Parcast Presents: Summer of '69

The "Killer Clown" likely contributed to people's fears of makeup-wearing jesters. But the truth is, John Wayne Gacy's personas, "Pogo" or "Patches," didn't harm a soul. It was the successful suburban businessman hiding in plain sight who was preying on young men and boys. This is the second episode in our 5-year anniversary special, looking back on the serial killer boom of the 1970s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been five years since the Serial Killers podcast debuted, and to celebrate the anniversary, we're reexamining a grisly time in America: the serial killer boom of the 1970s. Edmund Kemper was one of the first serial killers to be profiled by the FBI. His deep-rooted issues with his mother, extremely high IQ, and ability to outsmart police allowed him to kill all the co-eds he wanted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1920s, Sydney’s criminal underworld found a new weapon of choice: razors. Tabloids announced “razor mania” was sweeping the suburbs, and locals dubbed the inner-city “Razorhurst.” Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, the reigning queens of vice, were never far from the action. And in the summer of 1929, their rivalry made the streets run red. From Female Criminals, a Spotify Original from Parcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From a young age, Tilly Devine had stars in her eyes. Born at the turn of the 20th century, she wanted to live a glamorous life. In her teens, she turned to sex work to achieve it. But if she learned her trade in London, she dominated it in Sydney. From Female Criminals, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1920s and ‘30s, two crime bosses dominated Sydney’s criminal underworld. Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine were queens of vice, building their empires on alcohol, cocaine, and sex. They were also fierce rivals. From Female Criminals, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Gilded Age comes to a close, Henry Ford emerges to revolutionize American manufacturing and ignite a new class of consumers. He works overtime to burnish his image as a populist hero — an image that’s complicated by his vivid contradictions and inflammatory controversies. From Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. New episodes every Tuesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born into a banking dynasty, John Pierpont Morgan became a Wall Street wunderkind in the 1860s. By his early 30s, he could afford an early retirement. But a life of leisure wasn’t in the cards for Morgan... This episode originally aired on Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Supreme Court decision in 1824 changed Cornelius Vanderbilt’s fate, opening the door for the enterprising steamboat captain to build a navigation empire — and from there, a railroad takeover. He outmaneuvered his rivals until he had the power to manipulate the entire U.S. economy. This episode originally aired on Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From humble beginnings to exorbitant wealth: John D. Rockefeller had a shrewd business mind and a zeal for refining oil that transformed his Standard Oil Company into a behemoth. From Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An immigrant from Scotland finds immense success in America after building a steel empire. But his business ties and practices lead to a reckoning that will haunt him for the rest of his life. From Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unimaginable wealth. Unchecked corruption. America is known for industrial tycoons hoarding control, manipulating the economy, and wielding more power than politicians. But this isn't new. It started in The Gilded Age. From Dictators, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve reached the end of our series, but if we’ve learned anything so far, it’s that the end is just the beginning... So for our final episode, let’s explore how Spiritualism looks now, in the 21st century. And why it’s still a springboard for communing over grief, death... and whatever comes next. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She was a gifted psychic during WWII, performing seances for soldiers and their families... and spilling top secret intelligence. Officials became so concerned with silencing her, they invoked a 200-year-old law against witchcraft to have her locked up. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re bringing you straight into the heart of a 19th-century seance. So please, dim the lights and take a seat — there’s a spirit here who would like to make your acquaintance. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Male mediums were relatively rare in Spiritualism — but they did exist, and a few even became world-famous. With decidedly different reputations than their female counterparts, men like the dashing D.D. Hume and the Davenport brothers helped bring the movement to the cutting edge… while pulling off remarkable cons. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The biggest showdown of the Spiritualism movement pitted an amateur medium against the greatest magician alive. Margery Crandon was on the verge of winning a cash prize for proving her powers when Harry Houdini became obsessed with debunking her — and it may have cost him his life. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more and grab your copy at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rapid growth of Spiritualism meant mediums needed to find new ways to communicate with the dead, and captivate the living. Their innovations spanned from the ingenious to the bizarre, and ultimately proved them capable of impressing even the most skeptical of critics. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Madame Blavatsky: Ingenious Imposter She's the most famous woman you've never heard of. By the mid-19th century, Madame Blavatsky had toured the world, communed with the dead, and created plenty of juicy scandals. In fact, she was a household name, famous for decoding the mysteries of the dead. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She might not be the most famous medium to ever live, but at the height of the Spiritualist movement, she was the only one they couldn't debunk. After thirty years of successful predictions, Leonora Piper proved that she was either the real deal... or the best con artist who ever lived. From Mediums, a Spotify Original from Parcast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parcast’s newest show takes you into the minds of history’s greatest detectives during the biggest cases of their careers. Every week, follow in their footsteps as they hunt down suspects and solve “perfect” crimes. Scotland Yard Confidential is produced in partnership with Noiser. Start listening here, then follow Scotland Yard Confidential for new episodes every Thursday!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices