Ireland's world famous Russborough House belonged to Lord Alfred and Lady Clementine –– two 'violently wealthy' British aristocrats with the families to match. Their palatial manor home seemed to attract crime and intrigue. There was the British heiress turned IRA radical who busted in for a robbery. And her success inspired two IRA-adjacent gangsters –– The General and the Viper –– to see what they could pull in art heists of their own. 

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Owing people millions is a big deal, unless you have hundreds of millions and can pay it off. And if you don't and can't, then you just have to act like you can and will. But you can't. And won't. So you don't and…well, you get it.

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Eugene Bullard would not let America diminish him. So he left to find a place that would let him live free — and found freedom in the skies.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Special Thanks to Zaron's Pops
Written by Zaron Burnett
Produced by Josh Fisher
Story Editors are Marisa Brown and Ryan Murdock
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs and Josh Fisher
Additional Editing by Emily Marinoff
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Voice Actors are Jonathan Washington and Chris Childs
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Research and Fact Checking by Zaron Burnett and Austin Thompson
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, please leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at [email protected]. 

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Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are the Insane Clown Posse. Their fans call themselves the Juggalos and Juggalettes. Each year they hold their annual Gathering of the Juggalos. It is a bazar of fairground games, hip-hop, horrorcore rap, oil wrestling, fight clubs... but also family. Get comfortable, crack open a Faygo and... "Whoop Whoop!"

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He was the GOAT of early mass communication. And he was also the GOAT of medical quackery. John R. Brinkley duped thousands and made millions, but nothing gold can stay. Especially when it involves goat testicles.

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He was a man with a dream –– and that dream was to fly. His brother shared this dream. Trouble was they weren't the Wright Brothers, they were Crazy Mike and High Flyin' Ryan. The brothers challenged gravity, the law and common sense... until the FBI stepped in. 

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You know what they say, all dogs go to heaven. And apparently some dogs go to jail. Elizabeth lets the dogs out with tails (get it?) of mischief, larceny, and dogfoolery. 

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There is no one way to break into the entertainment industry, there's just the way you do it. Country music. legend Kris Kristofferson used a stolen helicopter to impress Johnny Cash. The rest is music history. ...And the story is ridiculous!

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Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s heavyweight title fight is considered one of the greatest sporting events of all time. What’s less well known is that five weeks earlier in the very same stadium, James Brown headlined an epic, three-day long, pre-fight music festival. Rumble braids together both boxing and music history for a compelling account of Muhammad Ali’s growth into both The People’s Champ and the GOAT. For his first title fight, he takes on the “bad man” Sonny Liston.

REFERENCE BOOKS:

Ali: The Greatest, My Own Story by Muhammad Ali

Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig

Rumble In the Jungle by Lewis Erenberg

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You gotta love a flashy Italian bank burglar in 1980s London with a penchant for Ferraris. In a bold and zesty tunneling vault robbery, Valerio Viccei stole a bunch of cash, gems, and coke. And then the Flying Squad showed up. This ride? It's wild. 

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