was a gymnast, all right. I'm 404 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: glad I said that, but I was thinking of Kathy 405 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: Lee Crosby. I just had the name wrong with you, 406 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: but that's who I was thinking of. At any rate, 407 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: we've set the stage for this seven night at the 408 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: Beverly Hill Supper Club. Yep. John Davidson's kind of go 409 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: on apparently shaving backstage at this moment, and I say, 410 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: we take a little break, leave John Davidson to his shaving, 411 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,680 Speaker 1: and come back and really talk about the fire. All right, 412 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: you missed a spot, John, Yeah, imagine like shaving right 413 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: before we go on stage. I'd be like I would 414 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: nick myself and I'd come out bleeding, like your face 415 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,479 Speaker 1: isn't supposed to bleed when you are entertaining. You know. 416 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: I'm so glad I don't shave. I hated shaving. I 417 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: don't like it either. Yeah, I didn't like shaving. So 418 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: John Davidson apparently loved to shave, do it five times 419 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: a day. He liked to come out there with a clean, 420 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: clean clothes, shaved who were the two comedians that were 421 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: opening up for him, Kethy Rig It was in the video, 422 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,199 Speaker 1: but I don't remember now. Peter and McDonald. They were 423 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: a comedy duo plus a ventriloquist act on tops of 424 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: everyone back then had a had a dummy at their disposal. Yeah, 425 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: and but also I think they were kind of like, 426 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,919 Speaker 1: we're kind of funny, we need to somehow, we're not 427 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: funny enough to just be a comedy duo, right, No 428 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: shade towards the carrot top because he will beat me 429 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: up now, Oh dude. Yeah, So all right, this the 430 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,679 Speaker 1: club is packed out the um there was a wedding 431 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: receptions going on, and what was called the Zebra Room, 432 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 1: Like you said, the cab cabernet room. I'm sorry, the 433 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: cabaret room, but the curtains could make it called the 434 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 1: cabernet room for sure. And all the wine you couldn't 435 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 1: me Um. I bet they were serving some usty supermanty 436 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: in that joint. Uh they they that was where Davidson was. 437 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: But the point is there was just there was activity 438 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: all over this place such that if there was a fire, 439 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: like we will soon see, the other part of the 440 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: facility wouldn't even know what was going on. No, not 441 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: at all. Um, there I saw that there was essentially 442 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: three thousand people in that building at the time, in 443 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: the complex, I should say, But it's not like it 444 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: was a bunch of different buildings. It was one big 445 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 1: building with a bunch of huge rooms. So, um, yes, 446 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: so there's three thousand people there on this this what 447 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: was this Saturday night? I think Friday night that was 448 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: So there were three thousand people there, and um, there 449 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: was a wedding party, one of the like half dozen 450 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: wedding parties that were celebrating that day. Um, we're in 451 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: the Zebra room. And they left, they were done, their 452 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: wedding party was over, and I think a couple of 453 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,360 Speaker 1: servers came in to get some some trades I think 454 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: out of the place and noticed that there was a 455 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: thing of smoke that was kind of bunching up in 456 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: the back of the room. And they're like, well, that's 457 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: kind of odd, and they went and got um Dick 458 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: Schilling's son, Rick, who came in with a fire extinguisher. 