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Welcome to. That escalated quickly. Number one dark history podcast
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in the country. A lot of people say that. Important people, very good
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people, people who like and know a lot about podcasts. That sounds
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a lot like Trump. What is that like? Very good people
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who, like, know a lot about podcasts. Important people, all the people.
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I have no idea what you're talking about. But I do know we have one
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hell of an episode today. Boston hits all the marks.
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Gangsters, serial killers, and good old fashioned witch hysteria.
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Buckle up. It's time for fatal footprints. Boston's dark legends.
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The Boston Strangler committed a series of murders in Boston,
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Massachusetts, between 1962 and 1964.
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The killer, believed to be responsible for the deaths of 13 women,
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became one of the most infamous serial killers in american history.
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The case remains shrouded in controversy and mystery,
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with questions still lingering about the identity of the perpetrator.
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Between June 1962 and January 1960,
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413 women aged 19 to 85
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were found murdered in and around the Boston area.
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The women were mostly single and lived alone, and their deaths had disturbing
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similarities. Most were strangled with items
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of their clothing, often nylon stockings or scarves,
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which were tied around their necks in a bow. Many of the
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victims were also sexually assaulted, and their apartment showed little
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signs of forced entry, suggesting that the women likely allowed the
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killer inside voluntarily. This led authorities
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to believe the perpetrator might have posed as a handyman,
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maintenance worker, or another trustworthy figure to
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gain entry. The first victim was
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a 55 year old seamstress found murdered in her apartment in
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June of 1962. Her death
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set off a wave of panic in Boston as more women were killed
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in a similar manner. The ages of the
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victims varied widely, but they were all women living alone,
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heightening fears throughout the city. The youngest victim,
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Mary Sullivan, was 19, while the
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oldest, Mary Mullen, was 85.
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I'll say one thing for this guy. I mean,
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inclusivity, right? I mean, at least I would like
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to have more men strangled. Maybe some different races in there,
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but as far as age goes, very inclusive.
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In October 1964, Albert DeSalvo was arrested
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on unrelated charges of sexual assault.
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DeSalvo, who had a history of crimes involving impersonating
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servicemen and conning women, was initially not a
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suspect in the Boston Strangler murders.
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However, while in custody, DeSalvo confessed
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to being the Boston Strangler, providing a detailed account of the murders,
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claiming responsibility for all 13 killings.
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His confessions, though chilling,
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had inconsistencies. For example,
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DeSalvo could not accurately describe some crime scenes,
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and there was no physical evidence linking him directly to the murders.
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Albert DeSalvo's confession has always been met with skepticism,
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even by some law enforcement officials.
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Several aspects of his statements were inconsistent with known
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facts, and there was no forensic evidence directly linking him to
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the crimes at the time.
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Additionally, DeSalvo's history of fabricating stories
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to gain attention raised questions about the reliability of his
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confession. Many believe that DeSalvo,
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seeking notoriety, may have falsely confessed
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to being the Boston Strangler in order to achieve infamy.
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Further complicating the case, several of the murders attributed to
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the strangler differed in key details.
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Some women had been strangled, while others had been stabbed,
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the modus operandi of the killer buried leading
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some to believe that more than one person was responsible for the
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murders. This raised the possibility that the Boston Strangler
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could have been a composite of multiple killers operating at
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the same time. While the DNA evidence linked DeSalvo
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to Mary Sullivan's killing, the question of whether he was responsible for
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all 13 murders remains unresolved. Some investigators
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believe DeSalvo may have committed only some of the crimes, while others were carried
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out by different individuals. The inconsistencies
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in DeSalvo's confession, combined with the varying mos,
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leave open the possibility that the Boston Strangler was not a single
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person, but rather a name given to multiple killers
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who operated in the same region during the early 1960s.
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In 1967, DeSalvo was sentenced to life in prison
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for these crimes. In 1973,
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he was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate at Walpole State Prison.
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The case inspired books, films and television shows,
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cementing the Boston Strangler's place in american popular culture.
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Despite the modern DNA evidence, the full truth about the
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Boston Strangler may never be known.
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Albert DeSalvo's legacy remains controversial,
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and the case continues to fascinate criminologists,
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historians and the public alike.
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Kenneth Harrison, infamously known as the Giggler,
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was a notorious serial killer who terrorized the Boston area
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in the late 1960s. His nickname
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derived from the chilling and eerie laugh he let out while he called
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the police to report committing his second crime.
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Harrison's case is relatively lesser known compared to other notorious
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serial killers, but it remains one of the most disturbing
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in Boston's criminal history due to the nature of his acts and
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his bizarre behavior. I mean, the giggler is
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a great villainous name, I think,
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really is. It's creepy. It just has
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everything. I mean, it's kind of like that undescribable thing
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that John Wayne Gacy had with Pogo the clown.
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Creepy. Yeah. Yeah. Kenneth Harrison was born in the
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early 1940s, though little is known about his
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upbringing and background. He worked as a Boston cab driver during
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the time of his murders. Those who knew him described him
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as a quiet, unassuming man, giving no outward
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signs of the terror that he would soon inflict upon the city.
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However, Harrison harbored a dark side, one that would manifest
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in a series of gruesome killings that spanned nearly two
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years. Between 1967 and 1969,
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Kenneth Harrison committed four murders, each seemingly random
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and cruel in its execution. His first
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victim was a six year old girl named Lucy. After killing her,
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he discarded her body in the Fort Point Channel, where it was discovered
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by authorities soon after. A year later,
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in March 1968, Harrison killed his second
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victim, Edward Lamonica, a 31 year old
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mentally disabled man. Lamonica was lured into Harrison's cab
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under the guise of a friendly interaction.
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The randomness of the crime left investigators baffled and unsure of
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a motive, though the victim's vulnerability
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seemed to be a factor. Harrison struck again in
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1969, this time targeting a 66
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year old homeless Mandev. Like the previous victims,
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his body was discarded near the Boston waterfront.
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This crime continued Harrison's pattern of preying on vulnerable
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individuals and disposing of their bodies in the same
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general vicinity. His final
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known victim was a 75 year old former railroad worker.
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In July 1969, Harrison pushed the man
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into the same channel where he had discarded previous victims,
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watching as he drowned. By this time,
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Harrison had perfected his method of targeting people who could be
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easily overpowered or manipulated, making the crimes
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even more senseless and disturbing.
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In 1969, Harrison's reign of terror came to an end.
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In a surprising manner, Harrison walked into a Boston
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police station and confessed to the murder. His behavior during
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the confession was so bizarre as he laughed and
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seemed detached from the gravity of his actions.
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Harrison's motivations remained unclear as he provided no
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coherent explanation for why he had committed the murders. His confessions
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were often accompanied by erratic behavior, and he appeared to
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take pleasure in recounting the horrific details of his crimes.
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Kenneth Harrison was charged with multiple counts of murder and stood
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trial in 1970. His mental state became a
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central issue during the trial, his defense arguing that
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he was mentally ill and not fully aware of the consequences
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of his actions. Despite this, he was found guilty
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of the murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility
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of parole. During his time in prison,
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Harrison continued to exhibit strange behavior,
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often refusing to cooperate with authorities or participate in
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rehabilitation efforts. He never provided a clear explanation
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for his actions, leaving many questions about his state
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of mind and the true extent of his crimes unanswered.
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Jesse Pomeroy often referred to as the boy fiend
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or the Boston boy murderer, was one of the youngest convicted
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killers in american history. I don't like the sound of this.
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It's not good. Born on November 29,
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1859, in Charlestown,
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Massachusetts, Pomeroy's violent tendencies emerged early
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in life, and he became notorious for his sadistic and
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brutal crimes, which he committed during his teenage
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years in the 1870s. Jesse Pomeroy grew up in
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a dysfunctional family. His father was an abusive
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alcoholic, and his mother, Ruth Ann Pomeroy, ran a small
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dressmaking business. From an early age, Pomeroy exhibited
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disturbing behavior marked by cruelty to animals
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and a fascination with violence. He had a disfiguring
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white film over his right eye, which led to bullying
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by other children, further alienating him and likely
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contributing to his emotional instability. By the
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time Pomeroy was eleven years old, he had started to act out his
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violent impulses on other children. Between 1871
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and 1872, several young boys in the Charlestown
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and south Boston areas were lured to remote
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locations where Pomeroy tortured them. These boys
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were stripped, beaten, and sometimes slashed with a knife,
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leaving them with physical and emotional scars.
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Although Pomeroy was arrested and sent to a reform school in Westboro
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in 1872, he was released early due to
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good behavior after just over a year.
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This is interesting because when I first was reading about, like,
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boy fiend or whatever, when you said, this is one of the things we were
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covering, I thought, for sure this is some sicko who just murdered boys,
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but this is like, boy on boy crime. He's only, what,
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twelve years old or something here. So young. Yeah. Following his release
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in February 1874, Jesse Pomeroy's
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violence escalated. In March of that year, the body
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of ten year old Katie Curran was found in the basement of Pomeroy's
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mother's dress shop. Katie had been stabbed
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multiple times and mutilated. At the time,
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Pomeroy had already been linked to another child's disappearance.
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But no one expected that a 14 year old could commit such
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brutal crimes. Before Katie's body
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was discovered, Pomeroy had also murdered four year
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old Horace Millon. On April 22,
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1874, Pomeroy lured Horace
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into a secluded marshland area of south Boston,
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where he attacked the boy with a knife, slashing his
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throat and mutilating his body. This murder was
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particularly shocking because of the extreme violence used against such
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a young and vulnerable victim.
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Pomeroy was quickly apprehended after Horace Millen's murder.
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A witness had seen Pomeroy with a child shortly before the attack,
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and police arrested him based on the description. During questioning,
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Pomeroy initially denied the crime but later confessed
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to Millen's murder. He also eventually admitted
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to killing Katie Curran, whose body was discovered shortly
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afterward. Jesse Pomeroy was tried for the murder of Horace
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Millen in December 1874, and due to his age,
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his case attracted widespread media attention.
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Although his defense attorneys attempted to argue that he was insane,
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the jury found him guilty of first degree murder.
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Pomeroy was initially sentenced to death by hanging, making him
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the youngest person to receive such a sentence in Massachusetts. At the time,
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however, there was significant public debate about whether
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it was appropriate to execute someone so young.
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After appeals and review of the case, Governor William Gaston
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and the Massachusetts governor's council decided to commute Pomeroy's sentence
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to life imprisonment. In February February 1876,
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he was also sentenced to solitary confinement. Jesse Pomeroy
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spent most of his life in solitary confinement,
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beginning at the age of 16. He was incarcerated at
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the Charlestown state prison and later transferred to the Bridgewater
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State Hospital before eventually returning to Charlestown.
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Pomeroy remained in prison for the rest of his life.
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Despite his early crimes, he outlived many of his contemporaries,
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dying in 1932 at the age of 72
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after spending 58 years behind bars.
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It's a cryptic type of addiction. One's a trick,
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and one's for real. Let's see just how sharp
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you feel that song
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means it's time for beast or bogus. Listen close as I
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describe four cryptids. Can you spot the fake?
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Okay, Keisha, you ready to play beast or bogus? Yes. Yes. My favorite game.
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All right. Number one, the Dover Demon.
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This cryptid was reportedly sighted in the Boston suburb of Dover
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in 1977. Witnesses described
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it as a strange creature with a bulbous head and thin,
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spindly appendages. It's become a well known figure in local folklore,
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captivating the imaginations of many.
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Next up, the Gloucester Sea serpent.
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Also known as the Great New England Sea Serpent, this cryptid
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was reportedly seen along the Massachusetts coast between 1817 and
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1819. Descriptions vary, but its often depicted
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as a large, snake like creature with a long neck and humps.
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Sightings were reported by hundreds of people. Adding to its legendary status,
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sea serpent number three,
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pukwudjis are small, gray skinned beings that dwell
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in the depths of the eastern Massachusetts swampland.
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Legends say they possess the ability to lure unsuspecting souls
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to a sinister fate. Theyre often described
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as mischievous and sometimes malevolent,
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if nothing else. I love that name. So, you know,
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if that ends up being the one I invented, then im a genius. Its a
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great name. Okay, finally, the Boston
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Banshee, a spectral figure that haunts narrow
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alleys and historic cemeteries of Boston. Described as
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a ghostly woman with long, flowing hair and a tattered white dress,
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her eerie wails are said to foretell tragedy.
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Some believe she's the spirit of a woman who met a tragic end during the
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city's early colonial days. Okay, it's giving.
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Liarrono. So, to recap, we have the Dover demon,
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the Gloucester sea serpent, puckwudgies,
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and the Boston banshee. Which one did I make up?
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Let's see. I feel like the Dover demon
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is just a crazy looking dog that someone
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is gonna want to pet. So let me shelve that one,
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because that looks like a possibility. Because a bulbous
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head and thin, spindly appendages. I'm already saying
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the phrase, can't I pet that dog? If nothing else, I love the
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alliteration. Doubting the Dover demon,
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dubious about the Dover demon sea serpent.
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I'm gonna already, like, put that on the possibility, because this looks
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like a messy relative. Every body
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of water has a sea serpent. It's getting old at this point, people. Let's invent
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something new. Mmm. Puck.
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Wedgies. Yeah, that's some. Oh, my gosh.
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Wampanoag folklore. Gray skinned beings.
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This sounds like. Like a crazy ancient
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legend or something. So I really. A pukwudgy,
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a squonk, and a Boston banshee went into a bar.
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That's a good one. The Boston banshee is very close to
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this very common tell. That's very la llorona.
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So that is a possibility.
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I am going to say that the
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Dover demon, because it sounds like something
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that's just out there. Spindly appendages,
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bulbous head. It's giving stranger things,
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and that giant demogorgon. So who
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knows? Who knows? You know?
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I know. I will now reveal to you
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that the bogus cryptid is the
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Boston banshee. No way.
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I'm back on top, people. Ugh.
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Okay, well, listener, did you spot
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the bogus cryptidgesthe? I hope you enjoy guessing as much as I enjoy trying
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to fake you out. I'm really excited now because I know Boston's
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loaded with ghost stories. It's time to stoke that fire,
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crawl under your blanket, and let Keisha tell us about this
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week's haunted hometown. Boston,
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Massachusetts.
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Boston Commons, one of the oldest public parks in the United
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States, has a rich history intertwined with dark
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and tragic events that have given it a reputation as one
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of Boston's most haunted locations. Founded in 1634
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Boston Commons spans nearly 50 acres in the heart of downtown
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Boston, and over its 350
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year existence, it has been the site of executions,
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burials, and a gathering place for both protests
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and celebrations. However,
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it is the park's grim past that seems to linger in the form
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of ghostly sightings, eerie sounds,
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and unexplained phenomena. One of the
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most notorious features of Boston Commons history is the great
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elm, a large tree that stood at the center of the park
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until its fall in 1876.
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This tree was not just any tree, it was
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a hanging tree. In the 17th and
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18th centuries, Boston Commons served as a site for
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public executions, and the great elm was
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often used as the instrument of death.
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Victims of these executions were left hanging from its branches for all
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to see, serving as a stark warning to all of the
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public. Among those hanged were
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pirates, murderers, and those
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convicted of witchcraft. Cool people, visitors and park
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goers often report hearing strange sounds,
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particularly at night. Creaking noises,
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which many interpret as the sound of ropes tightening around necks,
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are sometimes heard in the area where the tree once stood.
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Some have even claimed to see shadowy figures dangling from invisible
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ropes, a haunting reminder of the park's grim past.
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These unsettling experiences have contributed to the commons
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eerie atmosphere and its reputation as a haunted
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location.
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Another famous ghost believed to haunt Boston common is Ann
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Goody Glover, an irish woman
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who fell victim to the Salem like witchcraft hysteria in 1688.
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Oh, I see your bias already fell. Victim, huh?
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Maybe she flirted.
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Goody Glover was a devout Irish Catholic who worked as a servant in
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Boston. An argument with her employer's children led to accusations
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of witchcraft, a charge that would ultimately seal her fate.
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During her trial, she was asked to recite the Lord's prayer,
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but because she spoke Gaelic and not English, she failed
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to do so. This was taken as evidence
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of her guilt, and she was sentenced to death by hanging at the
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great elm. Listen, all true
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Catholics and Christians and God believers are born being able to
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say the Lord's prayer in English. And that's just reality.
