Tag: Q3 1936
The Shadow of ‘Count Victor’ Lingers: $1,000,000 in Counterfeit Bills Still Hidden
September 17, 1936 – The streets of New York City have long been the playground of master counterfeiters, but none as notorious as Robert W. Miller, alias ‘Count Victor Lustig.’ Last year, Lustig and his skilled engraver, William Watts, were sentenced to long terms in prison for producing an estimated $2,000,000 in spurious $20 bills.…
Senator’s Daughter Embroiled in Diamond Heist
September 12, 1936, Washington D.C. – A stunning scandal has rocked the nation’s capital, involving the daughter of a prominent Delaware senator. Lyla Townsend, the senator’s hostess, has amassed an astonishing collection of 50 diamond rings, each purchased on a recent round-the-world cruise. According to insiders, Townsend’s ring-buying spree was a brazen display of wealth,…
Big Business Runs Amok: Price Gouging by Gasoline Tycoons
In the sweltering summer of 1936, San Antonio residents were hit with a scorching reality check: the price of gasoline was a whopping 48 cents a gallon, a staggering sum that left many families reeling. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in France, citizens paid a mere 12 cents a quart for the same product. The disparity…
Loan Sharks Bite Back: 18,000 Fidelity Members Reel from Scandal
Washington D.C., August 17, 1936 – The Fidelity Building and Loan Association, once a beacon of hope for its 18,000 members, has been plunged into chaos. Controller of the Currency J.F.T. O’Connor’s July 18 order to suspend the association’s activities has left its members reeling. But in a shocking move, the association’s chairman, Dr. Ralph…
Buncombe County Commission Scandal Rocks Hendersonville
August 14, 1936, marked a tumultuous day in Hendersonville, North Carolina, as a judgment was denied in a high-profile case involving two prominent local figures, James W. Duff and L.B. Jackson. The drama unfolded in the Buncombe County court, where a verdict had previously awarded $2,500 in commissions to Duff, a resident of Hendersonville. RELATED:…
Skyborne Saboteurs Spoil Symphony at Water Gate
August 9th, 1936: A series of aerial disruptions marred a concert at Washington D.C.’s Water Gate, leaving music lovers in an uproar. For the second time this evening, planes flew directly over the orchestra and audience, drowning out the music and leaving everyone on edge. The first disruption occurred during the ‘Arabian dance’ of Tchaikovsky’s…
St. Francis Xavier Champions Tarnished by Scandal of Corruption
In the scorching summer of 1936, the city of Waterbury, Connecticut, was abuzz with excitement as the St. Francis Xavier baseball team, led by coach Ed Curley, won the championship trophy in the parochial division. But beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic scene, a web of corruption and deceit threatened to undermine the very…
