Day 731: The Countess Of Cunning

originally published December 31, 2013 I’m hesitant to invest too much faith in tall tales from the pre-media age, particularly when the sources at my disposal are practically taunting me into the world of fiction. A mini-series about the notorious 19th-century jewel thief Sofia Blyuvshtein, a.k.a. Sonya Golden Hand, aired on Russian television in 2007, […]

Day 727: The Great Tree Caper Of ’98

originally published December 27, 2013 It was a crime chiseled from the musty grey stone of infamy. In its weary aftermath, a nation would rub its sweat-stung eyes, check itself in the mirror and know that nothing would ever appear the same again. The air would forever be bathed in a perpetual murk, and where […]

Day 726: The Astounding Rat-Finkery Of “Kid-Twist” Reles

originally published December 26, 2013 “I’m not mad, I’m proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man, and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me. Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut.” So said Jimmy Conway to a young Henry Hill in Goodfellas. Being […]

Day 694: The Grizzly End Of Pretty Boy Floyd

originally published November 24, 2013 Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was fortunate to have chosen the life of a bank robber back when media-hyped crooks still had the ability to turn into folk heroes. He earned his nickname not from hubris but from a colorful post-robbery description to the police by the victim. And he hated […]

Day 689: Let Him Dangle

originally published November 19, 2013 To be honest, the foundation upon which Rainey Bethea’s adult life was built was never particularly sturdy. Orphaned at 17 and sent off to live the life of an impoverished black man in Depression-era Kentucky is not a good start. Not that this excuses his extensive dalliances on the dark […]

Day 685: Don’t Mess With The Grim Reaper

originally published November 15, 2013 As far back as he could remember, Gregory Scarpa always wanted to be a gangster. And why not? He was born in Italy, moved to New York as a child, and his brother Salvatore was already a card-carrying member of the Colombo crime family. (I assume all crime families make […]

Day 675: Checking Into Chicago’s Murder Castle Hotel

originally published November 5, 2013 As we collectively shuffle our feet away from the dark shadow of Halloween, some of us can breathe a little easier knowing we’re a year away from those days of spooks and scares. But just because the light has tilted a little doesn’t mean those murky footsteps will recede. The […]

Day 665: A Monster Lives On Royal Street

originally published October 26, 2013 As we meander into that designated portion of our calendar during which the broadcast networks expect us to tune in to the same retread gore-fests and creep-flicks they run every year, allow me to suggest a somewhat richer experience. There have been numerous true horror stories that have played out […]

Day 661: The Long Island Snake

originally published October 22, 2013 There comes a point in most people’s lives when they realize they will most likely never make a living as a professional athlete. That’s okay, we can still become owners, right? Well, for those of us awash in a life of government drone-dom, owning the team of our dreams is […]

Day 653: Panic In The Adjustment Center

originally published October 14, 2013 Yesterday I delved into a tale of racial tension that went kablooie all over the Marin County Courthouse back in 1970. It centered around a trio of inmates from Soledad Prison who had been transferred to San Quentin on charges of killing John V. Mills, a guard who was – […]