459 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,479 Speaker 1: But by the time he got there, apparently it was 460 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: spreading pretty quickly, and it was made even worse by 461 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: a bus boy whose name has lost to history or 462 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: at the very least day didn't um use his name 463 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: who opened the doors to the Zebra room to kind 464 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: of help put the fire out, but instead that had 465 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: the exact opposite effect. Yeah, the whole backdraft effect. All 466 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: that oxygen entering the room basically made I mean, it 467 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: didn't explode, but it did not explode. Like everything in 468 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: that room all of a sudden was on fire and this, uh, 469 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: that was really really black smoke. Um. We'll talk a 470 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: little bit later about what all was in it, but 471 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: it was incredibly noxious, as you would expect from a 472 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: lavishly decorated place in late night, all manner of like 473 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: terrible plastics and and fabrics that were terrible when burned. Um. 474 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: So the Zebra rooms on fire, and apparently the um 475 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: when the flames kind of burst in the Zebra room, 476 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: it moved really quickly up the hall of mirrors, which 477 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: will become suspicious later on, and it's moving towards the 478 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: cabaret room. Well, there was a I saw sixteen year 479 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 1: old This says eighteen year old. Regardless, there was a 480 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: teenage bus boy working there and he heard didn't see anything, 481 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: He just heard over the grapevine that there was a 482 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: fire in the Zebra room and he had the wherewithal 483 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: to go on stage interrupting the great Teeter and McDonald 484 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: during their comedy act, asked them for the microphone and 485 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: very calmly said, folks, there's a fire in an adjoining room. 486 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: It's nothing to panic about, but we all need to leave. 487 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: So there are exits here and here. Please go ahead 488 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: and make your way to the exits. And about a 489 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: third to a half of the crowd laughed and clapped 490 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: because they thought that Walter Bailey was part of Teter 491 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: McDonald's comedy and Teeter and McDonald said, man, we need 492 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: to steal that and added to our act later on 493 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: because it got a huge response. Yeah, there's no way 494 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: that they didn't uh get that ventriloquist thing out and 495 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: say who's this dummy when that guy got on stage. 496 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: There is no way. But Walter Bailey is a huge 497 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: here and there are a lot of heroes and we'll 498 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: see but he I mean, imagine being like sixteen to 499 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: eighteen years old and without anybody telling you to, like, 500 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 1: just getting on stage, interrupting an act and telling everyone, calmly, 501 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: calmly leave. Yeah, everyone across the board says that he 502 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: very calmly told everyone, we need to go ahead and 503 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:54,719 Speaker 1: go out the doors. Hats off to Walter Bailey. So 504 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 1: people sort of started to leave. Other people would like, 505 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: we're kicking back and drinking their drinks and stuff and 506 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: wondering what was going on. And eventually the cabernet room 507 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: it became evident when flames and heat and smoke burst 508 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: through that entrance door, and exactly what you would think 509 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: happened happened, which is people started, uh panicking. They started 510 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: trying to get out any way they knew how, which 511 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: it turns out was pretty confusing in a big place 512 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: like this smoke um. There were two back exits, but 513 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: two of the doors pushed out, two of them pulled in. Uh. 514 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: They found survivors who were basically crushed against those inward 515 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: pulling doors, because you know, once you get to that 516 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: door and you have a a rush of people pushing 517 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: and you can't even get the door open. So it's 518 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 1: it's that that sad, sad typical seeing you hear about 519 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: with a rush of people where a crush happens and 520 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: people are stepping on one another trying to get out. 521 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: So part of it also, I it was started when 522 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: a man in a dinner jacket who was kind of 523 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: quickly making his way to that one exit where one 524 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: of the doors was closed and the other was open. 525 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: He tripped and fell, and a woman very closely behind 526 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: him fell on him, and then the people behind her 527 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: fell on her, and they just kind of stacked up, 528 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: sealing the fate of the people behind them, because the 529 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: