Charles Ponzi: The Original Pyramid Scheme

Charles Ponzi: The Original Pyramid Scheme

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast August 7, 2025 Duration: 39:37
Before Bernie Madoff, before cryptocurrency scams, there was Charles Ponzi—the man who gave his name to one of history's most infamous fraud schemes. In 1920, the Italian immigrant promised investors a 50% return in just 45 days through an elaborate international postal reply coupon scheme. Thousands of people, from working-class immigrants to wealthy Bostonians, handed over their life savings. At its peak, Ponzi was making millions—but the whole operation was built on nothing but lies. When it all came crashing down, investors lost an estimated $20 million (over $250 million today), and Ponzi's name became synonymous with financial fraud. The man, the myth, the scheme that changed fraud forever. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com #TrueCrime #Podcast #FloridaMoms #CharlesPonzi #PonziScheme #Fraud #WhiteCollarCrime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
[Unsolved] The Televangelist Mail Bombings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
In 1990, two of America's most prominent televangelists became targets of a mysterious mail bombing campaign. John Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston and Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network both receive…
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Duration: 36:44
Lake Lanier, Georgia's largest lake, is one of the deadliest bodies of water in America—with over 700 deaths since its creation in 1956. But the lake's dark history goes deeper than tragic accidents. Built by flooding en…
[Unsolved] Justice for Eric Nealms: Driveway Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:35
It was just before sunrise on a quiet September morning in Phoenix City, Alabama, when 30-year-old Eric Nealms stepped outside, heading to work like he did every morning. But someone was already waiting. Within moments o…
Justice for Destiny McClain: Taco Truck Shooting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:33
After a night out with friends in July 2021, 23-year-old Destiny McClain was shot and killed as she waited for food at a taco truck outside a Phoenix nightclub. The senseless murder shattered her family and community, an…
Karen Grammer: A Sister's Tragic Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
In 1975, 18-year-old Karen Grammer was working at a Red Lobster in Colorado Springs when she was abducted, raped, and murdered by a group of men during a botched robbery. Karen was the younger sister of actor Kelsey Gram…
[Florida Files] Jennifer Kesse: Vanished in Orlando [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:16
On January 24, 2006, 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse vanished from her Orlando condominium without a trace. Her car was found abandoned a mile away, with surveillance footage showing an unidentified person parking it—but the…
The Tiger Woman: Clara Phillips' Hammer Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:26
In 1922 Los Angeles, Clara Phillips became known as "The Tiger Woman" after she brutally murdered her husband's alleged mistress with a hammer in a jealous rage. The crime was shocking in its violence, but what captivate…
Amy Bishop: The Harvard Neuroscientist Killer- Revisit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:27
In 2010, Dr. Amy Bishop, a Harvard-educated neuroscientist, opened fire during a faculty meeting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, killing three colleagues and wounding three others. The shooting shocked the ac…
Suzanne Morphew: The Mountain Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:12
On Mother's Day 2020, Suzanne Morphew went for a bike ride near her Colorado home and never returned. Her husband Barry reported her missing, launching a massive search of the Rocky Mountain wilderness. But as investigat…
[Documentary] Reality TV True Crime with Kate Casey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
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