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Goody Glover's tragic story lives on in the form of ghostly
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sightings. Many visitors to Boston Common claim to see
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a woman dressed in puritan clothing, often weeping or
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screaming, near the site where the great elm once stood.
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These accounts suggest that Glover's spirit is still reliving the
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terrifying moments of her unjust trial and execution.
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Her inability to defend herself in a language that was foreign
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to her sealed her fate. And her restless spirit is
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said to remain in Boston Common, a testament
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to the injustices of the past. The Omni
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Parker house in Boston is a historic hotel, not only
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known for its luxurious accommodations, but also
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for its ghostly legends. Does every omni in every city
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have a ghost story? How many omniscient
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are there? Oh, there are a lot of omnis. I'm gonna have to look into
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whether they all claim to have historic hauntings. We have to cross check
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that information. The researchers on it. Let me write it down.
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Established in 1855 by Harvey Parker, it has
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hosted famous figures, including authors, politicians,
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and celebrities, and is considered one of Boston's
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most haunted hotels.
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The most famous ghost associated with Omni, Parker House is
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that of its founder, Harvey Parker.
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Parker was known for his dedication to the hotel and its guests,
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often personally attending to their needs.
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After his death in 1884, numerous guests and staff
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reported seeing an elderly man resembling Parker,
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especially on the 10th floor. He is often described
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as a kindly figure, still checking in on guests,
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making sure everything is in order.
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The hotel has a literary legacy, being a place where
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famous writers like Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson
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stayed. Dickens even gave readings of a Christmas carol
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in the hotel's press room. Some believe that his
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connection to the hotel contributes to its spectral activity.
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Though there are no direct reports of Dickens ghosts,
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room 303 is one of the most notorious spots
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in the Omni Parker house. It's the center of a story
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involving strange activity, including the smell of whiskey
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and the sound of laughter. Guests have reported flickering
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lights, unexplained noises, and even
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sightings of a misty figure. The origins of
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these occurrences are unclear, but some speculate that a tragic
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incident or a violent death in this room may be responsible.
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The activity in room 303 was reportedly so disturbing
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that the hotel eventually turned the room into a storage space,
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preventing guests from staying there.
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Another commonly reported apparition involves a ghost who likes to
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ride the hotel's elevators. Guests and staff have
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frequently reported the elevator traveling to the third floor without being called,
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often opening to reveal no one inside.
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This ghost is thought to be a woman who haunts the third floor.
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Although her identity is unknown, the Omni Parker
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house, with its long history and connection to famous figures,
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remains a popular spot for ghost enthusiasts and history
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00:26:05,686 --> 00:26:08,942
buffs alike. Reports of ghostly apparitions,
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unexplained noises, and eerie occurrences continue to
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draw visitors from Harvey Parker's watchful spirit to
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the mysterious room 303. The hotel's rich history
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is deeply intertwined with its haunted reputation.
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This and every episode brought to you by darkdiscoverystours.com.
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when you want to hear more heinous tales of horror
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00:26:40,872 --> 00:26:46,656
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King'S Chapel Burying Ground, located in downtown
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Boston, is the oldest cemetery in the city.
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Established in 1630 during the founding of the Massachusetts Bay
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Colony, it is one of the most historic and significant
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burial sites in Boston, housing the graves of some of
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the colony's earliest settlers and notable figures from colonial
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history. Although it has no direct association with King's
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chapel itself, which was built later in 1688,
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the burial ground shares its name with the church because of its proximity.
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When Boston was founded in 1630, Governor John Winthrop
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and other leaders realized the need for a cemetery to bury the colony's deceased.
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King's Chapel burying ground was chosen as the first public cemetery
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situated on what was then the edge of the new settlement.
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It became the final resting place for Boston's earliest european settlers,
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including several puritan leaders and influential figures.
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For over 30 years, it was the only burial site in Boston
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until the establishment of Copp's Hill and granary burying
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grounds later in the 17th century. Among the cemetery's most
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famous people is John Winthrop, the first governor of the
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Massachusetts Bay colony and one of the most important figures in early
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colonial America. His leadership helped shape the
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future of the colony, and his grave remains a significant historical
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marker. Mary Chilton, one of the
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original passengers on the Mayflower, is also buried in King's
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Chapel burying ground. According to the legend,
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Chilton was the first woman to step ashore at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
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Her grave, like many others in the cemetery, is an important
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link to early american history and the Pilgrim settlers.
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00:28:48,530 --> 00:28:51,850
Another notable figure entered in the burying ground is William
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Dawes, one of the lesser known writers who,
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alongside Paul Revere, warned colonial militias
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of the british troops approach before the Battle of Lexington
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and Concord in 1775.
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Dawes played a critical role in the early events of the American Revolution,
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though his contributions were overshadowed by Revere's fame.
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Hezekiah Usher, who was the
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first bookseller and publisher in the american colonies,
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is also buried in the cemetery. Usher's role in early
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american literature and education adds to the historical significance
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of King's chapel burying ground King's Chapel
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burying ground is home to over a thousand gravestones, many of which
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are elaborate examples of early colonial gravestone
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art. These stones feature typical puritan motifs,
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such as skulls, winged cherubs, and crossbones,
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symbolizing death, the afterlife, and resurrection.
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00:29:53,010 --> 00:29:56,386
The gravestones are primarily made of slate, which has
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weathered the centuries remarkably well, allowing visitors
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today to still read many of the inscriptions and epitaphs.
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The granary burying ground, located in the heart of Boston is
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not only the site of immense historical significance but also
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a place steeped in legend, mystery and eerie allure.
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Established in 1660, it is the third oldest
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cemetery in Boston following the king's Chapel
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burying ground and Copp's Hill burying ground.
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The granary's proximity to the key revolutionary landmarks
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and its roster of notable internments make it one of
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the most visited and revered burial sites.
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Yet its atmosphere and the stories surrounding it have earned it a reputation
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as one of Boston's spookiest locations. The granary
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burying ground is perhaps best known for being the final resting place for
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some of the most prominent figures of the American Revolution. At the
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forefront is Paul Revere, whose midnight ride to alert the colonial
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militia of the approaching british forces remains a defining
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moment in american history. His modest grave is a
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frequent stop for tourists and history buffs alike.
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Revere's legacy as a patriot,
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Silversmith and engraver has solidified his
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place as one of the most enduring figures in the American Revolution.
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And his gravesite at Granary serves as a tangible link to
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the past. Another illustrious figure at Granary is Samuel
488
00:31:29,626 --> 00:31:33,786
Adams. Oh, yeah, he makes that beer, right? One of the architects of the revolution
489
00:31:33,898 --> 00:31:37,790
and a key figure in the agitation that led to the Boston Tea party.
490
00:31:38,250 --> 00:31:41,730
Adams role in the creation of american independence cannot be
491
00:31:41,770 --> 00:31:45,498
overstated. And his grave is a reminder of the contributions
492
00:31:45,594 --> 00:31:47,350
to the cause of liberty.
493
00:31:49,530 --> 00:31:53,720
John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence,
494
00:31:53,810 --> 00:31:57,420
is also buried there. Known for his flamboyant
495
00:31:57,460 --> 00:32:01,200
signature which became synonymous with personal independence
496
00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:05,348
Hancock's grave attracts visitors due to his prominent role in the founding
497
00:32:05,364 --> 00:32:09,084
of the nation. His life as a wealthy merchant and politician
498
00:32:09,132 --> 00:32:12,620
is reflected in the grandeur of his tombstone which,
499
00:32:12,780 --> 00:32:15,796
though simpler than his legendary reputation,
500
00:32:15,988 --> 00:32:19,480
remains an essential part of Granary's history.
501
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,648
Despite the significance of the historical figures entered
502
00:32:23,664 --> 00:32:27,320
in granary it is the stories of the common people buried there
503
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,900
that give the cemetery its air of mystery.
504
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,080
With over 2300 graves packed into its small, less than
505
00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,736
two acre space, the exact number of burials is
506
00:32:38,768 --> 00:32:42,552
debated with some estimating to be more than 5000
507
00:32:42,616 --> 00:32:46,632
bodies buried there. Many graves are unmarked
508
00:32:46,776 --> 00:32:50,540
and others are marked only by crumbling or weathered stones
509
00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,380
making it difficult to identify all who rest there.
510
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,360
The sense of anonymity and the sheer age of the burial ground have fueled
511
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,704
ghost stories and tales of hauntings. Over the centuries,
512
00:33:03,832 --> 00:33:07,744
the granary burying ground has developed a reputation of one of Boston's most
513
00:33:07,792 --> 00:33:11,848
haunted places. Visitors often speak of feeling an eerie
514
00:33:11,904 --> 00:33:15,448
presence or experiencing a sudden chill while walking through the rows
515
00:33:15,464 --> 00:33:18,816
of gravestones, some claim to have
516
00:33:18,848 --> 00:33:22,100
seen ghostly figures or heard unexplained noises,
517
00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,740
particularly near the graves of prominent figures like Paul Revere.
518
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,872
The centuries old graves, the presence of revolutionary
519
00:33:31,936 --> 00:33:35,728
heroes, and the dense history of tragic deaths
520
00:33:35,784 --> 00:33:39,020
all contribute to the cemetery's haunted atmosphere.
521
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,898
One legend tells of James Otis, who is said to
522
00:33:42,914 --> 00:33:46,634
have predicted that he would die by a lightning strike, a fate
523
00:33:46,682 --> 00:33:48,670
that he did indeed meet.
524
00:33:49,530 --> 00:33:53,026
Otis's death was so sudden and mysterious that it had sparked
525
00:33:53,058 --> 00:33:57,330
tales of his ghost wandering the grounds, unsettling and
526
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:00,110
restless. Talk about calling your shot.
527
00:34:00,530 --> 00:34:03,666
Another haunting involves the victims of the Boston massacre,
528
00:34:03,818 --> 00:34:06,778
whose lives were cut short in an act of violence.
529
00:34:06,954 --> 00:34:10,554
Visitors often report feelings of sadness and unease around
530
00:34:10,602 --> 00:34:14,802
their mass grave, as if the spirits of those men linger,
531
00:34:14,986 --> 00:34:18,314
unwilling to leave the site where their deaths helped ignite
532
00:34:18,362 --> 00:34:21,570
a revolution. Damn Boston's one
533
00:34:21,610 --> 00:34:25,194
hell of a haunted hometown. Let's cool things down with a heist story
534
00:34:25,322 --> 00:34:29,290
in this episodes. Conspiracy Corner the
535
00:34:29,330 --> 00:34:32,746
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is renowned
536
00:34:32,818 --> 00:34:36,106
not only for its unique collection of art, but also for
537
00:34:36,138 --> 00:34:39,630
being the site of one of the most infamous art heists in history.
538
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,104
On March 18, 1992, men posing
539
00:34:44,152 --> 00:34:47,344
as police officers entered the museum and made it off with
540
00:34:47,392 --> 00:34:50,736
13 priceless works of art valued at
541
00:34:50,768 --> 00:34:54,304
over half a billion dollars. To this day,
542
00:34:54,472 --> 00:34:57,496
the stolen masterpieces have not been recovered,
543
00:34:57,608 --> 00:35:01,416
and the case remains unsolved. In the early hours of
544
00:35:01,448 --> 00:35:05,376
March 18, 1992, men dressed as police in uniforms
545
00:35:05,448 --> 00:35:09,124
arrived at the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,
546
00:35:09,312 --> 00:35:11,800
claiming to be responding to a disturbance.
547
00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:16,740
The security guard on duty, violating museum protocol,
548
00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:20,040
allowed them entry through the employee entrance.
549
00:35:21,140 --> 00:35:24,748
Once inside, the fake officers requested that the guard
550
00:35:24,804 --> 00:35:29,268
step away from his post at the watch desk. Moments later,
551
00:35:29,444 --> 00:35:33,300
he and a second guard were handcuffed and taken to the museum's basement,
552
00:35:33,420 --> 00:35:37,566
where they were bound with duct tape. For the next 81 minutes,
553
00:35:37,718 --> 00:35:41,118
the thieves moved through the museum, targeting specific works
554
00:35:41,134 --> 00:35:44,950
of art and leaving behind empty frames where masterpieces
555
00:35:45,030 --> 00:35:48,358
once hung. In total, they stole
556
00:35:48,414 --> 00:35:52,610
13 works of art, including three Rembrandt paintings,
557
00:35:53,110 --> 00:35:57,310
one of which was his famous Christ in the storm on the Sea of Galilee,
558
00:35:57,470 --> 00:36:01,150
and the other stolen works included Vermeer's the Concert. The stolen
559
00:36:01,190 --> 00:36:04,710
pieces span various art forms, from paintings to
560
00:36:04,750 --> 00:36:08,646
sketches, with the value of the stolen works estimated over half
561
00:36:08,678 --> 00:36:12,366
a billion dollars. The thieves departed the museum with their hall,
562
00:36:12,478 --> 00:36:16,070
leaving the guards bound in the basement until the morning shift arrived.
563
00:36:16,190 --> 00:36:19,822
The theft devastated the museum, particularly because
564
00:36:19,886 --> 00:36:23,390
Isabella Stewart Gardner, the museum's founder,
565
00:36:23,550 --> 00:36:27,262
had left specific instructions that the collection should remain as she
566
00:36:27,286 --> 00:36:30,954
had arranged it in compliance with her will. The empty
567
00:36:31,002 --> 00:36:34,430
frames from the stolen paintings are still displayed in the museum,
568
00:36:34,770 --> 00:36:38,850
a haunting reminder of the loss. The FBI immediately
569
00:36:38,890 --> 00:36:42,346
launched an investigation, but the thieves left behind few clues.
570
00:36:42,538 --> 00:36:46,234
Early leads proved fruitless, and though multiple theories
571
00:36:46,282 --> 00:36:49,546
were pursued over the years, the stolen art has never been
572
00:36:49,578 --> 00:36:53,202
recovered. One of the first individuals the FBI considered
573
00:36:53,226 --> 00:36:56,682
as a suspect was Miles Connor, a notorious art thief who
574
00:36:56,706 --> 00:36:59,878
had a history of stealing valuable pieces, including a
575
00:36:59,894 --> 00:37:03,770
Rembrandt from a Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In 1975,
576
00:37:04,150 --> 00:37:07,278
however, Connor was in federal prison at the time of the
577
00:37:07,294 --> 00:37:11,174
Gardner heist, providing him with an alibi. Despite this,
578
00:37:11,342 --> 00:37:14,790
many believed Connors expertise and connections in the
579
00:37:14,830 --> 00:37:18,262
art world might have influenced the Gardner robbery.
580
00:37:18,406 --> 00:37:21,974
Around 2005, the investigation took an interesting
581
00:37:22,022 --> 00:37:25,502
turn when it focused on two frenchmen on the mediterranean island of
582
00:37:25,526 --> 00:37:28,840
Corsica. These men, believed to have had
583
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,448
ties to the corsican mafia, were reportedly attempted to
584
00:37:32,464 --> 00:37:36,328
sell two of the stolen paintings, a Rembrandt and
585
00:37:36,344 --> 00:37:39,472
a Vermeer. Bob Whitman,
586
00:37:39,616 --> 00:37:43,040
a former FBI special agent specializing in art crimes,
587
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,864
was involved in a staying operation aimed at recovering those paintings.
588
00:37:46,952 --> 00:37:50,060
That name is such an FBI name. I'm Bob Whitman.
589
00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,320
Stand aside. I'm Bob Whitman. You're the law.
590
00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,940
FBI, Bob Whitman.
591
00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:01,952
Unfortunately, the operation fell apart when the men were arrested
592
00:38:01,976 --> 00:38:05,776
for selling stolen art from another heist at the Museum of Modern and
593
00:38:05,808 --> 00:38:09,760
Contemporary Art in Nice, France. The trail once
594
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,360
again went cold, and the whereabouts of the Gartner museum's stolen
595
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,048
works remained a mystery. Over the years,
596
00:38:17,184 --> 00:38:20,326
numerous efforts have been made to recover the stolen ark.