margin of error in getting out of the cabaret room 530 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: at that time was razor thin. I saw it. Put 531 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: like whether you lived or died depended on what side 532 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: of the table you were sitting on and having to 533 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: get out of that cabaret room. That's how noxious that 534 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: smoke was and how quickly it was killing people who 535 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: were overcome. And so when that pile of people started 536 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: um piling up by that one exit, there was only 537 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: one exit to be had, and that was on the 538 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: other side of this thousand person room. So a a 539 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: lot died at that blocked exit right there. Yeah, I 540 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: think that was um There were several dead ends that 541 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,320 Speaker 1: people thought were exits, like hallways that led to closets 542 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: and coat closets and things like that. Uh and again, 543 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: and you know when this thing is when panic is 544 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: set in. There are people everywhere, it's full of smoke. 545 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: You're just going in a direction basically at that point. Uh. 546 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: And if you see a hallway and you run down 547 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: it and you hit a dead end, then that that's 548 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: basically it for you in this kind of scenario. Um. 549 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: Very sadly, there were people who actually made it outside 550 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: only to like collapse and die on the front lawn 551 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: because they couldn't get like fresh air into their lungs 552 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: soon enough. A lot of people made it out. A 553 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: surprising number of people made it out. So bear in 554 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: mind there's about three thousand people there and something on 555 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: the order of twenty people made it out safely. Yeah, 556 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: the vast majority of the people who did die died 557 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: at that one exit. Yeah, there were no uh sprinklers 558 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: installed and this was not a requirement, so that wasn't negligent. 559 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: But it does bear mentioning. Um. And you know, thanks 560 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: to people like Walter Bailey and the five firefighters who 561 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 1: rushed to the scene and this thing burned for seven hours. 562 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 1: But uh, I mean, you nail it, man. A hundred 563 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:17,760 Speaker 1: and sixty five people is a lot of people to lose. 564 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: But considering how massive this place was and how many 565 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: people were in there, um, And it's not like you're 566 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: ever prepared to flee a burning building, but I think 567 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: out drinking and having a good time after nine, like 568 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 1: half of more probably drunk by that point. Um. It 569 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: was just a very tough situation and and I think 570 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: they're lucky that more didn't perish. So a hundred victims 571 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: were found at that one blocked exit that was blocked 572 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: by people, uh, some people who had made it through 573 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 1: that exit. Like you said, it wasn't clear which way 574 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: to go. The exits weren't clearly marked. Thirty people were recovered, 575 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: um from the hallway off of that ex it, and 576 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: then there was a closet off of that hallway that 577 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: looked like an exit, but it was just a closet, 578 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: and another twenty people were found there. So a hundred 579 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: sixty people died. A hundred and fifty of them were 580 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:16,439 Speaker 1: all just uh scattered in this really localized area off 581 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 1: of the cabaret room, right inside of the cabaret room 582 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,800 Speaker 1: and right outside of the cabaret room. Yeah, um, the 583 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: uh you sent me this video. It was a presentation 584 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: and it's well worth watching if you're into this kind 585 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: of like even more thorough explanation of the layout of 586 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:34,879 Speaker 1: the place. But it was the what was his name 587 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: that wrote that other book, Robert Webster. Yeah, Webster was 588 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: presenting and he, you know, at one point in the 589 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: video he talks about some of the pictures he was 590 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 1: showing and he was like, you know, I really debated 591 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: on what I felt like I could show, uh as 592 