469: Sin City Murders: Vanishing of a Showgirl (S1E1)

The working title for this one was: “Three Gays Rob a Bank”. And we have an idea for the sitcom version. In August 1972, John Wojtowicz attempted to rob a Brooklyn bank to finance his lover's sex-reassignment surgery. The act resulted in a fourteen-hour hostage situation that was broadcast on TV. Three years later Al Pacino portrayed his crime in DOG DAY AFTERNOON. Directors Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren began filming THE DOG in 2002 and continued for ten years. Drawing upon extraordinary archival footage, the film shuffles between the 1970s and the 2000s. We gain a historic perspective on New York's gay liberation movement, in which Wojtowicz played an active role. In later footage, he remains a subversive force, backed by the unconditional love of his mother Terry, whose wit and charm infuse the film. How and why the bank robbery took place is recounted in gripping detail by Wojtowicz and various eyewitnesses. Looking for more TCO? Check out our bonus episodes on Patreon! We covered "Serial" episode-by-episode and capped the series off with an interview with Rabia Chaudry--Adnan's friend who brought his story to Sarah Koenig AND with Asia Mcclain--Adnan's alibi witness! Now we're covering "The Staircase" episode-by-episode. Episodes 1 and 2 are live now! We also have extended outtakes for our episodes and two other full bonus episodes--ALL COMMERCIAL FREE! Join here!

24 Juli 201855min

WHY. ARE. THEY. ALL. HOARDERS? Heads Up! This episode of TCO covers parts 3 & 4 of the Netflix series. To hear our coverage of the first two episodes of the Netflix series,go here! In this episode, we watch Marjorie just berate the soul out of her lawyer via Skpye, learn that the filmmaker’s unhealthy (and possibly unethical?) relationship with Marjorie is off the rails, we learn who the masterminds behind the pizza-delivery-bank-heist were (maybe), we meet more hoarders, AND we posit that meathead Jerry from the FBI and Jason Zwick from ATF are in a relationship? Maybe? Whatever, it’s all awful but we make you laugh. Looking for more TCO? Check out our bonus episodes on Patreon! We covered "Serial" episode-by-episode and capped the series off with an interview with Rabia Chaudry--Adnan's friend who brought his story to Sarah Koenig. Now we're covering "The Staircase" episode-by-episode. Episode 1 is live now! We also have extended outtakes for our episodes and two other full bonus episodes--ALL COMMERCIAL FREE! Join here!

17 Juli 20181h 1min

Let us paint a picture: The weirdest bank robbery in history, a collar-bomb, a cane-gun, three dead men, and two homes so hoard-ey they required hazmat suits. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you “Evil Genius.” In 2003 in Erie, Pennsylvania, a robbery gone wrong and a terrifying public murder capture the nation's attention, and a bizarre collection of Midwestern hoarders, outcasts, and lawbreakers play cat-and-mouse with the FBI. Eventually, a middle-aged mastermind named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong -- once a town beauty, now a woman grappling with mental illness -- is arrested. But 15 years later, this documentary proves there’s more to the conspiracy and murders than was ever thought. Looking for more TCO? Check out our bonus episodes on Patreon! We covered "Serial" episode-by-episode and capped the series off with an interview with Rabia Chaudry--Adnan's friend who brought his story to Sarah Koenig. Up next: our episode-by-episode coverage of "The Staircase." We also have extended outtakes for our episodes and two other full bonus episodes--ALL COMMERCIAL FREE! Join here!

10 Juli 20181h 5min

There are no two ways about it, Harvey Milk looked great in a T-Shirt.  Happy Pride, everyone! Let's talk about some gay stuff! (don't worry, this one is super true-crimey too.). In 1978, Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. 11 months later Milk and Mayor George Moscone were gunned down in their offices by Dan White, another of the city's Supervisors. This doc tells the story of Milk's rise to prominence and circumstances that led to the double assassination. This one is full of the gayest gays (Hey Girls!), The smartest lesbians (Hey Girls!), a FABULOUS pair of seashell earrings, and a union guy who, just trust us on this, gets a pass on calling Harvey Milk a "Fruit." Oh AND this case gives us "The Twinkie Defense," which is exactly as bullshit as it sounds.  Looking for more TCO? We're on Patreon! And we're covering "Serial" episode-by-episode--we're currently up to episode 10 and it's bonkers.  After "Serial," we're diving into "The Staircase" episode-by-episode. In addition, hear our two other full bonus episodes, extended outtakes from our episodes, and 8 mini-episodes (which are basically funny stories about everything from the time Patrick's kid went missing in the middle of the night to Gillian and Patrick's misadventures at CrimieCon). Check it all out here!