597
00:38:20,488 --> 00:38:23,834
The museum continues to offer a 10 million reward for any
598
00:38:23,882 --> 00:38:27,610
information leading to the return of the artworks, but no credible
599
00:38:27,650 --> 00:38:31,674
leads have surfaced. The heist has also been subject of numerous
600
00:38:31,722 --> 00:38:34,978
books, documentaries, and podcasts,
601
00:38:35,154 --> 00:38:38,578
and it has captivated the public's imagination with its daring
602
00:38:38,634 --> 00:38:40,710
nature and lingering mystery.
603
00:38:42,170 --> 00:38:45,634
The case also underscored the vulnerabilities in museum's security
604
00:38:45,722 --> 00:38:49,530
at the time. Following the heist, many institutions,
605
00:38:50,070 --> 00:38:53,494
including the Gardner Museum, implemented more
606
00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:56,694
stringent security measures to prevent such thefts from occurring in
607
00:38:56,702 --> 00:39:00,230
the future. However, the ease with
608
00:39:00,270 --> 00:39:04,454
which the thieves entered the museum and subdued the guards highlights how unprepared
609
00:39:04,542 --> 00:39:07,750
many institutions were for a sophisticated crime.
610
00:39:07,910 --> 00:39:12,076
More than 30 years after the theft, the investigation remains open,
611
00:39:12,238 --> 00:39:15,380
with the FBI continuing to pursue new leads.
612
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:20,016
Over the years, there have been various rumors and theories,
613
00:39:20,208 --> 00:39:24,432
ranging from mob involvement to underground art markets
614
00:39:24,576 --> 00:39:27,800
to there being someone on the inside. But none
615
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,500
have led to the recovery of the paintings. In 2013,
616
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,392
the FBI announced that they had identified the thieves, but did not release
617
00:39:36,456 --> 00:39:39,760
their names, as they believed the individuals involved had
618
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,114
since passed away. Despite this,
619
00:39:43,242 --> 00:39:46,642
the stolen art remains missing and its current whereabouts
620
00:39:46,666 --> 00:39:50,082
are unknown. Art experts speculate that the works may be hidden
621
00:39:50,106 --> 00:39:53,230
in private collections or possibly destroyed,
622
00:39:53,610 --> 00:39:56,830
though there is still hope that they could one day be recovered.
623
00:39:57,210 --> 00:40:01,018
$10 million reward, you say? How about season two?
624
00:40:01,074 --> 00:40:04,234
That escalated quickly. Is us going on a little treasure
625
00:40:04,282 --> 00:40:07,364
hunt? Anyway.
626
00:40:07,532 --> 00:40:11,852
For now, let's finish out this episode with three historical tales of molasses,
627
00:40:11,916 --> 00:40:15,372
fire and white t bulgur in dark
628
00:40:15,436 --> 00:40:19,476
diaries. The great Molasses
629
00:40:19,508 --> 00:40:23,200
Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses disaster,
630
00:40:24,020 --> 00:40:27,284
occurred in 1919 on the north end of Boston,
631
00:40:27,332 --> 00:40:30,940
Massachusetts. This unusual and tragic event saw a
632
00:40:30,980 --> 00:40:35,352
massive storage tank containing over 2.3 million
633
00:40:35,456 --> 00:40:37,740
gallons of molasses burst,
634
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,032
releasing a deadly wave of molasses that wreaked havoc through
635
00:40:42,056 --> 00:40:45,600
the city streets. The disaster resulted in 21
636
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,464
deaths, 150 injuries and
637
00:40:49,512 --> 00:40:53,224
widespread destruction of property. The flood left
638
00:40:53,272 --> 00:40:57,512
a lasting impact not only on Boston, but also on us
639
00:40:57,576 --> 00:41:01,692
regulations concerning industrial safety. I had no
640
00:41:01,716 --> 00:41:05,412
idea that molasses could be released in a deadly wave.
641
00:41:05,596 --> 00:41:09,480
The molasses tank, owned by purity Distilling company,
642
00:41:09,780 --> 00:41:13,244
had been constructed in 1915 to store molasses
643
00:41:13,292 --> 00:41:17,300
that would be processed into industrial alcohol for munitions
644
00:41:17,380 --> 00:41:21,052
and other purposes. For the very beginning, there were clear
645
00:41:21,116 --> 00:41:24,188
indications that the tank was not structurally sound.
646
00:41:24,364 --> 00:41:28,024
Local residents noticed that it leaked molasses, and the children
647
00:41:28,072 --> 00:41:31,380
in north End would collect the sticky substance in pails.
648
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,660
When complaints about the leaking tank reached the company,
649
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:39,704
purity distilling took the superficial step of painting the tank brown
650
00:41:39,752 --> 00:41:43,072
to conceal the molasses seeping from its seams,
651
00:41:43,216 --> 00:41:46,664
instead of addressing the underlying problem. You know,
652
00:41:46,712 --> 00:41:50,752
the times they change, but they don't really change much at all.
653
00:41:50,856 --> 00:41:54,754
On the fateful day of January 15, 1919, a series
654
00:41:54,802 --> 00:41:58,338
of factors led to the catastrophic failure of the molasses tank.
655
00:41:58,474 --> 00:42:02,474
A sudden temperature shift, combined with the recent large shipment of
656
00:42:02,522 --> 00:42:06,218
molasses into the already weakened tank, put too much stress on
657
00:42:06,234 --> 00:42:09,266
its structure. Just after noon, the tanks walls
658
00:42:09,298 --> 00:42:13,114
gave way and the molasses burst with tremendous
659
00:42:13,202 --> 00:42:15,586
force. The resulting wave,
660
00:42:15,778 --> 00:42:19,282
estimated to be around 25ft high, raced through
661
00:42:19,306 --> 00:42:25,158
the north end. At approximately 35,
662
00:42:25,174 --> 00:42:28,870
molasses was so immense that it knocked an elevated train
663
00:42:28,910 --> 00:42:32,838
off its tracks, crushed buildings and pushed
664
00:42:32,854 --> 00:42:36,902
a firehouse off its foundation. It also swept
665
00:42:36,926 --> 00:42:40,130
away vehicles, suffocated animals
666
00:42:40,430 --> 00:42:44,382
and trapped people in its path. The molasses spread over
667
00:42:44,446 --> 00:42:47,630
city blocks, covering everything in its
668
00:42:47,670 --> 00:42:50,070
sticky, thicken mess.
669
00:42:50,530 --> 00:42:53,882
The wave of destruction left crumpled steel fragments of the tank
670
00:42:53,946 --> 00:42:57,970
scattered throughout the debris field, illustrating the tremendous force
671
00:42:58,050 --> 00:43:01,634
with which the molasses was released. 21 people
672
00:43:01,722 --> 00:43:05,050
were killed, and the majority of victims were laborers and
673
00:43:05,090 --> 00:43:08,202
drivers working at nearby locations, such as
674
00:43:08,226 --> 00:43:11,430
the north end paving yard and Cops Hill wharf.
675
00:43:12,250 --> 00:43:16,276
Among the victims were Pascual Ion Tosca
676
00:43:16,388 --> 00:43:19,756
and Maria Destasio, 210 year old
677
00:43:19,788 --> 00:43:23,100
children who had been playing outside enjoying the unusually
678
00:43:23,220 --> 00:43:26,292
warm winter day, and George Leahy,
679
00:43:26,436 --> 00:43:29,588
a firefighter from engine 31 who had just
680
00:43:29,644 --> 00:43:33,020
gone to bed before the molasses engulfed his firehouse.
681
00:43:33,180 --> 00:43:37,060
Rescue efforts were launched almost immediately, with the Boston
682
00:43:37,100 --> 00:43:40,836
Police Department, US Navy cadets, and the
683
00:43:40,868 --> 00:43:43,080
Red Cross all rushing to help.
684
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:48,088
Despite their heroic actions, the thick molasses made it
685
00:43:48,104 --> 00:43:51,632
difficult to reach survivors and recover bodies. Many of the
686
00:43:51,656 --> 00:43:55,256
victims were suffocated or drowned by the molasses, while others were
687
00:43:55,288 --> 00:43:59,136
crushed by collapsing buildings and debris. Injured survivors
688
00:43:59,208 --> 00:44:03,064
were treated for broken bones, severe cuts, and respiratory
689
00:44:03,152 --> 00:44:06,180
issues caused by inhaling molasses fumes.
690
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,340
Cleaning up after the disaster proved to be a long and arduous process.
691
00:44:10,730 --> 00:44:13,070
The sticky molasses coated everything,
692
00:44:13,450 --> 00:44:16,970
making it almost impossible for workers to remove debris and
693
00:44:17,010 --> 00:44:20,642
vehicles from the streets. Eventually, city workers discovered
694
00:44:20,666 --> 00:44:23,762
that saltwater was effective in breaking down the molasses,
695
00:44:23,906 --> 00:44:26,946
so they began spraying the area with water pumped in from the
696
00:44:26,978 --> 00:44:30,602
nearby harbor. The fireboat
697
00:44:30,626 --> 00:44:34,178
from engine 31, whose firehouse had been destroyed in the flood,
698
00:44:34,354 --> 00:44:36,830
played a key role in this cleanup operation.
699
00:44:37,890 --> 00:44:41,282
Despite these efforts, the sticky residue remains in
700
00:44:41,306 --> 00:44:44,682
parts of the north end for weeks, and traces of molasses were
701
00:44:44,706 --> 00:44:47,070
said to linger for years.
702
00:44:48,250 --> 00:44:52,146
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, purity distilling company
703
00:44:52,218 --> 00:44:56,190
and its parent company, United States Industrial alcohol,
704
00:44:56,490 --> 00:45:00,298
attempted to deflect blame by claiming that the anarchist had bombed
705
00:45:00,314 --> 00:45:03,706
the tank. This was a plausible theory at the
706
00:45:03,738 --> 00:45:07,490
time, given the political unrest and the anarchist
707
00:45:07,530 --> 00:45:10,470
bombings that had occurred in the early 20th century.
708
00:45:11,050 --> 00:45:15,050
However, an inquiry into the disaster quickly dismissed this
709
00:45:15,090 --> 00:45:18,986
theory. Later investigations revealed that the tank's designs and
710
00:45:19,018 --> 00:45:22,578
construction were deeply flawed. Structural engineers reported
711
00:45:22,634 --> 00:45:26,162
that the tank's walls were far too thin to safely hold the large quantities
712
00:45:26,226 --> 00:45:29,310
of heavy molasses it was designed to store.
713
00:45:29,980 --> 00:45:33,844
Furthermore, the chemical composition of steel used to build the tank
714
00:45:33,932 --> 00:45:37,708
made it susceptible to cracking. These flaws went unaddressed for
715
00:45:37,764 --> 00:45:42,120
years, and the tank continued to be used despite its visible defects.
716
00:45:42,620 --> 00:45:46,760
A class action lawsuit was filed against the company by the victims and their families.
717
00:45:47,140 --> 00:45:50,492
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the tank had been
718
00:45:50,516 --> 00:45:54,320
poorly constructed and inadequately maintained.
719
00:45:55,430 --> 00:45:59,182
Expert testimony highlighted that the tank's walls were too thin and
720
00:45:59,206 --> 00:46:02,170
that no proper safety inspections had been conducted.
721
00:46:03,070 --> 00:46:06,686
In 1925, after a lengthy legal
722
00:46:06,718 --> 00:46:10,678
battle, a court appointed auditor ruled that the company's negligence
723
00:46:10,734 --> 00:46:14,646
was responsible for the collapse. Usia was
724
00:46:14,678 --> 00:46:19,814
held liable for the disaster in order to pay $628,000
725
00:46:19,862 --> 00:46:23,504
in damages, which would be equivalent to about a million dollars
726
00:46:23,552 --> 00:46:27,520
today. The great Boston fire of
727
00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:31,416
1872 was a catastrophic event that ravaged the city's
728
00:46:31,448 --> 00:46:34,368
downtown area on November 9 and 10th,
729
00:46:34,464 --> 00:46:37,632
1872. It was one of the
730
00:46:37,656 --> 00:46:42,344
most destructive fires in Boston's history, consuming 776
731
00:46:42,392 --> 00:46:45,832
buildings over 65 acres and
732
00:46:45,896 --> 00:46:49,764
causing an estimated property loss of 13.5
733
00:46:49,852 --> 00:46:53,700
million, with personal property damages exceeding 60
734
00:46:53,780 --> 00:46:57,860
million. The fire highlighted serious deficiencies
735
00:46:57,900 --> 00:47:01,332
in the city's infrastructure, especially in the fire department,
736
00:47:01,476 --> 00:47:05,580
and left a lasting impact on Boston's urban landscape and future
737
00:47:05,660 --> 00:47:07,800
fire safety regulations.
738
00:47:08,700 --> 00:47:12,220
Boston had experienced rapid development in the years following the civil
739
00:47:12,260 --> 00:47:16,402
war. As the city expanded, new buildings were erected.
740
00:47:16,596 --> 00:47:21,078
The infrastructure failed to keep pace, leaving Boston
741
00:47:21,254 --> 00:47:22,290
vulnerable.
742
00:47:24,630 --> 00:47:28,166
In particular, the water mains had not been upgraded to
743
00:47:28,198 --> 00:47:31,734
support the growing demands of the city, leaving the fire department
744
00:47:31,822 --> 00:47:35,006
at a disadvantage. The outbreak of an
745
00:47:35,038 --> 00:47:38,490
epizootic at the time of the fire only worsened the situation.
746
00:47:39,150 --> 00:47:42,306
The epizootic, a disease affecting horses,
747
00:47:42,438 --> 00:47:46,898
incapacitated the horses that typically pulled the fire department's heavy apparatus,
748
00:47:47,034 --> 00:47:50,602
forcing firefighters to rely on manual efforts to transport their
749
00:47:50,626 --> 00:47:53,898
equipment. This delay in response time was crucial
750
00:47:53,994 --> 00:47:57,362
in the early hours of the fire. The fire
751
00:47:57,426 --> 00:48:01,282
started in the evening in a building near Kingston street in the heart of
752
00:48:01,306 --> 00:48:04,802
Boston's commercial district. The first alarm was sounded
753
00:48:04,826 --> 00:48:08,702
at 07:24 p.m. from box 52,
754
00:48:08,866 --> 00:48:12,534
located at Summer and Lincoln streets. By the time the first engine,
755
00:48:12,622 --> 00:48:16,894
engine company seven, arrived, the fire had nearly consumed an
756
00:48:16,942 --> 00:48:20,678
entire building. Soon after, hose company two managed
757
00:48:20,694 --> 00:48:23,966
to get to the first water on the flames. The fire's rapid
758
00:48:23,998 --> 00:48:27,662
spread was exacerbated by several factors. Although many of the buildings
759
00:48:27,686 --> 00:48:31,974
in the affected area were made of brick or stone, their window frames,
760
00:48:32,142 --> 00:48:35,034
doors, and other fixtures were wooden,
761
00:48:35,182 --> 00:48:38,310
allowing the fire to quickly spread from building to building.
762
00:48:38,930 --> 00:48:43,330
The fire generated such intense heat that it created a firestorm,
763
00:48:43,490 --> 00:48:46,990
a self sustaining blaze that feeds off its own energy.
764
00:48:47,490 --> 00:48:51,226
This phenomenon allowed the flames to jump from structure to structure with
765
00:48:51,258 --> 00:48:54,722
alarming speed. In an attempt to halt the fire's
766
00:48:54,746 --> 00:48:59,066
advance, authorities resorted to a desperate and controversial tactic.
767
00:48:59,218 --> 00:49:03,626
They began blowing up buildings using black gunpowder to create a firebreak.
768
00:49:03,818 --> 00:49:06,970
The idea was to demolish structures in the fire's path,
769
00:49:07,090 --> 00:49:10,970
thereby depriving the flames of fuel. This strategy was
770
00:49:11,010 --> 00:49:12,754
risky and, in many cases,
771
00:49:12,882 --> 00:49:16,474
counterproductive. Blowing up buildings without adequate
772
00:49:16,522 --> 00:49:19,594
control sometimes resulted in the spreading of the fire
773
00:49:19,682 --> 00:49:23,786
even further. Additional alarms were struck within minutes of the first.