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,919 Speaker 1: far as how kind of gruesome it got, but he said, 593 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 1: I did choose to show some of this because he's said, 594 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 1: I feel like, you know, people that have never heard 595 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: of this need to see a little bit of what 596 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 1: really happened to have its full impact. Um. And it 597 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: didn't get too gruesome, but he did show I mean 598 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 1: there were no like close ups, but he did show 599 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: shots of people like, you know, dead on the lawn. Um. 600 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 1: I think just kind of drive home how awful it was. Yeah, 601 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,799 Speaker 1: for sure, I mean it's it's it looks kind of 602 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 1: like people like the people who were able to be 603 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 1: gotten out, including like the ones like you said, just 604 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 1: collapsed after they made it out themselves, Like they just 605 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 1: looked like they were sleeping. Said this one kid, um 606 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,239 Speaker 1: who his name was Bill. He was thirteen at the time, 607 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: he was another kind of hero in helping people. Bill Klingenberg, 608 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 1: Um he uh. He said that it looked like people 609 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 1: were just sleeping. Um. And it wasn't until like you realized, 610 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: like you, it sunk in that they were dead. You 611 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: were looking at a hundred plus dead people just laying 612 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: around that it really became just nightmarish. And they moved 613 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 1: people to the nearby National Armory Jim and used it 614 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,880 Speaker 1: as a makeshift morgue for families to come and identify people. 615 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 1: And that's that's really worth pointing out. Like the this 616 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:12,200 Speaker 1: is a smallest town I think, like you said, thirty people, 617 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: probably less because a lot of people fled to Las 618 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:18,240 Speaker 1: Vegas a decade before, so it was a fairly small town. 619 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:23,799 Speaker 1: And the people who were going there were residents. Um, 620 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,880 Speaker 1: they worked there, They m the whole town was essentially 621 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: devastated by this fire. One way or another. You were 622 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: touched by this fire, whether you lost somebody directly, or 623 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:37,919 Speaker 1: you knew someone who lost somebody, or you knew someone 624 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: who was psychologically damaged now for having survived it. It 625 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:44,840 Speaker 1: was Um, it was. It's it's just hard to overstate 626 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: what a big deal it was. Not just nationally, but 627 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 1: especially in this area where it happened. Yeah. I mean 628 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 1: there were another hundred and sixteen that suffered severe injuries, um, 629 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: obviously from from the burns and the smoke inhalation. Uh. 630 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: So the question then is, did was this arson? Did 631 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: the mob do this? Yet? Again? Uh? And depending on 632 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: who you ask, they will say it's either officially undetermined, 633 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: which it is officially um or um. If you're the 634 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 1: author of that first book, Bronson, he will say, no, 635 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: this was absolutely the mob. Um. There were six official investigations. 636 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: The first one was obviously ordered by the governor of 637 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: Kentucky at the time, Julian Carroll, and said it was 638 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: likely electrical and nature and blamed on aluminum wiring. But 639 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: that zebra room where it started was bulldozed the next day. Uh. 640 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,240 Speaker 1: Supposedly to get um more bodies out there and recover 641 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: more more people, but um, who knows. Some people contend 642 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 1: that it was raised as part of the cover up. 643 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 1: They certainly couldn't do the investigation any further investigations like 644 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: they wanted to after that, So that bulldozing happened by 645 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:03,240 Speaker 1: director order of Julie and Carol, the the governor of Kentucky, 646 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:06,760 Speaker 1: which is a really weird thing to do. And um, 647 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 1: some authors, I think Bronson also Robert Webster is basically 648 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,240 Speaker 1: like that guy was so mobbed up it's not even funny. 