On this episode of Our American Stories, Titanic Thompson could hustle almost anyone. He beat gamblers at cards and dice, golfers on the course, pool players in smoky halls, and even fooled Al Capone with a rigged lemon toss. Born Alvin Clarence Thomas in rural Missouri, he spent decades crisscrossing America in search of bets he already knew how to win.

The History Guy tells the story of the legendary gambler who turned practice, mathematics, sleight of hand, and deception into an art form, and whose life came to embody a disappearing world of American hustlers, proposition bets, and high-stakes gambling.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, Titanic Thompson could hustle almost anyone. He beat gamblers at cards and dice, golfers on the course, pool players in smoky halls, and even fooled Al Capone with a rigged lemon toss. Born Alvin Clarence Thomas in rural Missouri, he spent decades crisscrossing America in search of bets he already knew how to win. The History Guy tells the story of the legendary gambler who turned practice, mathematics, sleight of hand, and deception into an art form, and whose life came to embody a disappearing world of American hustlers, proposition bets, and high-stakes gambling.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Titanic Thompson: The Gambler Who Fooled Al Capone

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e984dab-00da-4a54-b366-b4de0153b37e/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, America was woefully unprepared for World War II. Our army was about the size of Portugal's, our navy was outdated, and our "air force" was roughly equivalent to what the German Luftwaffe flew on a near-daily basis across Europe. Not only that, but nobody in America wanted war, or expected it to come to us. FDR was under no such delusion. We needed weapons, and we needed them fast. But how could we get it done?

A.J. Baime, author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War, shares the remarkable story of how, through free enterprise, we became the strongest military power in the world.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, America was woefully unprepared for World War II. Our army was about the size of Portugal's, our navy was outdated, and our "air force" was roughly equivalent to what the German Luftwaffe flew on a near-daily basis across Europe. Not only that, but nobody in America wanted war, or expected it to come to us. FDR was under no such delusion. We needed weapons, and we needed them fast. But how could we get it done? A.J. Baime, author of <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FArsenal-Democracy-Detroit-Quest-America%2Fdp%2F0547719280%3Ftag%3Dsmgglusdsadts-20%26ref%3D%26adgrpid%3D197419386693%26hvpone%3D%26hvptwo%3D%26hvadid%3D812931974605%26hvpos%3D%26hvnetw%3Dg%26hvrand%3D9969966391568273543%26hvqmt%3Da%26hvdev%3Dc%26hvdvcmdl%3D%26hvlocint%3D%26hvlocphy%3D9013799%26hvtargid%3Dkwl-2484167636399%26hvext%3D372634563560%26hvcampaign%3D23946702388%26hydadcr%3D9460_13965889_2505049%26mcid%3D%26hvocijid%3D9969966391568273543--%26hvexpln%3D0%26language%3Den_US&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Ca01e8dcff12b4a19e26b08df2628c2c7%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639271628663770651%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TSu7wjJRjac6GRR6h4JRUf12bqL4R9AQMTKBsIYWi9U%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War</a>, shares the remarkable story of how, through free enterprise, we became the strongest military power in the world.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Great Arsenal of Democracy: How America Went From Nothing...to Outproducing Every Nation in WWII

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c0b14220-8fa7-4abf-8029-b4de0153b380/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrea Ludden’s mother was an archaeologist who began collecting salt and pepper shakers after moving to the United States in the 1980s. What started with a search for pepper mills grew into a collection of thousands as she realized that these ordinary household objects could reveal changing fashions, technology, travel, manufacturing, and everyday life.

Andrea shares how the family’s 35-year collecting adventure eventually became the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, home to 20,000 shaker sets and 1,500 pepper mills, and how carrying on the museum after her mother’s death became a way of preserving both American history and her mother’s legacy.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrea Ludden&rsquo;s mother was an archaeologist who began collecting salt and pepper shakers after moving to the United States in the 1980s. What started with a search for pepper mills grew into a collection of thousands as she realized that these ordinary household objects could reveal changing fashions, technology, travel, manufacturing, and everyday life. Andrea shares how the family&rsquo;s 35-year collecting adventure eventually became the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, home to 20,000 shaker sets and 1,500 pepper mills, and how carrying on the museum after her mother&rsquo;s death became a way of preserving both American history and her mother&rsquo;s legacy.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

20,000 Salt and Pepper Shakers and One Remarkable Family Legacy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/af5b8205-9041-4795-bd14-b4de0153b381/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Burt Young grew up in Queens, the son of a working-class family, and spent his early years far from the world of film. He boxed professionally, served in the Marine Corps, and worked a series of jobs before ever thinking about acting.

That changed when he began studying under Lee Strasberg and started to take the craft seriously. Not long after, he came across the script for Rocky, and his live was forever changed.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, Burt Young grew up in Queens, the son of a working-class family, and spent his early years far from the world of film. He boxed professionally, served in the Marine Corps, and worked a series of jobs before ever thinking about acting. That changed when he began studying under Lee Strasberg and started to take the craft seriously. Not long after, he came across the script for Rocky, and his live was forever changed.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Burt Young, the Actor Behind Paulie in Rocky, Shares His Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a893906a-361f-4caa-acd5-b4de0153b380/transcript

Titanic Thompson: The Gambler Who Fooled Al Capone

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