26 Juni 201859min

Happy Pride Month, Everyone! Now let's talk about a gay club kid who was super mean to people, became addicted to drugs, and murdered AND DISMEMBERED a fellow club-goer, shall we? Did I mention that he stuffed the body in a box LIVED WITH IT IN HIS APARTMENT FOR A WEEK, and then threw it into the Hudson River? No? Ugh, we'll get to it.  Glory Daze follows the rise and fall of club kid Michael Alig. From his humble beginnings as busboy in 1984 to his eventual reign as King of New York City nightlife, to his (sweet deal of a) prison sentence for murder. And as if that wasn't enough, get ready for some bonkers cameos from Patricia Field, Michael Musto, and Amanda Lepore (In A Limo! For No Apparent Reason!) Looking for more TCO? We're on Patreon! And we're covering "Serial" episode-by-episode--we're currently up to episode 9 and it's bonkers. In addition, hear our two other full bonus episodes, extended outtakes from our episodes, and 8 mini-episodes (which are basically funny stories about everything from the time Patrick's kid went missing in the middle of the night to Gillian and Patrick's misadventures at CrimieCon). Check it all out here!

19 Juni 201855min

You Guys, I Swear to God this is what this movie is about…. In 2004, John Wood had his left leg amputated after a single-engine plane crash that left him badly injured. He somehow convinced the doctors to let him keep the leg (!!!!!), he mummified it—yes MUMMIFIED IT—and eventually put it in a storage locker. In 2007 Shannon Whisnant unwittingly bought the leg when he purchased the contents of John’s storage locker after months of unpaid rent. Shannon—who should have been horrified—saw the leg as a money-making opportunity. He branded himself “The Leg Man” and tried to turn the leg into a tourist attraction. After learning what had become of his leg (HIS LEG, YOU GUYS), John decided to try to get it back. And the most ridiculous and disgusting custody battle the world has ever known was born. Looking for more TCO? We're on Patreon! And we're covering "Serial" episode-by-episode--we're currently up to episode 9 and it's bonkers. In addition, hear our two other full bonus episodes, extended outtakes from our episodes, and 8 mini-episodes (which are basically funny stories about everything from the time Patrick's kid went missing in the middle of the night to Gillian and Patrick's misadventures at CrimieCon). Check it all out here!

12 Juni 20181h 3min

You guys, Gillian HATED this one, so, you know, buckle up this one is frikin' great.  Meet the White family--the most notorious pill popping, gun slinging, bad-tattoo-giving-while-hammered-in-the-kitchen, clan in all of West Virginia. For one year, the hot dummies behind MTV's "Jackass" followed them around with cameras to see what would happen. And Guess What Happens???!!!......really nothing. But somehow it's awesome. Drugs are done, dances are tapped (which should be super gay and fabulous, but definitely isn't), kids are removed by child protective services (thank God), attempted murders are admitted to, people go to jail, and one pair of sisters have an EPIC EXPERIENCE at the Taco Bell drive thru. This one is not to be missed. ALSO! Check out our Patreon for our weekly bonus content! We're covering "Serial" episode-by-episode. We're currently up to Episode 7 and honestly we're pretty over Sarah Koenig and her self righteous nonsense. But in this episode, we meet Diedre Enright of The Innocence Project AND THERE'S FINALLY AN ADULT IN THE ROOM. Via our Patreon feed, you can also check out our weekly extended outtakes (the ones from this week are epic), as well as our other Full Bonus Episodes, and mini-episodes. Subscribe right now and immediately get like 22 new episodes in your Patreon podcast feed.

29 Maj 20181h 5min

In June of 2003, college basketball star Patrick Dennehy vanished. For weeks leading up to the disappearance, Patrick had complained to friends, family, and teammates that he was in danger, but he was vague about the details. The FBI was called in to investigate and what they uncovered not only shocked Patrick's tight knight group of friends, but also threatened to upend the institution of college basketball at Baylor University by exposing the corruption at it's core. This one is bonkers, you guys.

22 Maj 201854min