649 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: The upshot of this is like we've entered into this 650 00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: period or this this realm where we're like, well, these 651 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:26,360 Speaker 1: are conspiracy theories. The area was so mob influenced and 652 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: it has such a history of things burning down because 653 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: of arson that it's really it's not far fetched at all. 654 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: This isn't just you know, local residents trying to make 655 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 1: sense of something really psychologically damaging. Uh. This really like 656 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: these are historians and local, like longtime journalists who are 657 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: writing books saying like, yeah, the governor literally covered up 658 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: this fire that killed a hundred and sixty five people 659 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 1: that was set under orders from the mob. Yeah there was. 660 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 1: There was an annual major nightclub five are every year 661 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: for seven straight years in northern Kentucky. Uh this was 662 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 1: the most deadly, so it got the most news. But 663 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,759 Speaker 1: for seven straight years from seventy to seventy seven, one 664 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: of these nightclubs burned to the ground. Uh. And it's 665 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:19,919 Speaker 1: that's not coincidence, you know. Um, there was like we said, 666 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: a grand jury investigation into um Dick Chilling and whether 667 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: or not he was negligent in any way. Uh. They 668 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:32,240 Speaker 1: said that at least the findings of the grand jury 669 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,799 Speaker 1: was that he clearly violated the fire code, but not 670 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: to a criminal degree. Uh. And as Bronson put it, 671 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:43,359 Speaker 1: basically because apparently the fire marshals, they're like, well, it's 672 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 1: really their fault, and then they're pointing fingers and Bronson 673 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: the author eventually said everyone was guilty. So nobody was guilty, 674 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:53,239 Speaker 1: which sometimes is how those things go down. Yeah, So, 675 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:56,320 Speaker 1: like you said, the cause remains undetermined. It was ruled 676 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:59,760 Speaker 1: in accident. A lot of people say, no, this was arson, 677 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,879 Speaker 1: and there were um, there were people who worked at 678 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 1: UM the supper club who came forward afterward, because, like 679 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: you said, a half dozen investigations were launched. So these 680 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 1: people were either spoken to or they came forward on 681 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 1: their own accord and said, hey, there was some really 682 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,319 Speaker 1: weird stuff going on at the supper club in the 683 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: in the days and weeks leading up to this UM 684 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 1: including there are a couple of guys who were found 685 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 1: in the basement laundry room right below the Zebra room, 686 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,359 Speaker 1: who caused an explosion a week before the fire, and 687 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 1: these two guys said that they were working on the 688 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:36,680 Speaker 1: air conditioning and told the hostess UM to leave, go ahead, 689 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:38,719 Speaker 1: get out of here, which is not something that air 690 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:41,359 Speaker 1: conditioning repair people say to the people who are working 691 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:46,160 Speaker 1: there very frequently. What else There was an FBI memo 692 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 1: apparently a couple of weeks before the fire that said 693 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: an anonymous tipster M heard I'm sorry, I had conversations 694 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,840 Speaker 1: with a stranger on a plane who predicted that it 695 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 1: would be burned down. UM. And that could have been 696 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:02,719 Speaker 1: a real thing, or it could have been just like, hey, 697 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 1: that places burned twice, it'll burn again. So I kind 698 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: of put that one in the maybe category personally. Uh. 699 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 1: What else? UM? There was a an employee who said that, UM, 700 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:17,920 Speaker 1: she overheard a heated discussion UM where two men wanted 701 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 1: to buy the supper club and she said that, UM, 702 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,200 Speaker 1: no one followed up on the tip and that she's 703 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:27,239 Speaker 1: received threatening phone calls to telling telling her to keep 704 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: quiet about that. And then also this one was I 705 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 1: think multiple people said that they saw men that they 706 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 1: couldn't identify wiping down the walls of the Hall of 707 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: Mirrors with some weird smelling liquid. On the day of 708 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 1: the fire, I remember the Zebra Um room caught fire, 709 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: but then the fire spread very quickly up the hall 710 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,719 Speaker 1: of mirrors to the cabaret room. And apparently there was 711 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:55,480 Speaker 1: another fire in nineteen where UM investigators found that the 712 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:59,920 Speaker 1: Pink Pussycat Lounge in Newport had been saturated in lubri 713 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,319 Speaker 1: can oil to help use as an accelerant, and it's 714 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: entirely possible this was used as well in this There's 715 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: other stuff too. If you watch that Robert Webster presentation 716 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: I think on YouTube, it's the same title of his 717 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: book The Beverly Hills Supper Club colin The Untold Story 718 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: Behind Kentucky's Worst Tragedy UM. He says that there were 719 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: like timers found in the basement underneath the Zebra Room, 720 00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:27,920 Speaker 1: that the wiring had been ripped out from plugs and 721 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:32,480 Speaker 1: put into outlets, and that essentially the the upshot of 722 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,400 Speaker 1: this of people who believe that this was arson, or 723 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:37,840 Speaker 1: may even actually know for a fact it was arson, 724 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 1: that it was not meant to happen on that Saturday night, 725 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:44,799 Speaker 1: that it was supposed to happen on Sunday morning, and 726 00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:47,240 Speaker 1: that the two goons who actually set up the timers 727 00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:50,840 Speaker 1: set some to PM rather than a M and caused 728 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:54,440 Speaker 1: this massive tragedy. Oh and that it was supposed to 729 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 1: have been just burned to the ground with no one there. Yeah, 730 00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,920 Speaker 1: because typically if you burned down a business and night 731 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,239 Speaker 1: club something like that in Northern GA, not trying to 732 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 1: murder people. No, you did it on a Sunday morning. Basically, 733 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,440 Speaker 1: I think there was one employee to that reported that 734 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:13,280 Speaker 1: they saw John Davidson shaving backstage. He was he caused 735 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: a spark. Uh. So that is the story. There was 736 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:20,840 Speaker 1: one little um a bit here at the end that 737 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:25,880 Speaker 1: Dave included that it was also notable in legal terms 738 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:31,239 Speaker 1: historically because it was the first um disaster case that 739 00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:35,640 Speaker 1: ended up having a class action mass tort lawsuit applied. 740 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:38,959 Speaker 1: There was a lawyer named Stan Chesley who would later 741 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:42,080 Speaker 1: be known as a Master of Disaster, who got all 742 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:45,280 Speaker 1: these claims together more than three victims, into a class 743 00:44:45,280 --> 00:44:50,520 Speaker 1: action suit against the aluminum wiring industry. Uh. And even 744 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 1: though that was never proven as the reason for the fire, 745 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:55,920 Speaker 1: they did have to admit that they knew that the 746 00:44:55,960 --> 00:45:00,880 Speaker 1: wire could catch fire from overheating, and the jury awarded 747 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:05,480 Speaker 1: bucks and damages and I think the families received about 748 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 1: thirty million dollars. Yeah, and I think that actually was 749 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:11,880 Speaker 1: the beginning of the end for aluminum wiring. Um. The 750 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: there's still like ongoing litigation over it. So UM, you know, 751 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: we talked largely about Newport, but um, the supper club 752 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 1: itself was up Highway twenty seven or I guess down 753 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 1: Highway twenty seven in Southgate, just outside of Newport, and 754 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:29,320 Speaker 1: um that's hollow ground to the people in that area. 755 00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 1: But it was recently sold. The entire site was sold 756 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,960 Speaker 1: to a developer who intended to put like condos in 757 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: an assisted living facility and stuff on it. And so 758 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:40,520 Speaker 1: there's been a bunch of lawsuits saying like, no, don't 759 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:42,840 Speaker 1: build at all, or you can build, but you just 760 00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:44,800 Speaker 1: can't build on the side of the supper club, or 761 00:45:44,840 --> 00:45:46,520 Speaker 1: you can build inside the supper club, you just can't 762 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:49,520 Speaker 1: build over the cabaret room where most of the deaths occurred. 