Law
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The Romneys’ Mexican History
Mitt Romney’s father was born in a small Mormon enclave where family members still live, surrounded by rugged beauty and violent drug cartels
May 2012 |
By Héctor Tobar
The Case of the Sleepwalking Killer
The evidence against Albert Tirrell was lurid and damning—until Rufus Choate, a protegé of the great Daniel Webster, agreed to come to the defense
April 30, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Edgar Allan Poe: Hollywood’s Favorite Mad Genius
Tracing the work of the famed writer through movies
April 25, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
Theodore Roosevelt’s Life-Saving Speech
When a would-be assassin shot his .38 at the presidential candidate, the 50-page manuscript and metal eyeglasses case tucked against Roosevelt's chest absorbed the blow
April 25, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Senator and the Gangsters
In the early 1950s, few Americans knew much about organized crime. But Sen. Estes Kefauver, a Democrat from Tennessee, changed that with a series of hearings that turned into a television extravaganza.
April 18, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The House that Polly Adler Built
She entered the brothel business without apology and set out to become the best madam in America
April 12, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Murder in Tibet’s High Places
The Dalai Lama is one of the world's most revered religious leaders, but that didn't prevent four holders of the office from dying under mysterious circumstances
April 10, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
“Kipper und Wipper”: Rogue Traders, Rogue Princes, Rogue Bishops and the German Financial Meltdown of 1621-23
It is tempting to think of the German hyperinflation of 1923 as a uniquely awful event, but it pales in comparison to what happened in the 17th century.
March 29, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
The Ottoman Empire’s Life-or-Death Race
Custom in the Ottoman Empire mandated that a condemned grand vizier could save his neck if he won a sprint against his executioner
March 22, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
The Aftermath of Mountain Meadows
The massacre almost brought the United States to war against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but only one man was brought to trial: John D. Lee
February 29, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Colonel Parker Managed Elvis’ Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam?
The man who brought The King to global fame kept his own past secret. But what exactly was Tom Parker hiding?
February 24, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
The Mysterious Mr. Zedzed: The Wickedest Man in the World
Sir Basil Zaharoff was the archetypal "merchant of death"—an arms salesman who made a career out of selling to both sides in a conflict and stood accused of starting World War I for his personal profit.
February 16, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
The Man Who Wouldn’t Die
The plot to kill Michael Malloy for life-insurance money seemed foolproof—until the conspirators actually tried it
February 07, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
What is The Godfather Effect?
An obsessed film buff (and Italian-American) reflects on the impact of Francis Ford Coppola’s blockbuster trilogy
January 31, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Prohibition’s Premier Hooch Hounds
Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith were so good at undercover work, a newspaper said they could disguise themselves as "breaths of air or unconfirmed rumors." But their success came back to haunt them
January 10, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Mobsters Tremble Before the Crime-Fighting, Red Flying Gondola
Science-fiction pioneer Hugo Gernsback predicted that, as long as police officers were stuck on terra firma, criminals always would have the edge
January 06, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Pollster George Gallup Jr. Looks to the Year 2000
Gallup Jr., coming from a tradition of opinion polls, hoped that there might be a methodical way to forecast future events—including a nuclear terrorist attack on New York City.
November 30, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
The Man Who Busted the ‘Banksters’
Deceitful loans, self-dealing, unseemly tax avoidance—Ferdinand Pecora exposed it all after the financial collapse of 1929 and helped create a more transparent system
November 29, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
History Heroes: Marc Bloch
The scholar created a whole new way of looking at history, but found time to fight in two World Wars–latterly, aged 60, as a leader of the French Resistance
November 10, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
The Skinny on the Fatty Arbuckle Trial
When the million-dollar movie comedian faced a manslaughter charge, the jury was indeed scandalized—at how his reputation had been trashed
November 08, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
