How the popular vampire franchise Fright Night was killed by one of the most notorious murders in American history.

* Includes an Exclusive Interview with the Legendary Singer Johnny Mathis *

It was “the” place to see and be seen. But it was too successful for Monte Proser’s own good.

Monte Proser was described as a “little guy who was practically brought up on Broadway.” He instinctively understood that patrons came to a nightclub for the show. And his finest creation was the Copacabana at 10 E. 60th Street in Manhattan.

A-List 1940s celebrities from Susan Hayward, to Bert Lahr, to Betty Grable wanted tables - and didn’t mind paying for them.

The Copa was a goldmine, and gangster Frank Costello took notice. Before he even knew what happened, Monte Proser was a bit player in his own greatest production.

This episode offers a fascinating look at the history of this iconic New York nightclub and includes an exclusive interview with legendary singer Johnny Mathis who performed there in the 1950s.

For more information on this podcast, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

Spiritualism, the belief in the ability to speak with the dead, started as a practical joke in 1848 when two teenage girls in upstate New York realized they could produce seemingly paranormal noises by cracking their toe knuckles, of all things. The Fox sisters delighted in their gullible mother's response, and soon convinced her these "rapping" sounds were actually produced by a murdered vagabond buried on their property. It was, the girls said, his form of communication - conversations that only they had the power to initiate.

Within two decades, the organized Spiritualism movement was a worldwide phenomenon - and it wasn't just exploitable housewives who took the bait. Men and women from all walks of life, levels of education, and strata of society fell under its spell - political leaders among them.

There were, of course, presidents who didn't believe in this supernatural mumbo jumbo. But, to paraphrase the old cliché, psychics aren't known for letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

In this episode I tell you the surprising - sometimes rocky - history of the unpredictable relationships between politicians and psychics.

For more information about Stephanie Hoover Has That Story, or to listen to more episodes, visit this page.

And, to read Stephanie's book about Nelson and Jennie Holmes and their fraudulent medium Katie, click here.

It's Election Day in America and the only thing we can be sure of is that a lot of people will have a lot of predictions.

Humans have tried to predict the future since the first caveman wondered if it would rain. But the truth is, no one knows what the future holds. Still, that doesn't stop people from guessing.

Today I'm going to tell you about the five worst prognostications of all time (including the one about women not actually wanting to vote.) I predict that, if nothing else, you'll find them an entertaining reminder that - where human beings are concerned - there's no such thing as a sure bet.

To listen to other episodes of Stephanie Hoover Has That Story, visit this page.

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who cover their face with pillows while they watch scary movies - and those of us who inch closer to the screen the scarier the movie gets. 

We've all heard the dime store psychology. Horror movies, claim the professionals, satiate our primitive need for safe thrills. We all KNOW there's no Freddie Krueger... no malevolent clown in the street drains... no evil spirit in your TV about to do a freaky-deaky jerky crawl into your living room. 

These frights, as effective as they are, are just products of the imaginations of skilled - if not deliciously morbid - writers' imaginations. 

And so, we pop our popcorn and turn off the lights and we laugh at the fools who investigate noises in the basement or attic when it's quite obvious that THAT is EXACTLY where death waits. 

We laugh at friends complaining of nightmares, smugly reminding them it's all just Hollywood hooey.

But what if it wasn't…?

What if the horror on the screen is simply a retelling of horrors perpetrated in real life? Worse, what if they could actually happen… again? To… you?

In this final installment of my six-part Halloween celebration, I'll tell you about the REAL events that inspired some of Hollywood's most terrifying feature films. And then we'll see just how brave you really are.

For more information, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

As the old rhyme goes...
Even he who is pure of heart
And says his prayers at night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the moon is full and bright.

We all know the legends - but where did this myth of "man-becomes-wolf" originate? Are these simply exaggerated stories of one of the world's most efficient natural predators? Perhaps the werewolf's carnage is symbolic of the savagery man has inflicted on man over the centuries. Or, could there actually be some underlying truth to the folklore? Stephanie has that story - but she'll leave the conclusions to you.