763 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:53,480 Speaker 1: And I can't quite tell if the if the project 764 00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 1: is moving forward or if it's just stalled out right now, 765 00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:59,080 Speaker 1: or what they're going to do, but I believe that 766 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,360 Speaker 1: they put m Morial up where the cabaret room is, 767 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:05,799 Speaker 1: or if they haven't yet. They're going to very soon. 768 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:10,640 Speaker 1: All this news was like, oh, well that's good. Yeah, 769 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:14,200 Speaker 1: so there's still and apparently there's there's people convinced that 770 00:46:14,239 --> 00:46:18,040 Speaker 1: there are still remains on the site. Um, and I 771 00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:20,800 Speaker 1: guess there. I saw a picture taken in the woods 772 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:25,040 Speaker 1: and there's a burned like cocktail tray um in in 773 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:26,880 Speaker 1: the woods. And this is like a picture taken in 774 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:28,880 Speaker 1: like two thousand eight or nine or something like that. 775 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: So they're like, there's still stuff in the woods. So 776 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: it really is hollow ground for sure. Yeah, you got 777 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 1: anything else? No, this is a story I've never heard. 778 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:41,239 Speaker 1: And uh, I guess Dave thought of it, so I'm 779 00:46:41,239 --> 00:46:42,960 Speaker 1: glad he did. Yeah, way to go, Dave. Thanks for 780 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,720 Speaker 1: this one. Uh And since I said way to go Dave, 781 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:49,480 Speaker 1: that means, of course, everybody, it's time for listener mail. 782 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 1: This is about avocado Toast. Hey, guys, love the show. 783 00:46:56,120 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: I've been working my way through the bad catalog as 784 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:00,600 Speaker 1: I'm doing some d i y work on our house. 785 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:03,840 Speaker 1: You have saved my sanity. But I wanted to address 786 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:07,840 Speaker 1: Josh's comment about the relatively recent hipster fascination with toast. 787 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,759 Speaker 1: Giving us avocado Toast is a correction. Now it's not 788 00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:14,640 Speaker 1: a correction. Okay, great, I love this one. Yeah, this 789 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:18,120 Speaker 1: is just a little I guess what thing? Hey, guys, 790 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,880 Speaker 1: So my dad has mashed an avocado onto toast and 791 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: added salt and pepper since I was a kid in 792 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:27,879 Speaker 1: the n uh It's funny. It seems like a very 793 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,759 Speaker 1: seventies dad thing to do. And then with a kid 794 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:32,359 Speaker 1: going like why do you do and and he's like, oh, 795 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:34,399 Speaker 1: it's delicious, He's like, leave me alone and get back 796 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:37,279 Speaker 1: to your macro main As a matter of fact, I'm 797 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: not a big avocado fan in general, but I still 798 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,799 Speaker 1: love that version of avocado toast. And just in case 799 00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:44,640 Speaker 1: you're wondering, my dad was not a foodie. Far from it. 800 00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:48,480 Speaker 1: Kate Hamburger steak and microwave vegetables every night for dinner 801 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:52,000 Speaker 1: for decades. My siblings and I used to joke that 802 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:56,560 Speaker 1: his biography should be called beyond practicality. I grew up 803 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:58,840 Speaker 1: in San Diego, which I think grows more avocados and 804 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: anywhere else in the US, so we could usually just 805 00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: get them cheaply in season. I bet your dad was 806 00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:07,400 Speaker 1: stealing them from the neighbor's yard, would be my guess. 807 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:10,840 Speaker 1: I just want to let you know that some of 808 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:14,400 Speaker 1: us have been Avocado Toast enthusiasts more than fifty years. 809 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:17,799 Speaker 1: Thanks again for keeping me entertained and educated with the show. 810 00:48:17,840 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: It's fantastic. I really can't thank you enough. And that 811 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:25,440 Speaker 1: is from Cookie Davis. Nice Cookie. First of all, awesome name. Secondly, 812 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,759 Speaker 1: thanks for the story. I appreciate it. And then third day, 813 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:30,879 Speaker 1: I have a question for Cookie or anybody you can answer. 814 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 1: It is a hamburger steak, just like a hamburger without 815 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 1: the button. Is that right? Yeah? I used to, uh, 816 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:39,719 Speaker 1: when I was a line cook when I was believe 817 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:45,520 Speaker 1: it or not, thirteen years old at JJ's barbecue. Yeah, 818 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,800 Speaker 1: I would. I would cook the grittled bread, garlic bread 819 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:53,680 Speaker 1: and the hamburger steaks. And hamburger steak is just ground 820 00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:57,640 Speaker 1: beef shaped like a New York strip and that's all 821 00:48:57,680 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: it is. So it's not like round like a hamburger. 822 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:01,560 Speaker 1: I guess comple you conserve it that way. But the 823 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,839 Speaker 1: idea is to make it long and rectangular like it's 824 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:07,480 Speaker 1: its steak. And uh, it's really kind of funny, but 825 00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 1: you want to hear something funnier. I made one of 826 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:14,400 Speaker 1: those two weeks ago for myself. I got this we 827 00:49:14,480 --> 00:49:19,080 Speaker 1: get in our c s A Our c s A Miami. 