The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Outlaw Elmer McCurdy

Elmer McCurdy came of age at the end of the Old West, and as it vanished he tried to grab at that outlaw life while it was still a real thing. Trouble was, he was not good at being a bad man. In death, he became an avatar and totem of the fast disappearing Wild West. There he remained, until one da…

An Offense to Forgers: The Fake Italian Amphitheater

There's a lot of money to be made in tourism, especially in culturally rich areas like Italy's Veneto region. So what's a philanthropist/entrepreneur/orchestra conductor to do? Build a fake ancient amphitheater, of course! The Italian government, though, doesn't take kindly to that kind of scamming…

The Great Yosemite Gold Rush of Pot

Last week, Elizabeth shared a story from the Gold Rush. And this week, Zaron brings us a story from the Yosemite Gold Rush. If you've never heard of it, that's when a bunch of dirtbag rock climbers who called Yosemite home learned about a downed pot smuggler's plane that was trapped in a frozen lak…

Gold Dust Woman: Marie Suize Pantalon

Marie Suize made her way from France to the foothills of California for the Gold Rush. One of just a few women up there mining for gold, she managed to make a fortune and gain the respect of her fellow prospectors. In an effort to be practical and comfortable, she started wearing pants. But that ju…

Brenden Abbott, AKA The Postcard Bandit

Raised in difficult cirumstances, it was no surprise that Brenden Abbott turned to a life of crime. But once he got going, he was an endless source of surprises for the Australian police who struggled to capture and recapture him, as he broke out of multiple prisons and enjoyed life on the lam as A…

The Great Book Theft: Frede Møller-Kristensen

A genius goes to work in the Danish Royal Library. Sounds about right. That genius starts stealing books. That's not right. The genius stops stealing books. That's good! His family starts selling off the stolen books. Okay, we're back to not good again. This Scandinavian caper took some twists and …

Come Fly With Me, Come Crime With Me: the Ken Jouppi Story

How far would you go to fight the law and keep your stuff? For Alaskan bush pilot Ken Jouppi the answer is: all the way to the Supreme Court. Thanks to Alaska’s strict laws about bringing booze into a dry town, Jouppi was set to lose his seaplane to legal forfeiture. And now the Supreme Court must …

Bonus: Getting High with Ridiculous Crime: Reindeer Trips and Soothing Syrup

Did you know reindeer love tripping? Or that, once upon a time, otherwise responsible parents would dose their children with high-test opioids? In the second chapter of their ongoing series, Ben, Noel, and Max welcome returning guest Zaron Burnett, co-creator of Ridiculous Crime, to learn more abou…

Bonus: Getting High with Ridiculous Crime: Betel Nut and 'Asthma Cigarettes'

Have you ever gone full red-mouth off betel nut? Did you ever buy cigarettes to cure your asthma? When Ben, Noel, and Max first began exploring bizarre drugs of yesteryear, they had no idea that they'd stumbled across a continuing series. Luckily, the guys aren't returning to this Ridiculous Histor…

Dr. Teeth and the Cocaine Mayhem: Larry Lavin

Larry Lavin started out selling weed and a chill place to consume it to his classmates at Phillips Exeter Academy. He upped his game in dental school, selling cocaine and making sure the students at UPenn were zooted to the gills. He supplied the yuppies of the Eastern Seaboard with mountains of co…