To share your comments on this episode, send Stephanie a message. Or, join the conversation in one of her new Facebook groups:

• Old Fashioned Crime

• Ghosts, Monsters & Myths

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The following music (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
White Hats by Wayne Jones (You Tube Creator Studio)
Apocalypse by SYBS (You Tube Creator Studio)

Werewolf image created by Ria Sopala from Pixabay

In June 2015, a 21-year-old Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania man was arrested on charges of “bloodletting” and sexual assault. He allegedly not only convinced several underage victims to slice their wrists so he could drink their blood, he also engaged in intimate acts with a minor while they bled on each other from self-inflicted lacerations. It's a shocking case for a Pennsylvania town that's about as inclined to believe in vampires as it is the tooth fairy. But, it's a case that also, remarkably, demonstrates the eternal life of the vampire myth.

In this episode, Stephanie tells the story of the surprising origins of vampiric legends and how they've changed through the centuries.

*** NOTE! The first 41 seconds of this episode may not be suitable for very young listeners. ***

To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit this page:
https://www.hauntinglypa.com/history-of-vampires.html

For more information on this podcast on Stephanie's books, visit StephanieHoover.com. Or join the conversation in one of her new Facebook groups:
~ Old Fashioned Crime
~ Ghosts, Monsters & Myths

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The following music and sound effects (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
     Churches of Ohrid 2 by cms4f (FreeSound.org)
     Hamer.wav by escortmarious (FreeSound.org)
     Creeking Door by visualasylum (FreeSound.org)
     Horse Whinny Close A by InspectorJ (FreeSound.org)

Dissection of the human body dates back to the time of the ancient Egyptians. But this form of medical study was not common practice in the U.S. until the 1740s when the University of Pennsylvania taught America's first formal anatomy course. While this ushered in the era of modern medical education, it also created a grim reality: the suddenly expanding need for cadavers outpaced the supply source. How would this rapidly dwindling supply of dead bodies be replenished…?

In this episode, Stephanie discusses the surprising history of body snatching and how modern medicine relied on it.

To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit this page:
http://www.cloudedinmystery.com/history-of-body-snatching.html

For more information on this podcast on Stephanie's books, visit StephanieHoover.com. Or join the conversation in one of her new Facebook groups:
~ Old Fashioned Crime
~ Ghosts, Monsters & Myths

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The following music (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
Waltz to Death (YouTube Creator Library)
Doll Dancing (YouTube Creator Library)

In October 1857, British citizen Charles McKay left London for North America and an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. He was writing about his adventures for a British newspaper.

Five months into the trip, during a stop in Alabama, he saw the elegant steamship Eliza Battle moored on a landing along the Tombigbee River. Its size and grandeur made a strong impression on McKay. That's why, just days later, he was shocked to learn that the side-wheeled paddle steamer had burned, killing many passengers and crew in the inferno, or forcing them to freeze to death in the icy river water.

This sinking was, at the time, one of the largest losses of life on a United States river. Some residents of Nanfalia, Alabama  say that, on a quiet night, they still hear the screams of the victims today.

To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit this page:
http://www.cloudedinmystery.com/ghost-ship-eliza-battle.html

For more information on this podcast on Stephanie's books, visit StephanieHoover.com.

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The following sound effects (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
~ Jazz Me Blues by E's Jammy Jams (YouTube Creator Library)
~ Water Lapping on Lake Pukaki by laughatlantic (FreeSound.org)
~ Water Lapping River by Ceich93 (FreeSound.org)
~ Human Male Scream Small Crowd Panic by Johnson Branding Editing (FreeSound.org)
~ Vintage Riverboats by Craigsmith (FreeSound.org)

In 1935, Gloria Lawson learned that she was pregnant for the third time. She left her home in Calvert County, Maryland for what she thought would be a brief visit to Dr. Harry C. Zimmerly's makeshift, back alley abortion clinic in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. When she didn't return home after a few days, her family began looking for her.

No one was prepared for what was discovered at Zimmerly's rundown farm. In the driveway were bits of human bone interspersed with ash. In the "clinic" were bloody mattresses and rusty surgical instruments. And caught in a wire bedframe were strands of blond hair - just like Gloria's.

This is the story of Dr. Zimmerly's house of horrors, an illegal hospital where more than one desperate woman lost her life. It's the first episode in a special six-part series running throughout the Halloween season.

For more information on this podcast, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit Hauntingly PENNSYLVANIA.