Learn Amazing Facts About Historical Escapes with Arturo Castro
The actor just wrapped up a podcast called ‘Greatest Escapes’—and now he’s dropping amazing facts about those escapes and more on the latest episode of Amazing Facts with Mental Floss.
The actor just wrapped up a podcast called ‘Greatest Escapes’—and now he’s dropping amazing facts about those escapes and more on the latest episode of Amazing Facts with Mental Floss.
Ben Feldman (‘Monsters at Work,’ ‘Superstore’) sets off into the sunset with Arturo as they hop on the trail of one of the Wild West’s greatest outlaws, Kid Curry.
One trick con artists have been up to lately involves sending targets random, harmless text messages before attempting to scam them.
At 9:40 a.m. on the morning of August 11, 1934, Alcatraz's first group of prisoners—137 in all—arrived at the soon-to-be-infamous prison.
Ophira Eisenberg (comedian and host of ‘Parenting is a Joke’ podcast) partners with Arturo as they head back to World War II and recap the biggest escape to ever occur from an American POW camp. (Spoiler Alert: The good guys still come out victorious!)
Jon Barinholtz (‘American Auto,’ ‘Chicago Party Aunt’) helps Arturo infiltrate the Tower of London in the Elizabethan era, uncovering the tale of John Gerard, a covert priest with an uncanny aptitude for orange juice.
Congressman Leo Ryan went to Guyana in 1978 to investigate reports of American cult leader Jim Jones holding hundreds of his followers captive. Ryan didn't make it out of Jonestown alive.
Diallo Riddle (‘Sherman’s Showcase,’ ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’) travels with Arturo to the 1970s, where they unveil an escape of historic proportions by the American revolutionary Assata Shakur.
Where does your state land on the scale?
Aimee Carrero (‘The Menu,’ ‘The Consultant’) helps Arturo explore a dark chapter in Hollywood history as they learn about one of Charles Manson's original family members: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme.
Writer, director, and producer extraordinaire Jay Martel soars into action with Arturo as they cover the high-flying trajectory of French gangster Michel Vaujour.
Sunita Mani (Spirited, Glow) joins Arturo through a slew of gangster-riddled escapades as they peel back the pages of history surrounding the most “dashing” criminal of the 1930s, John Dillinger.
JD Pardo (Mayans M.C., The Terminal List) tags along for Arturo’s tale of three escape artists (Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin) who attempted to break out of one of the most infamous prisons of all time: Alcatraz.
Kelsey McKinney (host of the hit podcast ‘Normal Gossip’) joins Arturo as they venture to 1960s London to meet the notorious burglar and self-proclaimed Queen of the Underworld: Zoe Progl.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (‘Flora and Son,’ ‘Mr. Corman’) and Arturo examine the troubling trends behind a modern day escape in Dannemora, New York.
Diane Guerrero (‘Encanto,’ ‘Doom Patrol’) joins Arturo as he recounts the first grand escape by one of the most infamous crime lords of the 21st century: El Chapo.
The space agency helped out on a landmark criminal case in 1990.
If you have a disagreement with your neighbor today, you might head to small-claims court. In 19th-century rural America, such disputes were often solved with the business end of a gun.
From Founding Fathers to Roman senators, these 10 whistleblowers helped shape history through their unparalleled acts of bravery.
Novelty craft supplies are tearing the city of Bend, Oregon, apart.
Fans of the horrorcore group Insane Clown Posse find themselves on the outskirts of society. They like it that way.
Some of history's most notorious forgeries include a Vermeer that tricked a Nazi and a fake sculpture by Michelangelo.
This map covers the surprising driving laws and customs followed in 180 countries.
Black Friday shopping may stress you out, but as these tragic shopping stampedes from history show, things could always end up looking a lot worse.