Wise-cracking Wilson Mizner was a legend among legends when it came to cons. Witty, creative, tough, daring, wild, and forever in the right place at the right time. From the Alaskan Gold Rush to the South Florida land boom to the early days of Hollywood, Mizner was there.

Wise-cracking Wilson Mizner was a legend among legends when it came to cons. Witty, creative, tough, daring, wild, and forever in the right place at the right time. From the Alaskan Gold Rush to the South Florida land boom to the early days of Hollywood, Mizner was there.

True Crime is more than blood, guts, mayhem, and murder. Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton share outlandish tales of capers, heists, and cons that shine a light on the absurd and outrageous side of criminality. Always 99% murder-free and 100% ridiculous, this is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

Ridiculous Crime

King of the King of the Con Men: Wilson Mizner

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/84e221ed-3b09-4048-9e73-b052012a90c0/transcript

He was a charming art dealer, a man who climbed to the highest heights of the Hollywood elite. Once there, he conned 'em all for fun and profit. That is, until it all came crashing down. Come for the art crimes, stay for the unhinged documentary he later starred in and somehow was even wilder than his cons.

He was a charming art dealer, a man who climbed to the highest heights of the Hollywood elite. Once there, he conned 'em all for fun and profit. That is, until it all came crashing down. Come for the art crimes, stay for the unhinged documentary he later starred in and somehow was even wilder than his cons.

"This Once Belonged to Jack Nicholson": the Tod Michael Volpe Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/77560a75-0197-4cdc-8b4e-b3fa01546db4/transcript

It's become shorthand for someone being gullible, thinking they can buy the Brooklyn Bridge (and at a discount!). But the idea had to start somewhere. Turns out selling the bridge and other landmarks to those newly arrived on U.S. shores was a lucrative con in the early 1900s. But such cons are not sustainable, and eventually bad guys go to prison. 

It's become shorthand for someone being gullible, thinking they can buy the Brooklyn Bridge (and at a discount!). But the idea had to start somewhere. Turns out selling the bridge and other landmarks to those newly arrived on U.S. shores was a lucrative con in the early 1900s. But such cons are not sustainable, and eventually bad guys go to prison.&nbsp;

Welcome to America, Suckers: Selling the Brooklyn Bridge

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9824edce-0b71-43f2-94be-b3f501584462/transcript

Inspired by boyhood dreams of wanting to be James Bond, real life FBI guy Robert Hanssen joined the bureau to become a secret agent. But when no one liked him and bosses overlooked him, Hanssen decided to do the next best thing: become a double-agent and spy for the Soviet Union. Larry King, Mother Theresa, secret messages hidden in used car ads, this spy story has a bit of everything!

Inspired by boyhood dreams of wanting to be James Bond, real life FBI guy Robert Hanssen joined the bureau to become a secret agent. But when no one liked him and bosses overlooked him, Hanssen decided to do the next best thing: become a double-agent and spy for the Soviet Union. Larry King, Mother Theresa, secret messages hidden in used car ads, this spy story has a bit of everything!

To Russia With Love: The Robert Hanssen Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1eb3f9af-67bb-4c2a-8f06-b3f3016a407a/transcript

King of the King of the Con Men: Wilson Mizner

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