774
00:49:23,938 --> 00:49:28,010
Help was urgently requested from surrounding cities and towns,
775
00:49:28,170 --> 00:49:31,270
but there were significant delays due to the late hour.
776
00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:35,432
Many telegraph offices have already closed for the night, slowing down
777
00:49:35,456 --> 00:49:37,820
the communication of the distress calls.
778
00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:41,784
Nevertheless, neighboring cities sent steam engines by railway
779
00:49:41,832 --> 00:49:45,240
to assist. Despite the sheer scale
780
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,620
of the disaster, the death toll was surprisingly low.
781
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:53,336
Official reports vary, but the number of deaths range between 13
782
00:49:53,408 --> 00:49:57,340
and 20, with only two firefighters among the fatalities.
783
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:02,152
Given the extent of the destruction, the relatively low death toll
784
00:50:02,176 --> 00:50:05,260
is considered one of the few positive outcomes of the fire.
785
00:50:05,720 --> 00:50:09,136
The great Boston Fire of 1872 had far reaching
786
00:50:09,168 --> 00:50:12,456
consequences for the city. It exposed critical weaknesses
787
00:50:12,488 --> 00:50:16,248
in Boston's infrastructure, fire safety protocols,
788
00:50:16,424 --> 00:50:19,936
and municipal leadership. In the years following
789
00:50:20,008 --> 00:50:24,100
the fire, the city took steps to improve its firefighting capabilities,
790
00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:28,488
such as upgrading water mains and fire equipment and
791
00:50:28,544 --> 00:50:32,520
reevaluating building codes to ensure that structures were less vulnerable
792
00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:35,888
to fire. The fire also served as
793
00:50:35,904 --> 00:50:38,940
a wake up call for other cities across the United States,
794
00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:43,540
prompting them to review and strengthen their own fire safety regulations.
795
00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:51,366
James Joseph Whitey Bolgerez was a notorious
796
00:50:51,438 --> 00:50:55,526
irish american crime boss who ruled Boston's underworld from the 1970s
797
00:50:55,598 --> 00:50:59,398
through the 1990s. Yeah, I think I actually said that wrong
798
00:50:59,454 --> 00:51:02,510
earlier as I was going through the intro, I think I said Bulgur. He was
799
00:51:02,550 --> 00:51:06,062
infamous for his ruthlessness, especially his readiness to
800
00:51:06,086 --> 00:51:09,254
commit violence and murder to achieve his criminal goals.
801
00:51:09,382 --> 00:51:13,062
Bulger's long tenure in organized crime was largely due to
802
00:51:13,086 --> 00:51:16,890
the protection he received as a high level informant for the FBI,
803
00:51:17,230 --> 00:51:21,014
a relationship that helped him evade law enforcement while he continued to build
804
00:51:21,062 --> 00:51:24,678
his empire. Born in the tough streets
805
00:51:24,694 --> 00:51:26,930
of south Boston, or Southie,
806
00:51:27,590 --> 00:51:30,810
Bulger was attracted to street crime at an early age.
807
00:51:31,110 --> 00:51:34,046
His criminal path began when he joined local gangs,
808
00:51:34,158 --> 00:51:36,610
earning his first arrest at just 14,
809
00:51:37,270 --> 00:51:41,222
which led to his stint in a reformatory. Bulger's early
810
00:51:41,286 --> 00:51:44,414
adulthood was marked by repeated brushes with the law.
811
00:51:44,582 --> 00:51:48,406
In 1956, he was convicted of hijacking and sent
812
00:51:48,438 --> 00:51:51,910
to federal prison, where he did time in several high
813
00:51:51,950 --> 00:51:55,690
security penitentiaries. While incarcerated,
814
00:51:56,230 --> 00:52:00,382
Bulger volunteered for CIA experiments involving LSD and
815
00:52:00,446 --> 00:52:04,054
other hallucinogenic drugs in exchange for shorter
816
00:52:04,102 --> 00:52:08,490
sentences. He was released from prison in 1965.
817
00:52:09,630 --> 00:52:13,232
Upon returning to Boston, Vulture became involved in the
818
00:52:13,256 --> 00:52:17,032
city's gang wars, joining the Killeen gang, which was
819
00:52:17,056 --> 00:52:20,500
embroiled in a bloody turf war with a rival Mullein gang.
820
00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:24,728
Vulture cemented his reputation for violence during this time,
821
00:52:24,904 --> 00:52:28,160
committing his first murder, when he mistakenly killed the twin
822
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,704
brother of a rival gangster. That sounds like a soap opera.
823
00:52:31,832 --> 00:52:34,896
As the gangsters turn in
824
00:52:34,928 --> 00:52:38,252
time, Bolcher switched sides, aligning with the Mullen gang.
825
00:52:38,416 --> 00:52:41,956
By 1972, after a series of power plays,
826
00:52:42,068 --> 00:52:46,760
Bulger and his new allies had gained dominance in Boston's criminal underworld.
827
00:52:47,540 --> 00:52:51,252
He solidified his rule by using murder as a tool for disciplining his
828
00:52:51,276 --> 00:52:54,860
gang members and eliminating rivals. By the mid
829
00:52:54,900 --> 00:52:58,900
1970s, Bulger was feared and a powerful figure
830
00:52:58,940 --> 00:53:02,520
in the Boston crime scene. In 1979,
831
00:53:02,820 --> 00:53:06,468
the leadership of the Winter Hill Gang, which had become Boston's top
832
00:53:06,524 --> 00:53:10,290
criminal organization, was arrested for fixing horse races.
833
00:53:11,030 --> 00:53:14,050
This allowed Bolger to take over as the gang's boss.
834
00:53:14,430 --> 00:53:17,846
What is not widely known at the time was that Bulger had been
835
00:53:17,878 --> 00:53:20,958
an FBI informant since 1974,
836
00:53:21,134 --> 00:53:24,486
working closely with John Connally, an FBI agent
837
00:53:24,518 --> 00:53:26,970
from South Boston who had grown up with Bolger.
838
00:53:28,150 --> 00:53:31,854
Connally viewed Bolger as a key asset in the FBI's war
839
00:53:31,902 --> 00:53:36,320
against the italian american mafia, particularly the patriarcha
840
00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:39,632
crime family, based in Providence, Rhode Island.
841
00:53:39,776 --> 00:53:43,776
Bolger, in turn, provided information about the patriarcha
842
00:53:43,808 --> 00:53:47,200
family. This collaboration allowed Bulger to operate
843
00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:50,296
with impunity as the FBI turned a
844
00:53:50,328 --> 00:53:53,888
blind eye to his crimes in exchange for the intelligence
845
00:53:53,944 --> 00:53:56,740
on the italian mafia. However,
846
00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:00,672
Bulger's violent reign did not go unnoticed by law enforcement
847
00:54:00,736 --> 00:54:04,120
outside the FBI. By the early 1990s,
848
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:08,264
the DEA, Massachusetts state Police, and Boston Police
849
00:54:08,352 --> 00:54:11,592
Department launched an investigation into Bolger,
850
00:54:11,776 --> 00:54:15,408
believing that the FBI had been compromised due to its connections with
851
00:54:15,424 --> 00:54:19,376
him. In December 1994,
852
00:54:19,528 --> 00:54:23,136
when arrests were imminent, Connally tipped Bulger off,
853
00:54:23,248 --> 00:54:26,460
allowing him to flee Boston before he could be apprehended.
854
00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:30,978
While many of his top associates were arrested, Bolger went on
855
00:54:30,994 --> 00:54:34,074
the run. For the next 16 years,
856
00:54:34,162 --> 00:54:37,394
Bolger remained one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives,
857
00:54:37,522 --> 00:54:41,426
traveling across the United States and abroad, and in
858
00:54:41,458 --> 00:54:44,290
1999, he was joined by his girlfriend,
859
00:54:44,330 --> 00:54:47,994
Katherine. The two evaded capture until June of
860
00:54:48,042 --> 00:54:51,266
2011. They were arrested in Santa Monica,
861
00:54:51,298 --> 00:54:54,354
California, and had been living in a modest apartment
862
00:54:54,402 --> 00:54:58,126
just a few blocks from the beach under assumed identities.
863
00:54:58,278 --> 00:55:02,030
Bulger was arraigned in July of 2011 on 48
864
00:55:02,070 --> 00:55:05,730
federal charges, including 19 counts of murder.
865
00:55:06,550 --> 00:55:10,566
In 2013, a jury found him guilty on 31 counts,
866
00:55:10,718 --> 00:55:14,610
and he was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years.
867
00:55:15,510 --> 00:55:19,222
Meanwhile, his former FBI handler John Connally,
868
00:55:19,366 --> 00:55:22,646
had been indicted in 1999 for his role in protecting
869
00:55:22,678 --> 00:55:25,180
Bulger and his criminal activities.
870
00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:28,760
Connally was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to
871
00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,480
ten years in prison. Later. In 2008,
872
00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:36,656
Connally was convicted of second degree murder for his involvement in another
873
00:55:36,728 --> 00:55:40,104
one of Bulger's killings and sentenced to 40 years
874
00:55:40,152 --> 00:55:44,504
in prison. Whitey Bulger spent his final years in various
875
00:55:44,592 --> 00:55:48,336
federal prisons. In October of 2018,
876
00:55:48,528 --> 00:55:51,880
just hours after his arrival at Hazelton federal
877
00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:56,046
prison in West Virginia, Bolger, then 89
878
00:55:56,118 --> 00:55:59,566
years old and using a wheelchair, was brutally murdered
879
00:55:59,598 --> 00:56:04,126
by fellow inmates. His assailants, including Fotillos,
880
00:56:04,238 --> 00:56:08,086
Freddy Gaas, a mob hitman serving a
881
00:56:08,118 --> 00:56:11,854
life sentence. Bolger was beaten to death with a padlock filled
882
00:56:11,902 --> 00:56:15,950
sock and his eyes were gouged out. His murder remains
883
00:56:16,030 --> 00:56:18,370
under investigation by the FBI.
884
00:56:20,680 --> 00:56:24,180
This and every episode brought to you by
885
00:56:24,640 --> 00:56:27,940
darkdiscoverystours.com.
886
00:56:28,720 --> 00:56:32,384
when you want to hear more heinous tales of horror
887
00:56:32,552 --> 00:56:35,936
and walk the sites of tragic events, go to
888
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889
00:56:39,784 --> 00:56:44,860
ticket today. Thats darkdiscoverystours.com.
890
00:56:46,940 --> 00:56:51,580
and just like that, we've finished our Boston episode.
891
00:56:51,740 --> 00:56:55,076
We hope that you have enjoyed all of these dark stories.
892
00:56:55,188 --> 00:57:01,012
If you want to contact us, you can reach us at that escalatedquicklyshowmail.com
893
00:57:01,196 --> 00:57:04,420
finally, we're on to our next episode.
894
00:57:04,540 --> 00:57:08,388
Where's it gonna be? I don't know. Tune in to find out
895
00:57:08,564 --> 00:57:11,100
next time on that escalated quickly.
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,310
Welcome to. That escalated quickly. Number one dark history podcast
2
00:00:31,350 --> 00:00:34,982
in the country. A lot of people say that. Important people, very good
3
00:00:35,006 --> 00:00:38,966
people, people who like and know a lot about podcasts. That sounds
4
00:00:38,998 --> 00:00:42,326
a lot like Trump. What is that like? Very good people
5
00:00:42,478 --> 00:00:46,054
who, like, know a lot about podcasts. Important people, all the people.
6
00:00:46,182 --> 00:00:49,038
I have no idea what you're talking about. But I do know we have one
7
00:00:49,094 --> 00:00:52,342
hell of an episode today. Boston hits all the marks.
8
00:00:52,406 --> 00:00:56,132
Gangsters, serial killers, and good old fashioned witch hysteria.
9
00:00:56,286 --> 00:01:00,460
Buckle up. It's time for fatal footprints. Boston's dark legends.
10
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,600
The Boston Strangler committed a series of murders in Boston,
11
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,576
Massachusetts, between 1962 and 1964.
12
00:01:09,728 --> 00:01:13,512
The killer, believed to be responsible for the deaths of 13 women,
13
00:01:13,656 --> 00:01:17,112
became one of the most infamous serial killers in american history.
14
00:01:17,256 --> 00:01:20,184
The case remains shrouded in controversy and mystery,
15
00:01:20,312 --> 00:01:24,270
with questions still lingering about the identity of the perpetrator.
16
00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,778
Between June 1962 and January 1960,
17
00:01:27,834 --> 00:01:32,110
413 women aged 19 to 85
18
00:01:32,450 --> 00:01:35,470
were found murdered in and around the Boston area.
19
00:01:35,890 --> 00:01:39,994
The women were mostly single and lived alone, and their deaths had disturbing
20
00:01:40,042 --> 00:01:43,618
similarities. Most were strangled with items
21
00:01:43,634 --> 00:01:47,026
of their clothing, often nylon stockings or scarves,
22
00:01:47,138 --> 00:01:50,548
which were tied around their necks in a bow. Many of the
23
00:01:50,564 --> 00:01:54,004
victims were also sexually assaulted, and their apartment showed little
24
00:01:54,052 --> 00:01:58,052
signs of forced entry, suggesting that the women likely allowed the
25
00:01:58,076 --> 00:02:01,804
killer inside voluntarily. This led authorities
26
00:02:01,852 --> 00:02:05,076
to believe the perpetrator might have posed as a handyman,
27
00:02:05,268 --> 00:02:08,692
maintenance worker, or another trustworthy figure to
28
00:02:08,716 --> 00:02:12,028
gain entry. The first victim was
29
00:02:12,044 --> 00:02:15,252
a 55 year old seamstress found murdered in her apartment in
30
00:02:15,276 --> 00:02:18,460
June of 1962. Her death
31
00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:21,636
set off a wave of panic in Boston as more women were killed
32
00:02:21,668 --> 00:02:24,828
in a similar manner. The ages of the
33
00:02:24,844 --> 00:02:28,760
victims varied widely, but they were all women living alone,
34
00:02:29,060 --> 00:02:33,276
heightening fears throughout the city. The youngest victim,
35
00:02:33,388 --> 00:02:36,756
Mary Sullivan, was 19, while the
36
00:02:36,788 --> 00:02:39,880
oldest, Mary Mullen, was 85.
37
00:02:40,420 --> 00:02:43,520
I'll say one thing for this guy. I mean,
38
00:02:44,010 --> 00:02:47,378
inclusivity, right? I mean, at least I would like
39
00:02:47,394 --> 00:02:50,858
to have more men strangled. Maybe some different races in there,
40
00:02:50,914 --> 00:02:53,910
but as far as age goes, very inclusive.
41
00:02:54,690 --> 00:02:58,322
In October 1964, Albert DeSalvo was arrested
42
00:02:58,346 --> 00:03:00,830
on unrelated charges of sexual assault.
43
00:03:01,370 --> 00:03:05,202
DeSalvo, who had a history of crimes involving impersonating
44
00:03:05,266 --> 00:03:08,426
servicemen and conning women, was initially not a
45
00:03:08,458 --> 00:03:10,830
suspect in the Boston Strangler murders.
46
00:03:12,670 --> 00:03:16,062
However, while in custody, DeSalvo confessed
47
00:03:16,086 --> 00:03:20,406
to being the Boston Strangler, providing a detailed account of the murders,
48
00:03:20,558 --> 00:03:23,850
claiming responsibility for all 13 killings.
49
00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:27,702
His confessions, though chilling,
50
00:03:27,846 --> 00:03:31,494
had inconsistencies. For example,
51
00:03:31,662 --> 00:03:35,630
DeSalvo could not accurately describe some crime scenes,
52
00:03:35,790 --> 00:03:39,650
and there was no physical evidence linking him directly to the murders.
53
00:03:42,940 --> 00:03:46,884
Albert DeSalvo's confession has always been met with skepticism,
54
00:03:47,052 --> 00:03:49,120
even by some law enforcement officials.
55
00:03:50,220 --> 00:03:53,612
Several aspects of his statements were inconsistent with known
56
00:03:53,676 --> 00:03:57,588
facts, and there was no forensic evidence directly linking him to
57
00:03:57,604 --> 00:03:59,120
the crimes at the time.