828 00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:22,360 Speaker 1: That's a little when you go to the some parking 829 00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:25,120 Speaker 1: lot and a bunch of farmers partner hippies give you 830 00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:27,920 Speaker 1: a bag of stuff. Yeah, or go up. What's the 831 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,000 Speaker 1: c s A. I think it's called a c s 832 00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:37,120 Speaker 1: A co Op Surprise r vark. But they got this 833 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 1: really delicious local, locally raised, humanely raised ground beef and 834 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:49,120 Speaker 1: it's delicious, like the most noticeable difference you could imagine 835 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:50,879 Speaker 1: from like something you would get in a grocery store. 836 00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:53,840 Speaker 1: And I was like, you know what, I don't have 837 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:56,759 Speaker 1: anything else here in the house, so I'm gonna make 838 00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:00,440 Speaker 1: some veggies and make a hamburger steak. So I've been 839 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:04,279 Speaker 1: making some really great recipes from your friend, uh Kenji 840 00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:09,880 Speaker 1: Lopez all delete he is. That guy is just amazing. 841 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of now. Yeah, he's the best, 842 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:15,120 Speaker 1: and I'm not sure how much we can mention him 843 00:50:15,160 --> 00:50:17,680 Speaker 1: and be ignored. But here's yet another. Yeah, I was 844 00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:19,400 Speaker 1: gonna say, if he's a friend of the show and 845 00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,560 Speaker 1: doesn't know it, yeah, exactly, but yeah, it's um. I 846 00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:25,680 Speaker 1: think I made the carne asada. I can't remember the 847 00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:27,359 Speaker 1: name of the recipe, but it was like the best 848 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,800 Speaker 1: carne asada or something like that. It was so easy 849 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,719 Speaker 1: but so good. And it all comes down to like 850 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:38,240 Speaker 1: doing your own stuff, like rather than using ground cuman, 851 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:44,160 Speaker 1: like buying human whole human like seeds, toasting them and 852 00:50:44,200 --> 00:50:46,759 Speaker 1: then putting them in like a grinder. Sounds like a lot, 853 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:49,880 Speaker 1: it's actually really easy and it produces like just amazing stuff. 854 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:54,120 Speaker 1: Or like using like whole dried chilies, um and then 855 00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:57,400 Speaker 1: reconstituting them, like just just little things like that that 856 00:50:57,520 --> 00:50:59,440 Speaker 1: maybe you're like an extra step that makes it just 857 00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:02,640 Speaker 1: a nor of this world of difference. It's almost as 858 00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:07,840 Speaker 1: if eating real whole foods is the better way. Almost chuck. Almost. 859 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 1: He's a food scientist. He knows his stuff beyond chef um. Uh, 860 00:51:13,600 --> 00:51:16,239 Speaker 1: just bake a batch of his chocolate chip cookies and 861 00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:19,000 Speaker 1: see me in the morning. Oh. By the way, I know, 862 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:22,759 Speaker 1: I told everybody about um Sally's baking addictions chocolate brown 863 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:26,160 Speaker 1: butter chocolate chip cookies, and I I went to go 864 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:30,120 Speaker 1: look at the recipe um to see about browning butter again. 865 00:51:30,680 --> 00:51:32,759 Speaker 1: And in the comments there's like ten people are like 866 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:35,480 Speaker 1: Josh from stuff you Should Know set me here. It 867 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:38,840 Speaker 1: was like weird, like bizarre thing because I wasn't expecting 868 00:51:38,840 --> 00:51:41,000 Speaker 1: it at all. But the upshot of it is I 869 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:45,839 Speaker 1: tried Sally's Baking Addiction brown butter sugar cookies. They may 870 00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 1: be even better than the brown butter chocolate chip cookies. 871 00:51:49,080 --> 00:51:51,440 Speaker 1: So if you tried the chocolate chip cookies, please, I 872 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:55,080 Speaker 1: beseech you go make the sugar cookies too. Yeah, and 873 00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:58,120 Speaker 1: trunk and chocolate chip cookies. Okay, we'll try them all. 874 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:01,319 Speaker 1: I've got no problem with that. They're all good. You 875 00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:04,640 Speaker 1: got anything else? Nothing, I'm just starving now. Who was 876 00:52:04,680 --> 00:52:09,040 Speaker 1: that cookie that wrote in? That was Cookie? Yeah? Cool? Great? Well, 877 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:10,680 Speaker 1: if you want to be like Cookie and get us 878 00:52:10,719 --> 00:52:13,680 Speaker 1: going about cookies, you can send us an email to 879 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:21,200 Speaker 1: stuff podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you Should 880 00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:24,200 Speaker 1: Know is a production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts 881 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:27,680 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 882 00:52:27,800 --> 00:52:29,600 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows