438: The Capone's Vault Fiasco w/ William Hazelgrove

438: The Capone's Vault Fiasco w/ William Hazelgrove

Author: Blue Ewe Media May 15, 2026 Duration: 53:16
In 1986, The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults drew a larger audience than the Super Bowl or David Frost’s interview with Richard Nixon. The special was intended as a comeback for journalist Geraldo Rivera, built around the dramatic opening of a "vault" beneath Chicago’s Lexington Hotel, rumored to contain Al Capone’s riches. But when the vault was finally opened live the moment didn’t deliver what millions of viewers were expecting. My guest is William Hazelgrove, author of Capone’s Vault: The Real Story of the Biggest Disaster in Television History. His book traces how the idea came together, combining Rivera’s career arc with the mythology of Capone’s hidden fortune, and reconstructs the broadcast itself along with its fallout, showing how the event became a defining example of live television gone wrong. The author's website: https://www.williamhazelgrove.com/ The author on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@williamhazelgrove 30% off sitewide at Batch! Go here and support the show: ⁠⁠⁠hellobatch.com/NOTORIOUS⁠⁠⁠ and use the code NOTORIOUS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step back in time and explore the darkest corners of the past with Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast. This isn't just another crime show; it's a deep dive into the historical context that shaped infamous acts and the figures behind them. From the ruthless gangsters of the Prohibition era to the chilling methods of Victorian-era murderers, each episode unpacks a story rooted in its specific moment in history. Host Erik Rivenes acts as your guide, conducting thoughtful interviews with authors and historians who have dedicated years to researching their subjects. These conversations move beyond sensational headlines to deliver nuanced narratives filled with detail and scholarly accuracy. You'll hear about forgotten tragedies, legendary outlaws, and societal disasters, all presented with a focus on understanding the why and how within the framework of the past. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and narrative, where every story is a piece of historical truth, often more fascinating and complex than fiction. This podcast from Blue Ewe Media connects the dots between crime and history, offering a rich, thoroughly researched listening experience for anyone curious about the shadows cast across different centuries.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
457: Lizzie Borden Case Expert Cara Robertson Returns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:48
There has been lots of buzz recently about Netflix's gory new series Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, and Cara Robertson, author of "The Trial of Lizzie Borden", joins me once again, this time to share her thoughts on h…
MoNo Encore: The Lizzie Borden Case w/ Cara Robertson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:40
(Orig Pub Date 7/19/22) In anticipation of a new interview with Cara, mostly about the recent Netflix Series, here is my original conversation with her about the notorious case. In August of 1892, one of the most infamou…
456:  Outlaw Public Enemies Ben & Stella Mae Dickson w/ Matt Cecil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:18
On August 25, 1938, twenty-five-year-old Ben Dickson and his fifteen-year-old wife Stella Mae robbed the Corn Exchange Bank in Elkton, South Dakota, making off with $2,187.64. Two months later they hit a bank in nearby B…
MoNo Encore:  Jack the Ripper: Aaron Kosminski w/ Robert House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:56
(Orig Pub Date 11/16/2023) Aaron Kosminski is one of the more well known suspects in the Whitechapel murders. Some of the major police officials of the era, in fact, were seriously concerned about his potential involveme…
455: Black Dahlia Case Expert Eli Frankel Returns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:35
Eli Frankel, author of "Sisters in Death: The Black Dahlia, The Prairie Heiress, & Their Hunter", returns to share his thoughts on the recent explosion of interest in Marvin Margolis as the possible Black Dahlia and Zodi…
454: The Murder of Tina Andrews w/ Trent Brown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:14
On August 23, 1969, the badly decomposed body of twelve-year-old Tina Marie Andrews was found under a discarded sofa in the woods outside McComb, Mississippi. Days earlier, she and a friend had accepted a ride home but w…
453: Jane Doe #59: The Murder of Reet Jurvetson w/ Catherine Fogarty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:02
Just months after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders, the body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered off a secluded stretch of Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles on November 16th, 1969. She had been stabbed over a hundred t…
452:  The Nittany Nightmare Murders Part 2 w/ Derek Sherwood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:23
My conversation with Derek Sherwood, author of Nittany Nightmare: The Sex Murders of 1938–1940 and the Panic at Penn State, continues. He shares a story about trying to find the location of Faye Gates's murder, talks abo…
451: The Nittany Nightmare Murders Part 1 w/ Derek Sherwood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
Between November 1938 and May 1940, Margaret Martin, Rachel Taylor and Faye Gates were abducted and sexually assaulted, their bodies dumped within 50 miles of Penn State College. My guest is Derek J. Sherwood, author of…
MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen w/ Mark Shaw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:21
(Orig Pub Date 11/8/17) My guest is former criminal defense attorney Mark Shaw, author of "The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen". He talks about…