58
00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:03,908
Additionally, DeSalvo's history of fabricating stories
59
00:04:03,964 --> 00:04:07,724
to gain attention raised questions about the reliability of his
60
00:04:07,772 --> 00:04:11,700
confession. Many believe that DeSalvo,
61
00:04:11,820 --> 00:04:15,492
seeking notoriety, may have falsely confessed
62
00:04:15,516 --> 00:04:18,800
to being the Boston Strangler in order to achieve infamy.
63
00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,348
Further complicating the case, several of the murders attributed to
64
00:04:23,364 --> 00:04:26,332
the strangler differed in key details.
65
00:04:26,516 --> 00:04:30,244
Some women had been strangled, while others had been stabbed,
66
00:04:30,412 --> 00:04:33,940
the modus operandi of the killer buried leading
67
00:04:33,980 --> 00:04:37,268
some to believe that more than one person was responsible for the
68
00:04:37,284 --> 00:04:41,170
murders. This raised the possibility that the Boston Strangler
69
00:04:41,210 --> 00:04:44,442
could have been a composite of multiple killers operating at
70
00:04:44,466 --> 00:04:49,058
the same time. While the DNA evidence linked DeSalvo
71
00:04:49,154 --> 00:04:52,906
to Mary Sullivan's killing, the question of whether he was responsible for
72
00:04:52,938 --> 00:04:57,258
all 13 murders remains unresolved. Some investigators
73
00:04:57,314 --> 00:05:01,434
believe DeSalvo may have committed only some of the crimes, while others were carried
74
00:05:01,482 --> 00:05:05,452
out by different individuals. The inconsistencies
75
00:05:05,516 --> 00:05:09,960
in DeSalvo's confession, combined with the varying mos,
76
00:05:10,260 --> 00:05:14,028
leave open the possibility that the Boston Strangler was not a single
77
00:05:14,084 --> 00:05:17,820
person, but rather a name given to multiple killers
78
00:05:17,860 --> 00:05:21,452
who operated in the same region during the early 1960s.
79
00:05:21,596 --> 00:05:25,484
In 1967, DeSalvo was sentenced to life in prison
80
00:05:25,532 --> 00:05:28,532
for these crimes. In 1973,
81
00:05:28,716 --> 00:05:32,810
he was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate at Walpole State Prison.
82
00:05:32,940 --> 00:05:37,090
The case inspired books, films and television shows,
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cementing the Boston Strangler's place in american popular culture.
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Despite the modern DNA evidence, the full truth about the
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Boston Strangler may never be known.
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Albert DeSalvo's legacy remains controversial,
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and the case continues to fascinate criminologists,
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historians and the public alike.
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Kenneth Harrison, infamously known as the Giggler,
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was a notorious serial killer who terrorized the Boston area
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in the late 1960s. His nickname
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derived from the chilling and eerie laugh he let out while he called
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the police to report committing his second crime.
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Harrison's case is relatively lesser known compared to other notorious
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serial killers, but it remains one of the most disturbing
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in Boston's criminal history due to the nature of his acts and
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his bizarre behavior. I mean, the giggler is
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a great villainous name, I think,
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really is. It's creepy. It just has
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everything. I mean, it's kind of like that undescribable thing
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that John Wayne Gacy had with Pogo the clown.
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Creepy. Yeah. Yeah. Kenneth Harrison was born in the
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early 1940s, though little is known about his
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upbringing and background. He worked as a Boston cab driver during
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the time of his murders. Those who knew him described him
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as a quiet, unassuming man, giving no outward
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signs of the terror that he would soon inflict upon the city.
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However, Harrison harbored a dark side, one that would manifest
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in a series of gruesome killings that spanned nearly two
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years. Between 1967 and 1969,
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Kenneth Harrison committed four murders, each seemingly random
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and cruel in its execution. His first
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victim was a six year old girl named Lucy. After killing her,
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he discarded her body in the Fort Point Channel, where it was discovered
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by authorities soon after. A year later,
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in March 1968, Harrison killed his second
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victim, Edward Lamonica, a 31 year old
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mentally disabled man. Lamonica was lured into Harrison's cab
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under the guise of a friendly interaction.
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The randomness of the crime left investigators baffled and unsure of
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a motive, though the victim's vulnerability
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seemed to be a factor. Harrison struck again in
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1969, this time targeting a 66
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year old homeless Mandev. Like the previous victims,
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his body was discarded near the Boston waterfront.
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This crime continued Harrison's pattern of preying on vulnerable
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individuals and disposing of their bodies in the same
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general vicinity. His final
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known victim was a 75 year old former railroad worker.
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In July 1969, Harrison pushed the man
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into the same channel where he had discarded previous victims,
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watching as he drowned. By this time,
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Harrison had perfected his method of targeting people who could be
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easily overpowered or manipulated, making the crimes
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even more senseless and disturbing.
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In 1969, Harrison's reign of terror came to an end.
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In a surprising manner, Harrison walked into a Boston
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police station and confessed to the murder. His behavior during
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the confession was so bizarre as he laughed and
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seemed detached from the gravity of his actions.
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Harrison's motivations remained unclear as he provided no
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coherent explanation for why he had committed the murders. His confessions
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were often accompanied by erratic behavior, and he appeared to
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take pleasure in recounting the horrific details of his crimes.
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Kenneth Harrison was charged with multiple counts of murder and stood
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trial in 1970. His mental state became a
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central issue during the trial, his defense arguing that
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he was mentally ill and not fully aware of the consequences
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of his actions. Despite this, he was found guilty
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of the murders and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility
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of parole. During his time in prison,
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Harrison continued to exhibit strange behavior,
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often refusing to cooperate with authorities or participate in
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rehabilitation efforts. He never provided a clear explanation
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for his actions, leaving many questions about his state
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of mind and the true extent of his crimes unanswered.
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Jesse Pomeroy often referred to as the boy fiend
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or the Boston boy murderer, was one of the youngest convicted
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killers in american history. I don't like the sound of this.
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It's not good. Born on November 29,
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1859, in Charlestown,
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Massachusetts, Pomeroy's violent tendencies emerged early
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in life, and he became notorious for his sadistic and
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brutal crimes, which he committed during his teenage
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years in the 1870s. Jesse Pomeroy grew up in
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a dysfunctional family. His father was an abusive
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alcoholic, and his mother, Ruth Ann Pomeroy, ran a small
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dressmaking business. From an early age, Pomeroy exhibited
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disturbing behavior marked by cruelty to animals
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and a fascination with violence. He had a disfiguring
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white film over his right eye, which led to bullying
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by other children, further alienating him and likely
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contributing to his emotional instability. By the
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time Pomeroy was eleven years old, he had started to act out his
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violent impulses on other children. Between 1871
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and 1872, several young boys in the Charlestown
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and south Boston areas were lured to remote
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locations where Pomeroy tortured them. These boys
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were stripped, beaten, and sometimes slashed with a knife,
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leaving them with physical and emotional scars.
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Although Pomeroy was arrested and sent to a reform school in Westboro
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in 1872, he was released early due to
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good behavior after just over a year.
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This is interesting because when I first was reading about, like,
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boy fiend or whatever, when you said, this is one of the things we were
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covering, I thought, for sure this is some sicko who just murdered boys,
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but this is like, boy on boy crime. He's only, what,
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twelve years old or something here. So young. Yeah. Following his release
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in February 1874, Jesse Pomeroy's
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violence escalated. In March of that year, the body
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of ten year old Katie Curran was found in the basement of Pomeroy's
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mother's dress shop. Katie had been stabbed
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multiple times and mutilated. At the time,
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Pomeroy had already been linked to another child's disappearance.
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But no one expected that a 14 year old could commit such
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brutal crimes. Before Katie's body
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was discovered, Pomeroy had also murdered four year
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old Horace Millon. On April 22,
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1874, Pomeroy lured Horace
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into a secluded marshland area of south Boston,
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where he attacked the boy with a knife, slashing his
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throat and mutilating his body. This murder was
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particularly shocking because of the extreme violence used against such
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a young and vulnerable victim.
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Pomeroy was quickly apprehended after Horace Millen's murder.
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A witness had seen Pomeroy with a child shortly before the attack,
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and police arrested him based on the description. During questioning,
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Pomeroy initially denied the crime but later confessed
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to Millen's murder. He also eventually admitted
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to killing Katie Curran, whose body was discovered shortly
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afterward. Jesse Pomeroy was tried for the murder of Horace
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Millen in December 1874, and due to his age,
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his case attracted widespread media attention.
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Although his defense attorneys attempted to argue that he was insane,
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the jury found him guilty of first degree murder.
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Pomeroy was initially sentenced to death by hanging, making him
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the youngest person to receive such a sentence in Massachusetts. At the time,
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however, there was significant public debate about whether
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it was appropriate to execute someone so young.
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After appeals and review of the case, Governor William Gaston
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and the Massachusetts governor's council decided to commute Pomeroy's sentence
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to life imprisonment. In February February 1876,
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he was also sentenced to solitary confinement. Jesse Pomeroy
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spent most of his life in solitary confinement,
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beginning at the age of 16. He was incarcerated at
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the Charlestown state prison and later transferred to the Bridgewater
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State Hospital before eventually returning to Charlestown.
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Pomeroy remained in prison for the rest of his life.
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Despite his early crimes, he outlived many of his contemporaries,
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dying in 1932 at the age of 72
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after spending 58 years behind bars.
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It's a cryptic type of addiction. One's a trick,
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and one's for real. Let's see just how sharp
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you feel that song
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means it's time for beast or bogus. Listen close as I
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describe four cryptids. Can you spot the fake?
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Okay, Keisha, you ready to play beast or bogus? Yes. Yes. My favorite game.
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All right. Number one, the Dover Demon.
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This cryptid was reportedly sighted in the Boston suburb of Dover
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in 1977. Witnesses described
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it as a strange creature with a bulbous head and thin,
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spindly appendages. It's become a well known figure in local folklore,
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captivating the imaginations of many.
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Next up, the Gloucester Sea serpent.
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Also known as the Great New England Sea Serpent, this cryptid
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was reportedly seen along the Massachusetts coast between 1817 and
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1819. Descriptions vary, but its often depicted
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as a large, snake like creature with a long neck and humps.
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Sightings were reported by hundreds of people. Adding to its legendary status,
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sea serpent number three,
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pukwudjis are small, gray skinned beings that dwell
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in the depths of the eastern Massachusetts swampland.
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Legends say they possess the ability to lure unsuspecting souls
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to a sinister fate. Theyre often described
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as mischievous and sometimes malevolent,
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if nothing else. I love that name. So, you know,
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if that ends up being the one I invented, then im a genius. Its a
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great name. Okay, finally, the Boston
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Banshee, a spectral figure that haunts narrow
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alleys and historic cemeteries of Boston. Described as
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a ghostly woman with long, flowing hair and a tattered white dress,
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her eerie wails are said to foretell tragedy.
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Some believe she's the spirit of a woman who met a tragic end during the
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city's early colonial days. Okay, it's giving.
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Liarrono. So, to recap, we have the Dover demon,
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the Gloucester sea serpent, puckwudgies,
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and the Boston banshee. Which one did I make up?
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Let's see. I feel like the Dover demon
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is just a crazy looking dog that someone
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is gonna want to pet. So let me shelve that one,
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because that looks like a possibility. Because a bulbous
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head and thin, spindly appendages. I'm already saying
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the phrase, can't I pet that dog? If nothing else, I love the
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alliteration. Doubting the Dover demon,
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dubious about the Dover demon sea serpent.
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I'm gonna already, like, put that on the possibility, because this looks
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like a messy relative. Every body
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of water has a sea serpent. It's getting old at this point, people. Let's invent
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something new. Mmm. Puck.
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Wedgies. Yeah, that's some. Oh, my gosh.
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Wampanoag folklore. Gray skinned beings.
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This sounds like. Like a crazy ancient
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legend or something. So I really. A pukwudgy,
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a squonk, and a Boston banshee went into a bar.
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That's a good one. The Boston banshee is very close to
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this very common tell. That's very la llorona.
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So that is a possibility.
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I am going to say that the
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Dover demon, because it sounds like something
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that's just out there. Spindly appendages,
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bulbous head. It's giving stranger things,
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and that giant demogorgon. So who
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knows? Who knows? You know?
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I know. I will now reveal to you
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that the bogus cryptid is the
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Boston banshee. No way.
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I'm back on top, people. Ugh.
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Okay, well, listener, did you spot
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the bogus cryptidgesthe? I hope you enjoy guessing as much as I enjoy trying
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to fake you out. I'm really excited now because I know Boston's
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loaded with ghost stories. It's time to stoke that fire,
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crawl under your blanket, and let Keisha tell us about this
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week's haunted hometown. Boston,
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Massachusetts.
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Boston Commons, one of the oldest public parks in the United
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States, has a rich history intertwined with dark
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and tragic events that have given it a reputation as one
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of Boston's most haunted locations. Founded in 1634
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Boston Commons spans nearly 50 acres in the heart of downtown
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Boston, and over its 350
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year existence, it has been the site of executions,
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burials, and a gathering place for both protests
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and celebrations. However,
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it is the park's grim past that seems to linger in the form
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of ghostly sightings, eerie sounds,
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and unexplained phenomena. One of the
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most notorious features of Boston Commons history is the great
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elm, a large tree that stood at the center of the park
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until its fall in 1876.
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This tree was not just any tree, it was
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a hanging tree. In the 17th and
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18th centuries, Boston Commons served as a site for
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public executions, and the great elm was
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often used as the instrument of death.
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Victims of these executions were left hanging from its branches for all
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to see, serving as a stark warning to all of the
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public. Among those hanged were
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pirates, murderers, and those
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00:21:07,384 --> 00:21:10,944
convicted of witchcraft. Cool people, visitors and park
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goers often report hearing strange sounds,
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00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,020
particularly at night. Creaking noises,
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00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,080
which many interpret as the sound of ropes tightening around necks,
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00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,344
are sometimes heard in the area where the tree once stood.
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00:21:24,512 --> 00:21:28,312
Some have even claimed to see shadowy figures dangling from invisible
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ropes, a haunting reminder of the park's grim past.
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00:21:32,690 --> 00:21:36,162
These unsettling experiences have contributed to the commons
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00:21:36,226 --> 00:21:39,994
eerie atmosphere and its reputation as a haunted
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00:21:40,042 --> 00:21:40,790
location.
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Another famous ghost believed to haunt Boston common is Ann
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00:21:47,506 --> 00:21:50,634
Goody Glover, an irish woman
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00:21:50,682 --> 00:21:55,430
who fell victim to the Salem like witchcraft hysteria in 1688.
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Oh, I see your bias already fell. Victim, huh?
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00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,100
Maybe she flirted.
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00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,496
Goody Glover was a devout Irish Catholic who worked as a servant in
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Boston. An argument with her employer's children led to accusations
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00:22:11,496 --> 00:22:15,632
of witchcraft, a charge that would ultimately seal her fate.
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00:22:15,816 --> 00:22:19,720
During her trial, she was asked to recite the Lord's prayer,
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00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,352
but because she spoke Gaelic and not English, she failed
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00:22:23,376 --> 00:22:26,858
to do so. This was taken as evidence
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00:22:26,914 --> 00:22:30,642
of her guilt, and she was sentenced to death by hanging at the
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great elm. Listen, all true
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00:22:34,186 --> 00:22:37,778
Catholics and Christians and God believers are born being able to
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00:22:37,794 --> 00:22:41,350
say the Lord's prayer in English. And that's just reality.
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00:22:41,650 --> 00:22:45,266
Goody Glover's tragic story lives on in the form of ghostly
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00:22:45,298 --> 00:22:49,002
sightings. Many visitors to Boston Common claim to see
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00:22:49,026 --> 00:22:52,590
a woman dressed in puritan clothing, often weeping or
357
00:22:52,630 --> 00:22:55,570
screaming, near the site where the great elm once stood.
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These accounts suggest that Glover's spirit is still reliving the
359
00:23:00,230 --> 00:23:04,610
terrifying moments of her unjust trial and execution.
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00:23:05,550 --> 00:23:09,470
Her inability to defend herself in a language that was foreign
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00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:13,222
to her sealed her fate. And her restless spirit is
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00:23:13,246 --> 00:23:16,598
said to remain in Boston Common, a testament
363
00:23:16,654 --> 00:23:20,462
to the injustices of the past. The Omni
364
00:23:20,486 --> 00:23:24,150
Parker house in Boston is a historic hotel, not only
365
00:23:24,310 --> 00:23:28,166
known for its luxurious accommodations, but also
366
00:23:28,238 --> 00:23:31,942
for its ghostly legends. Does every omni in every city
367
00:23:32,006 --> 00:23:36,158
have a ghost story? How many omniscient
368
00:23:36,174 --> 00:23:39,462
are there? Oh, there are a lot of omnis. I'm gonna have to look into
369
00:23:39,486 --> 00:23:43,262
whether they all claim to have historic hauntings. We have to cross check
370
00:23:43,286 --> 00:23:46,160
that information. The researchers on it. Let me write it down.
371
00:23:46,310 --> 00:23:49,756
Established in 1855 by Harvey Parker, it has
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00:23:49,788 --> 00:23:53,652
hosted famous figures, including authors, politicians,
373
00:23:53,756 --> 00:23:57,676
and celebrities, and is considered one of Boston's
374
00:23:57,708 --> 00:23:59,080
most haunted hotels.
375
00:24:01,660 --> 00:24:05,180
The most famous ghost associated with Omni, Parker House is
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00:24:05,220 --> 00:24:07,800
that of its founder, Harvey Parker.
377
00:24:08,420 --> 00:24:12,280
Parker was known for his dedication to the hotel and its guests,
378
00:24:12,710 --> 00:24:15,410
often personally attending to their needs.
379
00:24:16,110 --> 00:24:19,902
After his death in 1884, numerous guests and staff
380
00:24:19,966 --> 00:24:23,198
reported seeing an elderly man resembling Parker,
381
00:24:23,374 --> 00:24:27,006
especially on the 10th floor. He is often described
382
00:24:27,038 --> 00:24:30,398
as a kindly figure, still checking in on guests,
383
00:24:30,574 --> 00:24:33,170
making sure everything is in order.
384
00:24:34,230 --> 00:24:37,646
The hotel has a literary legacy, being a place where
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00:24:37,678 --> 00:24:41,494
famous writers like Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson
386
00:24:41,542 --> 00:24:45,358
stayed. Dickens even gave readings of a Christmas carol
387
00:24:45,414 --> 00:24:49,006
in the hotel's press room. Some believe that his
388
00:24:49,038 --> 00:24:52,450
connection to the hotel contributes to its spectral activity.
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00:24:52,950 --> 00:24:56,210
Though there are no direct reports of Dickens ghosts,
390
00:24:56,550 --> 00:24:59,830
room 303 is one of the most notorious spots
391
00:24:59,910 --> 00:25:03,446
in the Omni Parker house. It's the center of a story
392
00:25:03,518 --> 00:25:07,398
involving strange activity, including the smell of whiskey
393
00:25:07,454 --> 00:25:10,882
and the sound of laughter. Guests have reported flickering
394
00:25:10,946 --> 00:25:14,178
lights, unexplained noises, and even
395
00:25:14,234 --> 00:25:17,626
sightings of a misty figure. The origins of
396
00:25:17,658 --> 00:25:21,554
these occurrences are unclear, but some speculate that a tragic
397
00:25:21,602 --> 00:25:25,470
incident or a violent death in this room may be responsible.
398
00:25:25,770 --> 00:25:29,226
The activity in room 303 was reportedly so disturbing
399
00:25:29,258 --> 00:25:32,674
that the hotel eventually turned the room into a storage space,
400
00:25:32,842 --> 00:25:34,990
preventing guests from staying there.
401
00:25:36,020 --> 00:25:39,252
Another commonly reported apparition involves a ghost who likes to
402
00:25:39,276 --> 00:25:42,652
ride the hotel's elevators. Guests and staff have
403
00:25:42,676 --> 00:25:47,040
frequently reported the elevator traveling to the third floor without being called,
404
00:25:47,660 --> 00:25:50,400
often opening to reveal no one inside.
405
00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:54,404
This ghost is thought to be a woman who haunts the third floor.
406
00:25:54,572 --> 00:25:58,156
Although her identity is unknown, the Omni Parker
407
00:25:58,188 --> 00:26:02,098
house, with its long history and connection to famous figures,
408
00:26:02,284 --> 00:26:05,622
remains a popular spot for ghost enthusiasts and history
409
00:26:05,686 --> 00:26:08,942
buffs alike. Reports of ghostly apparitions,
410
00:26:09,126 --> 00:26:13,062
unexplained noises, and eerie occurrences continue to
411
00:26:13,086 --> 00:26:17,318
draw visitors from Harvey Parker's watchful spirit to
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00:26:17,334 --> 00:26:21,174
the mysterious room 303. The hotel's rich history
413
00:26:21,262 --> 00:26:24,570
is deeply intertwined with its haunted reputation.
414
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:36,300
This and every episode brought to you by darkdiscoverystours.com.
415
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,704
when you want to hear more heinous tales of horror
416
00:26:40,872 --> 00:26:46,656
and walk the sites of tragic events, go to darkdiscoverystours.com.
417
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to get your audio tour ticket today, thats darkdiscoverystours.com.
418
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,664
King'S Chapel Burying Ground, located in downtown
419
00:27:01,712 --> 00:27:04,660
Boston, is the oldest cemetery in the city.
420
00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,080
Established in 1630 during the founding of the Massachusetts Bay
421
00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,120
Colony, it is one of the most historic and significant
422
00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,504
burial sites in Boston, housing the graves of some of
423
00:27:16,512 --> 00:27:20,552
the colony's earliest settlers and notable figures from colonial
424
00:27:20,616 --> 00:27:24,002
history. Although it has no direct association with King's
425
00:27:24,026 --> 00:27:27,830
chapel itself, which was built later in 1688,
426
00:27:28,170 --> 00:27:32,266
the burial ground shares its name with the church because of its proximity.
427
00:27:32,458 --> 00:27:36,626
When Boston was founded in 1630, Governor John Winthrop
428
00:27:36,698 --> 00:27:41,106
and other leaders realized the need for a cemetery to bury the colony's deceased.
429
00:27:41,258 --> 00:27:45,122
King's Chapel burying ground was chosen as the first public cemetery
430
00:27:45,266 --> 00:27:48,390
situated on what was then the edge of the new settlement.
431
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:53,704
It became the final resting place for Boston's earliest european settlers,
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00:27:53,872 --> 00:27:57,500
including several puritan leaders and influential figures.
433
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,176
For over 30 years, it was the only burial site in Boston
434
00:28:02,248 --> 00:28:05,768
until the establishment of Copp's Hill and granary burying
435
00:28:05,824 --> 00:28:09,072
grounds later in the 17th century. Among the cemetery's most
436
00:28:09,096 --> 00:28:12,296
famous people is John Winthrop, the first governor of the
437
00:28:12,328 --> 00:28:15,822
Massachusetts Bay colony and one of the most important figures in early
438
00:28:15,886 --> 00:28:19,582
colonial America. His leadership helped shape the
439
00:28:19,606 --> 00:28:23,214
future of the colony, and his grave remains a significant historical
440
00:28:23,262 --> 00:28:26,446
marker. Mary Chilton, one of the
441
00:28:26,478 --> 00:28:30,126
original passengers on the Mayflower, is also buried in King's
442
00:28:30,158 --> 00:28:33,302
Chapel burying ground. According to the legend,
443
00:28:33,446 --> 00:28:38,006
Chilton was the first woman to step ashore at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
444
00:28:38,158 --> 00:28:42,098
Her grave, like many others in the cemetery, is an important
445
00:28:42,194 --> 00:28:45,550
link to early american history and the Pilgrim settlers.
446
00:28:48,530 --> 00:28:51,850
Another notable figure entered in the burying ground is William
447
00:28:51,890 --> 00:28:55,282
Dawes, one of the lesser known writers who,
448
00:28:55,306 --> 00:28:58,746
alongside Paul Revere, warned colonial militias
449
00:28:58,778 --> 00:29:02,002
of the british troops approach before the Battle of Lexington
450
00:29:02,146 --> 00:29:04,710
and Concord in 1775.
451
00:29:05,570 --> 00:29:09,478
Dawes played a critical role in the early events of the American Revolution,
452
00:29:09,634 --> 00:29:13,050
though his contributions were overshadowed by Revere's fame.
453
00:29:13,350 --> 00:29:16,806
Hezekiah Usher, who was the
454
00:29:16,838 --> 00:29:20,014
first bookseller and publisher in the american colonies,
455
00:29:20,182 --> 00:29:24,142
is also buried in the cemetery. Usher's role in early
456
00:29:24,206 --> 00:29:27,910
american literature and education adds to the historical significance
457
00:29:27,950 --> 00:29:31,406
of King's chapel burying ground King's Chapel
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00:29:31,438 --> 00:29:35,174
burying ground is home to over a thousand gravestones, many of which
459
00:29:35,222 --> 00:29:38,702
are elaborate examples of early colonial gravestone
460
00:29:38,766 --> 00:29:43,314
art. These stones feature typical puritan motifs,
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00:29:43,442 --> 00:29:46,950
such as skulls, winged cherubs, and crossbones,
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00:29:47,370 --> 00:29:52,150
symbolizing death, the afterlife, and resurrection.
463
00:29:53,010 --> 00:29:56,386
The gravestones are primarily made of slate, which has
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00:29:56,418 --> 00:30:00,130
weathered the centuries remarkably well, allowing visitors
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00:30:00,170 --> 00:30:04,150
today to still read many of the inscriptions and epitaphs.
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00:30:06,940 --> 00:30:11,012
The granary burying ground, located in the heart of Boston is
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00:30:11,036 --> 00:30:14,884
not only the site of immense historical significance but also
468
00:30:14,932 --> 00:30:19,400
a place steeped in legend, mystery and eerie allure.
469
00:30:20,740 --> 00:30:24,156
Established in 1660, it is the third oldest
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00:30:24,188 --> 00:30:27,356
cemetery in Boston following the king's Chapel
471
00:30:27,388 --> 00:30:30,120
burying ground and Copp's Hill burying ground.
472
00:30:31,230 --> 00:30:34,630
The granary's proximity to the key revolutionary landmarks
473
00:30:34,670 --> 00:30:37,878
and its roster of notable internments make it one of
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00:30:37,894 --> 00:30:41,570
the most visited and revered burial sites.
475
00:30:41,910 --> 00:30:45,646
Yet its atmosphere and the stories surrounding it have earned it a reputation
476
00:30:45,718 --> 00:30:49,534
as one of Boston's spookiest locations. The granary
477
00:30:49,582 --> 00:30:53,566
burying ground is perhaps best known for being the final resting place for
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00:30:53,598 --> 00:30:57,422
some of the most prominent figures of the American Revolution. At the
479
00:30:57,446 --> 00:31:01,268
forefront is Paul Revere, whose midnight ride to alert the colonial
480
00:31:01,324 --> 00:31:04,764
militia of the approaching british forces remains a defining
481
00:31:04,812 --> 00:31:08,092
moment in american history. His modest grave is a
482
00:31:08,116 --> 00:31:11,172
frequent stop for tourists and history buffs alike.
483
00:31:11,356 --> 00:31:13,716
Revere's legacy as a patriot,
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00:31:13,868 --> 00:31:17,316
Silversmith and engraver has solidified his
485
00:31:17,348 --> 00:31:21,160
place as one of the most enduring figures in the American Revolution.
486
00:31:21,700 --> 00:31:25,572
And his gravesite at Granary serves as a tangible link to
487
00:31:25,596 --> 00:31:29,562
the past. Another illustrious figure at Granary is Samuel
488
00:31:29,626 --> 00:31:33,786
Adams. Oh, yeah, he makes that beer, right? One of the architects of the revolution
489
00:31:33,898 --> 00:31:37,790
and a key figure in the agitation that led to the Boston Tea party.
490
00:31:38,250 --> 00:31:41,730
Adams role in the creation of american independence cannot be
491
00:31:41,770 --> 00:31:45,498
overstated. And his grave is a reminder of the contributions
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00:31:45,594 --> 00:31:47,350
to the cause of liberty.
493
00:31:49,530 --> 00:31:53,720
John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence,
494
00:31:53,810 --> 00:31:57,420
is also buried there. Known for his flamboyant
495
00:31:57,460 --> 00:32:01,200
signature which became synonymous with personal independence
496
00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:05,348
Hancock's grave attracts visitors due to his prominent role in the founding
497
00:32:05,364 --> 00:32:09,084
of the nation. His life as a wealthy merchant and politician
498
00:32:09,132 --> 00:32:12,620
is reflected in the grandeur of his tombstone which,
499
00:32:12,780 --> 00:32:15,796
though simpler than his legendary reputation,
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00:32:15,988 --> 00:32:19,480
remains an essential part of Granary's history.
501
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,648
Despite the significance of the historical figures entered
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00:32:23,664 --> 00:32:27,320
in granary it is the stories of the common people buried there
503
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,900
that give the cemetery its air of mystery.
504
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,080
With over 2300 graves packed into its small, less than
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00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,736
two acre space, the exact number of burials is
506
00:32:38,768 --> 00:32:42,552
debated with some estimating to be more than 5000
507
00:32:42,616 --> 00:32:46,632
bodies buried there. Many graves are unmarked
508
00:32:46,776 --> 00:32:50,540
and others are marked only by crumbling or weathered stones
509
00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,380
making it difficult to identify all who rest there.
510
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:59,360
The sense of anonymity and the sheer age of the burial ground have fueled
511
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,704
ghost stories and tales of hauntings. Over the centuries,
512
00:33:03,832 --> 00:33:07,744
the granary burying ground has developed a reputation of one of Boston's most
513
00:33:07,792 --> 00:33:11,848
haunted places. Visitors often speak of feeling an eerie
514
00:33:11,904 --> 00:33:15,448
presence or experiencing a sudden chill while walking through the rows
515
00:33:15,464 --> 00:33:18,816
of gravestones, some claim to have
516
00:33:18,848 --> 00:33:22,100
seen ghostly figures or heard unexplained noises,
517
00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,740
particularly near the graves of prominent figures like Paul Revere.
518
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,872
The centuries old graves, the presence of revolutionary
519
00:33:31,936 --> 00:33:35,728
heroes, and the dense history of tragic deaths
520
00:33:35,784 --> 00:33:39,020
all contribute to the cemetery's haunted atmosphere.
521
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,898
One legend tells of James Otis, who is said to
522
00:33:42,914 --> 00:33:46,634
have predicted that he would die by a lightning strike, a fate
523
00:33:46,682 --> 00:33:48,670
that he did indeed meet.
524
00:33:49,530 --> 00:33:53,026
Otis's death was so sudden and mysterious that it had sparked
525
00:33:53,058 --> 00:33:57,330
tales of his ghost wandering the grounds, unsettling and
526
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:00,110
restless. Talk about calling your shot.
527
00:34:00,530 --> 00:34:03,666
Another haunting involves the victims of the Boston massacre,
528
00:34:03,818 --> 00:34:06,778
whose lives were cut short in an act of violence.
529
00:34:06,954 --> 00:34:10,554
Visitors often report feelings of sadness and unease around
530
00:34:10,602 --> 00:34:14,802
their mass grave, as if the spirits of those men linger,
531
00:34:14,986 --> 00:34:18,314
unwilling to leave the site where their deaths helped ignite
532
00:34:18,362 --> 00:34:21,570
a revolution. Damn Boston's one
533
00:34:21,610 --> 00:34:25,194
hell of a haunted hometown. Let's cool things down with a heist story
534
00:34:25,322 --> 00:34:29,290
in this episodes. Conspiracy Corner the
535
00:34:29,330 --> 00:34:32,746
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is renowned
536
00:34:32,818 --> 00:34:36,106
not only for its unique collection of art, but also for
537
00:34:36,138 --> 00:34:39,630
being the site of one of the most infamous art heists in history.
