The whole thing began for Bill Shaffer with a fountain.

Granted, the fountain is one of the few remaining examples of its kind in Manhattan and was designed by the team behind Grand Central Station. But who knew that reading a plaque one night would lead to the discovery of a half-forgotten scandal involving Alexander Hamilton's great-grandson, a sex worker, a murder, and two years of lurid headlines?

That's the story that Shaffer told in his recent book The Scandalous Hamiltons: A Gilded Age Grifter, a Founding Father's Disgraced Descendant, and a Trial at the Dawn of Tabloid Journalism. He joins Mark to discuss the writing process, the "Wait, how has no one told this story yet?" reaction throughout his research, and why his bombshell discovery remains shrouded in mystery.

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Hamiltons-Disgraced-Descendant-Journalism-ebook/dp/B09KP29JG9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=scandalous+hamiltons&qid=1661538789&sr=8-1

Logo: Jessica Balaschak

Music: Caveman of Los Angeles by Party Store Music