00:00:00
This is exactly right. It's here. The participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time only.
00:00:34
While supplies last, contact Store for availability. Your husband is not who you think he is.
00:00:38
Your body is not what you thought it was. Your identity is formed by a secret history.
00:00:44
I'm Dani Shapiro, and these are just a few of the stunning stories I'll be exploring on the 14th season of Family Secrets.
00:00:52
He kind of shoved me out of the way and said, move. And he went out the front door and he jumped in a car and drove off.
00:00:57
And that was the last time I saw him. Listen to Season 14 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:01:06
This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security,
00:01:16
one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS
00:01:23
and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:01:51
Hello. Hello. And welcome to my favorite murder. That is Georgia Hardstark. Thank you.
00:01:58
That's Karen Kilgareff drinking something out of a cocktail shaker. Out of a Lagunitas silver pint glass.
00:02:08
Pewter pint glass. Pewter. Is that some kind of coffee concoction? This is some nice PG Tips tea.
00:02:16
Ooh. But it's in a cup that keeps your hot stuff hot and your cool stuff cool. Insulated.
00:02:23
Doing it. where you know the citizens of petaluma and those historically associated with petaluma are very
00:02:30
proud of our lagunitas brewery oh are you guys lagunitas yeah yeah uh hi hi i've known you six
00:02:39
fucking years get to know me uh you know i represent lagunitas brewery it is a great beer
00:02:46
I will say it brought IPA to the masses. That is what Petaluma IPA and eggs. That's what we're all about.
00:02:56
It got everyone drunk and gave him a lot of protein. That's what that's the promise to you.
00:03:02
That's our promise. We were like, hey, give eggs a break. Do you remember the give eggs a break?
00:03:08
Because there was a rumor or like a thing in the 80s. And right that there was like eggs are bad for you.
00:03:14
There's too much cholesterol. and then like eggs. Wasn't there one where like eggs were behind bars
00:03:19
and then they got released? They were in fucking jail. Eggs were in jail. They just were eggs with legs.
00:03:26
Yes. And they were like, give eggs a break. And then the jail door opened and they were released from jail.
00:03:32
It was so, it wasn't great. It was pretty stupid. But that was back when, you know,
00:03:39
it was the same around the same time when they were like, everything needs to be fat free.
00:03:43
Diet, yes. And then they would start saying things like gummy worms are fat free.
00:03:48
But it's like, right. That's not the they would start putting it on things. So everything was kind of suffering nutritionally from like you couldn't have fat anything.
00:03:58
You couldn't have any cholesterol or whatever. But then it was also like recently with like it's gluten free.
00:04:03
And it's like, well, it's milk. So you don't actually is gluten is milk. Right. You don't need to put it on the fucking container.
00:04:10
But like water had a gluten free fucking it doesn't come into play. But but it's almost like people are now declaring.
00:04:19
Whereas I think in the 80s, people were doing it like they would be like this soda is fat free or whatever.
00:04:25
But it's still that doesn't make it a diet thing. Well, that was like that was when it was like eat grapefruit for every meal and you'll be skinny.
00:04:34
And that means you'll be happy. Goodbye from the National Nutrition Society. from the National Grapefruit Board.
00:04:42
There's always been a lot of... I'm just sick of big grapefruit trying to tell my body how to feel.
00:04:51
How many grapefruits it needs. Like, I know. My body will tell me how many grapefruits I need.
00:04:56
Seven. Seven daily. Always. Including the peel and the pith. And the spoon. I like to eat the grapefruit spoon.
00:05:05
Why do you eat a grapefruit spoon? The spoon goes down hard, but it's so good for you.
00:05:09
It's so good for your spirit. Well, now we're going to get people at the pizza cutter, people telling us that we need
00:05:14
grapefruit spoons. Oh, dude. Emotions are running high this winter season. Let me just say, if it wasn't the pizza cutter overreactors, we had a couple long distance
00:05:25
runners who were like, we love carbs. Fuck you. And it was just like, all righty.
00:05:30
It sounds like everything's going good. Everyone's great. Great. make a little joke out of the side of my mouth about an extreme marathoner who's running like
00:05:40
two marathons a day okay yeah and they're not talking about what you were talking about which
00:05:45
is twice baked potatoes that's not what they're snacking on before their race i remember when i
00:05:49
was like you know 12 and in the like the like soccer on the soccer team and we had like three games in a sunday because it was playoffs and we were like we gonna go home and eat a bowl of pasta and that how we gonna like carb up but it like no no
00:06:05
no no no they don't want you to carbo load on fucking cacao pepe motherfucking spaghetti
00:06:12
not day of also no isn't the pre isn't the carving up is not supposed to take place a little bit
00:06:18
beforehand. Not like you run out and play a game. I didn't know that. And we won, though, I think.
00:06:25
Oh, I punched a girl that day. So maybe it worked. Hmm. It depends on what the goal was.
00:06:32
The goal was she had made fun of me the entire season and we had beat them and we were doing
00:06:36
the good game high five. And she moved her hand to like not high five me. Good game. And I was
00:06:43
like the lowest self-esteem saddest person in the world little georgia and i fucking socked her in
00:06:49
the arm so hard it was worth it how's your self-esteem better after that and she apologized
00:06:55
bullshit i swear to god it was the time of my life and she apologized she's a popular girl and
00:07:00
she was like being really meany and she apologized to me for being a cunt that whole time later so i
00:07:05
was right later how many years later later that day school no no no in high school yeah she never
00:07:11
made fun of me again. Then violence is the answer, says Georgia Hardstark. Just punch people when you're upset
00:07:17
and when you've had too much pasta. That's the lesson. It was a time when bullying was okay. You know what I mean?
