
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
A decade before she became known as the “welfare queen,” Linda Taylor put herself at the center of a different Chicago scandal. Upon the death of gambling kingpin Lawrence Wakefield, Taylor posed as the heir to his sizable fortune. The ensuing court proceeding was full of lies and surprise witnesses. That heirship hearing would ultimately reveal Taylor’s real identity and offer a window into her troubled past.
This podcast is based on Josh Levin’s book, The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth.
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock the entire season of The Queen, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/thequeenplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4.3
66 ratings
A decade before she became known as the “welfare queen,” Linda Taylor put herself at the center of a different Chicago scandal. Upon the death of gambling kingpin Lawrence Wakefield, Taylor posed as the heir to his sizable fortune. The ensuing court proceeding was full of lies and surprise witnesses. That heirship hearing would ultimately reveal Taylor’s real identity and offer a window into her troubled past.
This podcast is based on Josh Levin’s book, The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth.
This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock the entire season of The Queen, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/thequeenplus to get access wherever you listen.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
9,064 Listeners
8,481 Listeners
90,826 Listeners
38,206 Listeners
1,878 Listeners
989 Listeners
2,851 Listeners
1,016 Listeners
37,235 Listeners
7,720 Listeners
1,012 Listeners
8,152 Listeners
3,460 Listeners
1,380 Listeners
10,815 Listeners
5,658 Listeners
54 Listeners
2,029 Listeners
240 Listeners
23,932 Listeners
2,069 Listeners
2,395 Listeners
1,285 Listeners
1,188 Listeners
412 Listeners
7,106 Listeners
59 Listeners
46 Listeners
94 Listeners
5 Listeners