538
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:44,104
On March 18, 1992, men posing
539
00:34:44,152 --> 00:34:47,344
as police officers entered the museum and made it off with
540
00:34:47,392 --> 00:34:50,736
13 priceless works of art valued at
541
00:34:50,768 --> 00:34:54,304
over half a billion dollars. To this day,
542
00:34:54,472 --> 00:34:57,496
the stolen masterpieces have not been recovered,
543
00:34:57,608 --> 00:35:01,416
and the case remains unsolved. In the early hours of
544
00:35:01,448 --> 00:35:05,376
March 18, 1992, men dressed as police in uniforms
545
00:35:05,448 --> 00:35:09,124
arrived at the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum,
546
00:35:09,312 --> 00:35:11,800
claiming to be responding to a disturbance.
547
00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:16,740
The security guard on duty, violating museum protocol,
548
00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:20,040
allowed them entry through the employee entrance.
549
00:35:21,140 --> 00:35:24,748
Once inside, the fake officers requested that the guard
550
00:35:24,804 --> 00:35:29,268
step away from his post at the watch desk. Moments later,
551
00:35:29,444 --> 00:35:33,300
he and a second guard were handcuffed and taken to the museum's basement,
552
00:35:33,420 --> 00:35:37,566
where they were bound with duct tape. For the next 81 minutes,
553
00:35:37,718 --> 00:35:41,118
the thieves moved through the museum, targeting specific works
554
00:35:41,134 --> 00:35:44,950
of art and leaving behind empty frames where masterpieces
555
00:35:45,030 --> 00:35:48,358
once hung. In total, they stole
556
00:35:48,414 --> 00:35:52,610
13 works of art, including three Rembrandt paintings,
557
00:35:53,110 --> 00:35:57,310
one of which was his famous Christ in the storm on the Sea of Galilee,
558
00:35:57,470 --> 00:36:01,150
and the other stolen works included Vermeer's the Concert. The stolen
559
00:36:01,190 --> 00:36:04,710
pieces span various art forms, from paintings to
560
00:36:04,750 --> 00:36:08,646
sketches, with the value of the stolen works estimated over half
561
00:36:08,678 --> 00:36:12,366
a billion dollars. The thieves departed the museum with their hall,
562
00:36:12,478 --> 00:36:16,070
leaving the guards bound in the basement until the morning shift arrived.
563
00:36:16,190 --> 00:36:19,822
The theft devastated the museum, particularly because
564
00:36:19,886 --> 00:36:23,390
Isabella Stewart Gardner, the museum's founder,
565
00:36:23,550 --> 00:36:27,262
had left specific instructions that the collection should remain as she
566
00:36:27,286 --> 00:36:30,954
had arranged it in compliance with her will. The empty
567
00:36:31,002 --> 00:36:34,430
frames from the stolen paintings are still displayed in the museum,
568
00:36:34,770 --> 00:36:38,850
a haunting reminder of the loss. The FBI immediately
569
00:36:38,890 --> 00:36:42,346
launched an investigation, but the thieves left behind few clues.
570
00:36:42,538 --> 00:36:46,234
Early leads proved fruitless, and though multiple theories
571
00:36:46,282 --> 00:36:49,546
were pursued over the years, the stolen art has never been
572
00:36:49,578 --> 00:36:53,202
recovered. One of the first individuals the FBI considered
573
00:36:53,226 --> 00:36:56,682
as a suspect was Miles Connor, a notorious art thief who
574
00:36:56,706 --> 00:36:59,878
had a history of stealing valuable pieces, including a
575
00:36:59,894 --> 00:37:03,770
Rembrandt from a Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In 1975,
576
00:37:04,150 --> 00:37:07,278
however, Connor was in federal prison at the time of the
577
00:37:07,294 --> 00:37:11,174
Gardner heist, providing him with an alibi. Despite this,
578
00:37:11,342 --> 00:37:14,790
many believed Connors expertise and connections in the
579
00:37:14,830 --> 00:37:18,262
art world might have influenced the Gardner robbery.
580
00:37:18,406 --> 00:37:21,974
Around 2005, the investigation took an interesting
581
00:37:22,022 --> 00:37:25,502
turn when it focused on two frenchmen on the mediterranean island of
582
00:37:25,526 --> 00:37:28,840
Corsica. These men, believed to have had
583
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,448
ties to the corsican mafia, were reportedly attempted to
584
00:37:32,464 --> 00:37:36,328
sell two of the stolen paintings, a Rembrandt and
585
00:37:36,344 --> 00:37:39,472
a Vermeer. Bob Whitman,
586
00:37:39,616 --> 00:37:43,040
a former FBI special agent specializing in art crimes,
587
00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,864
was involved in a staying operation aimed at recovering those paintings.
588
00:37:46,952 --> 00:37:50,060
That name is such an FBI name. I'm Bob Whitman.
589
00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,320
Stand aside. I'm Bob Whitman. You're the law.
590
00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,940
FBI, Bob Whitman.
591
00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:01,952
Unfortunately, the operation fell apart when the men were arrested
592
00:38:01,976 --> 00:38:05,776
for selling stolen art from another heist at the Museum of Modern and
593
00:38:05,808 --> 00:38:09,760
Contemporary Art in Nice, France. The trail once
594
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,360
again went cold, and the whereabouts of the Gartner museum's stolen
595
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,048
works remained a mystery. Over the years,
596
00:38:17,184 --> 00:38:20,326
numerous efforts have been made to recover the stolen ark.
597
00:38:20,488 --> 00:38:23,834
The museum continues to offer a 10 million reward for any
598
00:38:23,882 --> 00:38:27,610
information leading to the return of the artworks, but no credible
599
00:38:27,650 --> 00:38:31,674
leads have surfaced. The heist has also been subject of numerous
600
00:38:31,722 --> 00:38:34,978
books, documentaries, and podcasts,
601
00:38:35,154 --> 00:38:38,578
and it has captivated the public's imagination with its daring
602
00:38:38,634 --> 00:38:40,710
nature and lingering mystery.
603
00:38:42,170 --> 00:38:45,634
The case also underscored the vulnerabilities in museum's security
604
00:38:45,722 --> 00:38:49,530
at the time. Following the heist, many institutions,
605
00:38:50,070 --> 00:38:53,494
including the Gardner Museum, implemented more
606
00:38:53,542 --> 00:38:56,694
stringent security measures to prevent such thefts from occurring in
607
00:38:56,702 --> 00:39:00,230
the future. However, the ease with
608
00:39:00,270 --> 00:39:04,454
which the thieves entered the museum and subdued the guards highlights how unprepared
609
00:39:04,542 --> 00:39:07,750
many institutions were for a sophisticated crime.
610
00:39:07,910 --> 00:39:12,076
More than 30 years after the theft, the investigation remains open,
611
00:39:12,238 --> 00:39:15,380
with the FBI continuing to pursue new leads.
612
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:20,016
Over the years, there have been various rumors and theories,
613
00:39:20,208 --> 00:39:24,432
ranging from mob involvement to underground art markets
614
00:39:24,576 --> 00:39:27,800
to there being someone on the inside. But none
615
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,500
have led to the recovery of the paintings. In 2013,
616
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:36,392
the FBI announced that they had identified the thieves, but did not release
617
00:39:36,456 --> 00:39:39,760
their names, as they believed the individuals involved had
618
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,114
since passed away. Despite this,
619
00:39:43,242 --> 00:39:46,642
the stolen art remains missing and its current whereabouts
620
00:39:46,666 --> 00:39:50,082
are unknown. Art experts speculate that the works may be hidden
621
00:39:50,106 --> 00:39:53,230
in private collections or possibly destroyed,
622
00:39:53,610 --> 00:39:56,830
though there is still hope that they could one day be recovered.
623
00:39:57,210 --> 00:40:01,018
$10 million reward, you say? How about season two?
624
00:40:01,074 --> 00:40:04,234
That escalated quickly. Is us going on a little treasure
625
00:40:04,282 --> 00:40:07,364
hunt? Anyway.
626
00:40:07,532 --> 00:40:11,852
For now, let's finish out this episode with three historical tales of molasses,
627
00:40:11,916 --> 00:40:15,372
fire and white t bulgur in dark
628
00:40:15,436 --> 00:40:19,476
diaries. The great Molasses
629
00:40:19,508 --> 00:40:23,200
Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses disaster,
630
00:40:24,020 --> 00:40:27,284
occurred in 1919 on the north end of Boston,
631
00:40:27,332 --> 00:40:30,940
Massachusetts. This unusual and tragic event saw a
632
00:40:30,980 --> 00:40:35,352
massive storage tank containing over 2.3 million
633
00:40:35,456 --> 00:40:37,740
gallons of molasses burst,
634
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,032
releasing a deadly wave of molasses that wreaked havoc through
635
00:40:42,056 --> 00:40:45,600
the city streets. The disaster resulted in 21
636
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,464
deaths, 150 injuries and
637
00:40:49,512 --> 00:40:53,224
widespread destruction of property. The flood left
638
00:40:53,272 --> 00:40:57,512
a lasting impact not only on Boston, but also on us
639
00:40:57,576 --> 00:41:01,692
regulations concerning industrial safety. I had no
640
00:41:01,716 --> 00:41:05,412
idea that molasses could be released in a deadly wave.
641
00:41:05,596 --> 00:41:09,480
The molasses tank, owned by purity Distilling company,
642
00:41:09,780 --> 00:41:13,244
had been constructed in 1915 to store molasses
643
00:41:13,292 --> 00:41:17,300
that would be processed into industrial alcohol for munitions
644
00:41:17,380 --> 00:41:21,052
and other purposes. For the very beginning, there were clear
645
00:41:21,116 --> 00:41:24,188
indications that the tank was not structurally sound.
646
00:41:24,364 --> 00:41:28,024
Local residents noticed that it leaked molasses, and the children
647
00:41:28,072 --> 00:41:31,380
in north End would collect the sticky substance in pails.
648
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:35,660
When complaints about the leaking tank reached the company,
649
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:39,704
purity distilling took the superficial step of painting the tank brown
650
00:41:39,752 --> 00:41:43,072
to conceal the molasses seeping from its seams,
651
00:41:43,216 --> 00:41:46,664
instead of addressing the underlying problem. You know,
652
00:41:46,712 --> 00:41:50,752
the times they change, but they don't really change much at all.
653
00:41:50,856 --> 00:41:54,754
On the fateful day of January 15, 1919, a series
654
00:41:54,802 --> 00:41:58,338
of factors led to the catastrophic failure of the molasses tank.
655
00:41:58,474 --> 00:42:02,474
A sudden temperature shift, combined with the recent large shipment of
656
00:42:02,522 --> 00:42:06,218
molasses into the already weakened tank, put too much stress on
657
00:42:06,234 --> 00:42:09,266
its structure. Just after noon, the tanks walls
658
00:42:09,298 --> 00:42:13,114
gave way and the molasses burst with tremendous
659
00:42:13,202 --> 00:42:15,586
force. The resulting wave,
660
00:42:15,778 --> 00:42:19,282
estimated to be around 25ft high, raced through
661
00:42:19,306 --> 00:42:25,158
the north end. At approximately 35,
662
00:42:25,174 --> 00:42:28,870
molasses was so immense that it knocked an elevated train
663
00:42:28,910 --> 00:42:32,838
off its tracks, crushed buildings and pushed
664
00:42:32,854 --> 00:42:36,902
a firehouse off its foundation. It also swept
665
00:42:36,926 --> 00:42:40,130
away vehicles, suffocated animals
666
00:42:40,430 --> 00:42:44,382
and trapped people in its path. The molasses spread over
667
00:42:44,446 --> 00:42:47,630
city blocks, covering everything in its
668
00:42:47,670 --> 00:42:50,070
sticky, thicken mess.
669
00:42:50,530 --> 00:42:53,882
The wave of destruction left crumpled steel fragments of the tank
670
00:42:53,946 --> 00:42:57,970
scattered throughout the debris field, illustrating the tremendous force
671
00:42:58,050 --> 00:43:01,634
with which the molasses was released. 21 people
672
00:43:01,722 --> 00:43:05,050
were killed, and the majority of victims were laborers and
673
00:43:05,090 --> 00:43:08,202
drivers working at nearby locations, such as
674
00:43:08,226 --> 00:43:11,430
the north end paving yard and Cops Hill wharf.
675
00:43:12,250 --> 00:43:16,276
Among the victims were Pascual Ion Tosca
676
00:43:16,388 --> 00:43:19,756
and Maria Destasio, 210 year old
677
00:43:19,788 --> 00:43:23,100
children who had been playing outside enjoying the unusually
678
00:43:23,220 --> 00:43:26,292
warm winter day, and George Leahy,
679
00:43:26,436 --> 00:43:29,588
a firefighter from engine 31 who had just
680
00:43:29,644 --> 00:43:33,020
gone to bed before the molasses engulfed his firehouse.
681
00:43:33,180 --> 00:43:37,060
Rescue efforts were launched almost immediately, with the Boston
682
00:43:37,100 --> 00:43:40,836
Police Department, US Navy cadets, and the
683
00:43:40,868 --> 00:43:43,080
Red Cross all rushing to help.
684
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:48,088
Despite their heroic actions, the thick molasses made it
685
00:43:48,104 --> 00:43:51,632
difficult to reach survivors and recover bodies. Many of the
686
00:43:51,656 --> 00:43:55,256
victims were suffocated or drowned by the molasses, while others were
687
00:43:55,288 --> 00:43:59,136
crushed by collapsing buildings and debris. Injured survivors
688
00:43:59,208 --> 00:44:03,064
were treated for broken bones, severe cuts, and respiratory
689
00:44:03,152 --> 00:44:06,180
issues caused by inhaling molasses fumes.
690
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,340
Cleaning up after the disaster proved to be a long and arduous process.
691
00:44:10,730 --> 00:44:13,070
The sticky molasses coated everything,
692
00:44:13,450 --> 00:44:16,970
making it almost impossible for workers to remove debris and
693
00:44:17,010 --> 00:44:20,642
vehicles from the streets. Eventually, city workers discovered
694
00:44:20,666 --> 00:44:23,762
that saltwater was effective in breaking down the molasses,
695
00:44:23,906 --> 00:44:26,946
so they began spraying the area with water pumped in from the
696
00:44:26,978 --> 00:44:30,602
nearby harbor. The fireboat
697
00:44:30,626 --> 00:44:34,178
from engine 31, whose firehouse had been destroyed in the flood,
698
00:44:34,354 --> 00:44:36,830
played a key role in this cleanup operation.
699
00:44:37,890 --> 00:44:41,282
Despite these efforts, the sticky residue remains in
700
00:44:41,306 --> 00:44:44,682
parts of the north end for weeks, and traces of molasses were
701
00:44:44,706 --> 00:44:47,070
said to linger for years.
702
00:44:48,250 --> 00:44:52,146
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, purity distilling company
703
00:44:52,218 --> 00:44:56,190
and its parent company, United States Industrial alcohol,
704
00:44:56,490 --> 00:45:00,298
attempted to deflect blame by claiming that the anarchist had bombed
705
00:45:00,314 --> 00:45:03,706
the tank. This was a plausible theory at the
706
00:45:03,738 --> 00:45:07,490
time, given the political unrest and the anarchist
707
00:45:07,530 --> 00:45:10,470
bombings that had occurred in the early 20th century.
708
00:45:11,050 --> 00:45:15,050
However, an inquiry into the disaster quickly dismissed this
709
00:45:15,090 --> 00:45:18,986
theory. Later investigations revealed that the tank's designs and
710
00:45:19,018 --> 00:45:22,578
construction were deeply flawed. Structural engineers reported
711
00:45:22,634 --> 00:45:26,162
that the tank's walls were far too thin to safely hold the large quantities
712
00:45:26,226 --> 00:45:29,310
of heavy molasses it was designed to store.
713
00:45:29,980 --> 00:45:33,844
Furthermore, the chemical composition of steel used to build the tank
714
00:45:33,932 --> 00:45:37,708
made it susceptible to cracking. These flaws went unaddressed for
715
00:45:37,764 --> 00:45:42,120
years, and the tank continued to be used despite its visible defects.
716
00:45:42,620 --> 00:45:46,760
A class action lawsuit was filed against the company by the victims and their families.
717
00:45:47,140 --> 00:45:50,492
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the tank had been
718
00:45:50,516 --> 00:45:54,320
poorly constructed and inadequately maintained.
719
00:45:55,430 --> 00:45:59,182
Expert testimony highlighted that the tank's walls were too thin and
720
00:45:59,206 --> 00:46:02,170
that no proper safety inspections had been conducted.
721
00:46:03,070 --> 00:46:06,686
In 1925, after a lengthy legal
722
00:46:06,718 --> 00:46:10,678
battle, a court appointed auditor ruled that the company's negligence
723
00:46:10,734 --> 00:46:14,646
was responsible for the collapse. Usia was
724
00:46:14,678 --> 00:46:19,814
held liable for the disaster in order to pay $628,000
725
00:46:19,862 --> 00:46:23,504
in damages, which would be equivalent to about a million dollars
726
00:46:23,552 --> 00:46:27,520
today. The great Boston fire of
727
00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:31,416
1872 was a catastrophic event that ravaged the city's
728
00:46:31,448 --> 00:46:34,368
downtown area on November 9 and 10th,
729
00:46:34,464 --> 00:46:37,632
1872. It was one of the
730
00:46:37,656 --> 00:46:42,344
most destructive fires in Boston's history, consuming 776
731
00:46:42,392 --> 00:46:45,832
buildings over 65 acres and
732
00:46:45,896 --> 00:46:49,764
causing an estimated property loss of 13.5
733
00:46:49,852 --> 00:46:53,700
million, with personal property damages exceeding 60
734
00:46:53,780 --> 00:46:57,860
million. The fire highlighted serious deficiencies
735
00:46:57,900 --> 00:47:01,332
in the city's infrastructure, especially in the fire department,
736
00:47:01,476 --> 00:47:05,580
and left a lasting impact on Boston's urban landscape and future
737
00:47:05,660 --> 00:47:07,800
fire safety regulations.
738
00:47:08,700 --> 00:47:12,220
Boston had experienced rapid development in the years following the civil
739
00:47:12,260 --> 00:47:16,402
war. As the city expanded, new buildings were erected.
740
00:47:16,596 --> 00:47:21,078
The infrastructure failed to keep pace, leaving Boston
741
00:47:21,254 --> 00:47:22,290
vulnerable.
742
00:47:24,630 --> 00:47:28,166
In particular, the water mains had not been upgraded to
743
00:47:28,198 --> 00:47:31,734
support the growing demands of the city, leaving the fire department
744
00:47:31,822 --> 00:47:35,006
at a disadvantage. The outbreak of an
745
00:47:35,038 --> 00:47:38,490
epizootic at the time of the fire only worsened the situation.
746
00:47:39,150 --> 00:47:42,306
The epizootic, a disease affecting horses,
747
00:47:42,438 --> 00:47:46,898
incapacitated the horses that typically pulled the fire department's heavy apparatus,
748
00:47:47,034 --> 00:47:50,602
forcing firefighters to rely on manual efforts to transport their
749
00:47:50,626 --> 00:47:53,898
equipment. This delay in response time was crucial
750
00:47:53,994 --> 00:47:57,362
in the early hours of the fire. The fire
751
00:47:57,426 --> 00:48:01,282
started in the evening in a building near Kingston street in the heart of
752
00:48:01,306 --> 00:48:04,802
Boston's commercial district. The first alarm was sounded
753
00:48:04,826 --> 00:48:08,702
at 07:24 p.m. from box 52,
754
00:48:08,866 --> 00:48:12,534
located at Summer and Lincoln streets. By the time the first engine,
755
00:48:12,622 --> 00:48:16,894
engine company seven, arrived, the fire had nearly consumed an
756
00:48:16,942 --> 00:48:20,678
entire building. Soon after, hose company two managed
757
00:48:20,694 --> 00:48:23,966
to get to the first water on the flames. The fire's rapid
758
00:48:23,998 --> 00:48:27,662
spread was exacerbated by several factors. Although many of the buildings
759
00:48:27,686 --> 00:48:31,974
in the affected area were made of brick or stone, their window frames,
760
00:48:32,142 --> 00:48:35,034
doors, and other fixtures were wooden,
761
00:48:35,182 --> 00:48:38,310
allowing the fire to quickly spread from building to building.
762
00:48:38,930 --> 00:48:43,330
The fire generated such intense heat that it created a firestorm,
763
00:48:43,490 --> 00:48:46,990
a self sustaining blaze that feeds off its own energy.
764
00:48:47,490 --> 00:48:51,226
This phenomenon allowed the flames to jump from structure to structure with
765
00:48:51,258 --> 00:48:54,722
alarming speed. In an attempt to halt the fire's
766
00:48:54,746 --> 00:48:59,066
advance, authorities resorted to a desperate and controversial tactic.
767
00:48:59,218 --> 00:49:03,626
They began blowing up buildings using black gunpowder to create a firebreak.
768
00:49:03,818 --> 00:49:06,970
The idea was to demolish structures in the fire's path,
769
00:49:07,090 --> 00:49:10,970
thereby depriving the flames of fuel. This strategy was
770
00:49:11,010 --> 00:49:12,754
risky and, in many cases,
771
00:49:12,882 --> 00:49:16,474
counterproductive. Blowing up buildings without adequate
772
00:49:16,522 --> 00:49:19,594
control sometimes resulted in the spreading of the fire
773
00:49:19,682 --> 00:49:23,786
even further. Additional alarms were struck within minutes of the first.
774
00:49:23,938 --> 00:49:28,010
Help was urgently requested from surrounding cities and towns,
775
00:49:28,170 --> 00:49:31,270
but there were significant delays due to the late hour.
776
00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:35,432
Many telegraph offices have already closed for the night, slowing down
777
00:49:35,456 --> 00:49:37,820
the communication of the distress calls.
778
00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:41,784
Nevertheless, neighboring cities sent steam engines by railway
779
00:49:41,832 --> 00:49:45,240
to assist. Despite the sheer scale
780
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,620
of the disaster, the death toll was surprisingly low.
781
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:53,336
Official reports vary, but the number of deaths range between 13
782
00:49:53,408 --> 00:49:57,340
and 20, with only two firefighters among the fatalities.
783
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:02,152
Given the extent of the destruction, the relatively low death toll
784
00:50:02,176 --> 00:50:05,260
is considered one of the few positive outcomes of the fire.
785
00:50:05,720 --> 00:50:09,136
The great Boston Fire of 1872 had far reaching
786
00:50:09,168 --> 00:50:12,456
consequences for the city. It exposed critical weaknesses
787
00:50:12,488 --> 00:50:16,248
in Boston's infrastructure, fire safety protocols,
788
00:50:16,424 --> 00:50:19,936
and municipal leadership. In the years following
789
00:50:20,008 --> 00:50:24,100
the fire, the city took steps to improve its firefighting capabilities,
790
00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:28,488
such as upgrading water mains and fire equipment and
791
00:50:28,544 --> 00:50:32,520
reevaluating building codes to ensure that structures were less vulnerable
792
00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:35,888
to fire. The fire also served as
793
00:50:35,904 --> 00:50:38,940
a wake up call for other cities across the United States,
794
00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:43,540
prompting them to review and strengthen their own fire safety regulations.
795
00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:51,366
James Joseph Whitey Bolgerez was a notorious
796
00:50:51,438 --> 00:50:55,526
irish american crime boss who ruled Boston's underworld from the 1970s
797
00:50:55,598 --> 00:50:59,398
through the 1990s. Yeah, I think I actually said that wrong
798
00:50:59,454 --> 00:51:02,510
earlier as I was going through the intro, I think I said Bulgur. He was
799
00:51:02,550 --> 00:51:06,062
infamous for his ruthlessness, especially his readiness to
800
00:51:06,086 --> 00:51:09,254
commit violence and murder to achieve his criminal goals.
801
00:51:09,382 --> 00:51:13,062
Bulger's long tenure in organized crime was largely due to
802
00:51:13,086 --> 00:51:16,890
the protection he received as a high level informant for the FBI,
803
00:51:17,230 --> 00:51:21,014
a relationship that helped him evade law enforcement while he continued to build
804
00:51:21,062 --> 00:51:24,678
his empire. Born in the tough streets
805
00:51:24,694 --> 00:51:26,930
of south Boston, or Southie,
806
00:51:27,590 --> 00:51:30,810
Bulger was attracted to street crime at an early age.
807
00:51:31,110 --> 00:51:34,046
His criminal path began when he joined local gangs,
808
00:51:34,158 --> 00:51:36,610
earning his first arrest at just 14,
809
00:51:37,270 --> 00:51:41,222
which led to his stint in a reformatory. Bulger's early
810
00:51:41,286 --> 00:51:44,414
adulthood was marked by repeated brushes with the law.
811
00:51:44,582 --> 00:51:48,406
In 1956, he was convicted of hijacking and sent
812
00:51:48,438 --> 00:51:51,910
to federal prison, where he did time in several high
813
00:51:51,950 --> 00:51:55,690
security penitentiaries. While incarcerated,
814
00:51:56,230 --> 00:52:00,382
Bulger volunteered for CIA experiments involving LSD and
815
00:52:00,446 --> 00:52:04,054
other hallucinogenic drugs in exchange for shorter
816
00:52:04,102 --> 00:52:08,490
sentences. He was released from prison in 1965.
817
00:52:09,630 --> 00:52:13,232
Upon returning to Boston, Vulture became involved in the
818
00:52:13,256 --> 00:52:17,032
city's gang wars, joining the Killeen gang, which was
819
00:52:17,056 --> 00:52:20,500
embroiled in a bloody turf war with a rival Mullein gang.
820
00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:24,728
Vulture cemented his reputation for violence during this time,
821
00:52:24,904 --> 00:52:28,160
committing his first murder, when he mistakenly killed the twin
822
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,704
brother of a rival gangster. That sounds like a soap opera.
823
00:52:31,832 --> 00:52:34,896
As the gangsters turn in
824
00:52:34,928 --> 00:52:38,252
time, Bolcher switched sides, aligning with the Mullen gang.
825
00:52:38,416 --> 00:52:41,956
By 1972, after a series of power plays,
826
00:52:42,068 --> 00:52:46,760
Bulger and his new allies had gained dominance in Boston's criminal underworld.
827
00:52:47,540 --> 00:52:51,252
He solidified his rule by using murder as a tool for disciplining his
828
00:52:51,276 --> 00:52:54,860
gang members and eliminating rivals. By the mid
829
00:52:54,900 --> 00:52:58,900
1970s, Bulger was feared and a powerful figure
830
00:52:58,940 --> 00:53:02,520
in the Boston crime scene. In 1979,
831
00:53:02,820 --> 00:53:06,468
the leadership of the Winter Hill Gang, which had become Boston's top
832
00:53:06,524 --> 00:53:10,290
criminal organization, was arrested for fixing horse races.
833
00:53:11,030 --> 00:53:14,050
This allowed Bolger to take over as the gang's boss.
834
00:53:14,430 --> 00:53:17,846
What is not widely known at the time was that Bulger had been
835
00:53:17,878 --> 00:53:20,958
an FBI informant since 1974,
836
00:53:21,134 --> 00:53:24,486
working closely with John Connally, an FBI agent
837
00:53:24,518 --> 00:53:26,970
from South Boston who had grown up with Bolger.
838
00:53:28,150 --> 00:53:31,854
Connally viewed Bolger as a key asset in the FBI's war
839
00:53:31,902 --> 00:53:36,320
against the italian american mafia, particularly the patriarcha
840
00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:39,632
crime family, based in Providence, Rhode Island.
841
00:53:39,776 --> 00:53:43,776
Bolger, in turn, provided information about the patriarcha
842
00:53:43,808 --> 00:53:47,200
family. This collaboration allowed Bulger to operate
843
00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:50,296
with impunity as the FBI turned a
844
00:53:50,328 --> 00:53:53,888
blind eye to his crimes in exchange for the intelligence
845
00:53:53,944 --> 00:53:56,740
on the italian mafia. However,
846
00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:00,672
Bulger's violent reign did not go unnoticed by law enforcement
847
00:54:00,736 --> 00:54:04,120
outside the FBI. By the early 1990s,
848
00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:08,264
the DEA, Massachusetts state Police, and Boston Police
849
00:54:08,352 --> 00:54:11,592
Department launched an investigation into Bolger,
850
00:54:11,776 --> 00:54:15,408
believing that the FBI had been compromised due to its connections with
851
00:54:15,424 --> 00:54:19,376
him. In December 1994,
852
00:54:19,528 --> 00:54:23,136
when arrests were imminent, Connally tipped Bulger off,
853
00:54:23,248 --> 00:54:26,460
allowing him to flee Boston before he could be apprehended.
854
00:54:27,200 --> 00:54:30,978
While many of his top associates were arrested, Bolger went on
855
00:54:30,994 --> 00:54:34,074
the run. For the next 16 years,
856
00:54:34,162 --> 00:54:37,394
Bolger remained one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives,
857
00:54:37,522 --> 00:54:41,426
traveling across the United States and abroad, and in
858
00:54:41,458 --> 00:54:44,290
1999, he was joined by his girlfriend,
859
00:54:44,330 --> 00:54:47,994
Katherine. The two evaded capture until June of
860
00:54:48,042 --> 00:54:51,266
2011. They were arrested in Santa Monica,
861
00:54:51,298 --> 00:54:54,354
California, and had been living in a modest apartment
862
00:54:54,402 --> 00:54:58,126
just a few blocks from the beach under assumed identities.
863
00:54:58,278 --> 00:55:02,030
Bulger was arraigned in July of 2011 on 48
864
00:55:02,070 --> 00:55:05,730
federal charges, including 19 counts of murder.
865
00:55:06,550 --> 00:55:10,566
In 2013, a jury found him guilty on 31 counts,
866
00:55:10,718 --> 00:55:14,610
and he was sentenced to life in prison, plus five years.
867
00:55:15,510 --> 00:55:19,222
Meanwhile, his former FBI handler John Connally,
868
00:55:19,366 --> 00:55:22,646
had been indicted in 1999 for his role in protecting
869
00:55:22,678 --> 00:55:25,180
Bulger and his criminal activities.
870
00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:28,760
Connally was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to
871
00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,480
ten years in prison. Later. In 2008,
872
00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:36,656
Connally was convicted of second degree murder for his involvement in another
873
00:55:36,728 --> 00:55:40,104
one of Bulger's killings and sentenced to 40 years
874
00:55:40,152 --> 00:55:44,504
in prison. Whitey Bulger spent his final years in various
875
00:55:44,592 --> 00:55:48,336
federal prisons. In October of 2018,
876
00:55:48,528 --> 00:55:51,880
just hours after his arrival at Hazelton federal
877
00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:56,046
prison in West Virginia, Bolger, then 89
878
00:55:56,118 --> 00:55:59,566
years old and using a wheelchair, was brutally murdered
879
00:55:59,598 --> 00:56:04,126
by fellow inmates. His assailants, including Fotillos,
880
00:56:04,238 --> 00:56:08,086
Freddy Gaas, a mob hitman serving a
881
00:56:08,118 --> 00:56:11,854
life sentence. Bolger was beaten to death with a padlock filled
882
00:56:11,902 --> 00:56:15,950
sock and his eyes were gouged out. His murder remains
883
00:56:16,030 --> 00:56:18,370
under investigation by the FBI.
884
00:56:20,680 --> 00:56:24,180
This and every episode brought to you by
885
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darkdiscoverystours.com.
886
00:56:28,720 --> 00:56:32,384
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887
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889
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ticket today. Thats darkdiscoverystours.com.
890
00:56:46,940 --> 00:56:51,580
and just like that, we've finished our Boston episode.
891
00:56:51,740 --> 00:56:55,076
We hope that you have enjoyed all of these dark stories.
892
00:56:55,188 --> 00:57:01,012
If you want to contact us, you can reach us at that escalatedquicklyshowmail.com
893
00:57:01,196 --> 00:57:04,420
finally, we're on to our next episode.
894
00:57:04,540 --> 00:57:08,388
Where's it gonna be? I don't know. Tune in to find out
895
00:57:08,564 --> 00:57:11,100
next time on that escalated quickly.
