Ridiculous Crime

1977 was the year punk broke. It was also the Silver Jubilee year, which was a special celebration to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Never one to miss publicity, the princes of punk rock, the Sex Pistols, released their new single, God Save the Queen, and chartered a boat tour just to mock the monarch, which resulted in a police beatdown. It was truly anarchy in the UK.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dive into the wild world of art theft with a thief who adores art so much, he can't resist swiping it! Explore the psychological twists behind his daring heists and the emotional connections that drive him. Enjoy a humorous take on fan obsessions through bizarre celebrity experiences. Hear about chaotic thefts, including a comical bugle heist that ends with hysterical police interactions. It's a mix of crime, absurdity, and the unpredictable nature of love—both for art and family!

At the start of 2024, a conservative mayor of a small charming French seaside nudist resort town was accused of embezzlement and illegal use of city funds. Allegedly, he was secretly paying a fortune-telling ventriloquist, a woman who claimed she could speak with the dead, so that the mayor could hear from his dear departed daddy. The result? Le scandal! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes you need to fly the friendly skies, but you don't have a ticket. There was a time when the solution was to just sneak onto a plane and act like ya know. Follow a handful of young and young-ish scofflaws as they sneak aboard, confound security, and have unforgettable adventures that, of course, end in cuffs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early '80s, America faced a dire existential threat...in the form of "Pac-Man Fever." A moral panic feared that a generation of kids would be lost to the insidious new video game craze. Inspired by First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No," America's moral scolds fought back. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zany! That's how people described Robert Baudin, aerial photographer and counterfeiter extraordinaire. But he was more than zany. He was bold. He was crafty. And like Exclamation Perfume, the popular scent of the early 90s, he made a statement without saying a word. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you get when the Supreme Leader of North Korea has a sports crush on Michael Jordan but can't get the NBA great to come see him? Well, you settle for Jordan teammate, Dennis Rodman. And before you know it that one choice leads to international hijinks, political intrigue, denuclearization talks, and the revelation that Dennis Rodman may be a real life superspy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's one thing to bilk the gullible who are looking to make a quick buck, it's quite another to con those who are looking for healing and salvation. It's terrible. Sickening. Despite the valiant efforts of a skeptic magician, it looks like Peter Popoff is still selling holy water and phony debt relief. This episode sounds like a bummer, but somehow it isn't.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holy moley! A fake nun, a fake bishop, a con man priest, and the belle of the ball... a pair of hard gambling nuns who embezzle a million dollars from a Catholic school in Los Angeles to fund their secret lifestyle as Vegas whales AKA high roller gamblers who just love the action. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the second part of this tale about Pietro La Greca Sr., the one-time gigolo, turned arsonist, turned money launderer for the Mexican cartels and who later graduated to running tax scams with the head of the Mexican IRS, his son recounts the effects on his family from having a ridiculous criminal for a father. (Warning: there's frank discussion about terminal cancer in this episode)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.