00:07:23
When it was celebrated. That's right. That was the only way you were going to get
00:07:29
anything solved. Oh my god. You want respect? Don't like outwit them. Punch them in the fucking arm.
00:07:35
Well, and certainly don't turn the other cheek. No. Or you'll get punched in it.
00:07:39
that's a that's your that's a great holiday message thank you i'm doing game of thrones
00:07:45
a little bit i think by the end of the holiday break i'll have like gotten into it into it
00:07:52
gotten into it or be it gotten through it through like another season i know that i know the term
00:07:58
red wedding is a thing right uh-huh and i'm getting to a wedding so i'm assuming
00:08:05
it's going to be red but that's all i got keep your eye peeled okay for some wet red stuff at
00:08:12
the wedding oh do they have a red velvet cake is that the wedding cake is a red velvet
00:08:18
yeah but everyone gets one little red velvet cupcake on there oh they have like a table tower
00:08:24
yeah tiered cupcakes yeah that's that's the only thing you should expect okay is just decor and
00:08:32
treats at this wedding. I'm so excited. Yeah, you should. It's actually perfect for Christmas
00:08:38
Day. You should watch that episode. Okay, here I go. It really is something to talk about a TV
00:08:45
show that was on eight years ago. It's fun because there's no such thing as spoiler alerts,
00:08:50
because if you don't know what I'm talking about, then it's not a spoiler. You should have watched
00:08:54
it six fucking years ago. Right, exactly. And also it's kind of out of context anyway. So the odds
00:09:01
are. I feel like these days, the amount of shows and bands and songs and memes that people have to
00:09:08
keep up with, the worry of spoiler alerts is like, right, but will you be able to keep this in your
00:09:14
head anyway? Probably not. Yeah. My favorite murder. Spoiling shit that you don't need to
00:09:23
worry about. Yeah, we're not spoiling anything. You know, we're bringing up things like you didn't
00:09:29
know you had a passion for your pizza cutter until you listened to this podcast. You didn't
00:09:35
know how much you cared about frozen pizza. Oh, my God. The level of defending frozen pizza
00:09:41
when clearly the point was we don't give a shit about it. And George is like, I love it.
00:09:48
Proudly, proudly loves her Stouffer's French bread pizza. I'm obsessed, but I'm not going to
00:09:53
go down on a fucking in a flame of not using just a knife it's a knife yeah you just get a knife
00:10:01
yeah it's a specialty like your grapefruit spoons it's a specialty item to go out and spend
00:10:07
an extra 15 to 20 bucks on a pizza cutter yeah yeah we just had no idea you heard it here last
00:10:15
is I think the point. We guarantee you'll hear it here last. Oh, yeah. What else is going on?
00:10:31
None of it. None of it. I'm going to see Metallica this weekend. Like otherwise, nothing.
00:10:39
You're so Metallica. Are you still Metallica? R&I? That's so me. I don't know. I'm sorry, I should say Vince is going to Metallica.
00:10:47
I'm going with Vince to Metallica. And you're excited for the experience of going to Metallica.
00:10:52
Sure. Hell yeah. Who knows? Music and lights and so many fucking people. Who knows if they're vaccinated?
00:10:59
It's going to be great. Chances are not. There's going to be a lot of, I did my own research.
00:11:06
Right. Here's what I found. Or I put a fake arm on and got my vaccination into that.
00:11:10
Or here's a fake card that you could buy that I use. Or you can't tell me what to do, man.
00:11:16
You're not my fucking dad. What's up, sheeple? What's up, sheeple? You've gotten your booster, though, right?
00:11:21
Yeah. I forgot to ask you, how was your recovery from your booster? I can't tell because I keep sleeping all the time.
00:11:31
I'm tired of this year so much. Oh, okay. There's a lot of like the second I'm done with the thing, I just run to the couch and fall face first on it and don't get back up.
00:11:43
I think you didn't wake up shaking and shivering in a cold sweat with your hips aching.
00:11:49
Then you're fine. Then that just depression and seasonal depression and anxiety It it definitely workaholism Oh yeah You have that Yeah Also waking up too early and not being able to do anything about it
00:12:08
And then, and Frank wakes up when I wake up. So we have some special hangout time at 5 a.m.
00:12:15
Like we're fucking, you know, bakers or something. Like you're an old couple who live in Miami or whatever.
00:12:24
Yes, exactly. Where we're just like, honey, let's make coffee and watch the sunrise.
00:12:32
Me and Frank. Sweet. Aw. It's really irritating. And then sometimes I'll put on a boring procedural because subtitles always make me go to sleep.
00:12:43
Yeah. And I'll try to use that to make myself go back to sleep. But then I think we've already talked about this.
00:12:49
Falling asleep in front of the TV. I then have dreams dictated by the dialogue on the television.
00:12:56
Oh, yeah. Which is odd when it's foreign in a different language because it's more about the intonation.
00:13:04
Yeah. And like sometimes there's yelling in the dream and I don't I'm not sure what's going on.
00:13:07
Then when I wake up, I'm like, oh, yeah, that was that part. Do you ever understand foreign languages when you're sleeping and you wake up?
00:13:13
You're like, I know what they were just saying. This is crazy. No. Oh, no, me neither.
00:13:18
No, that's not weird. Oh, like you dreamed that you could understand it. Yeah. Or like, did you ever write a song in your dream?
00:13:27
You're like, that was an amazing song. And yes. And I've done stand up in my dreams that I was like, please remember that joke about
00:13:34
the penguin. It was so funny and it didn't make sense. And I've also played like unbelievable classical piano in my dreams.
00:13:43
A concerto. And like woken up and been like, that is the most disappointing thing to wake up.
00:13:49
I think when you're like, that was correct. Like I was playing those. But who would know that?
00:13:53
But a classical pianist. All right. Okay. Okay. Okay. Where's my phone? Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
00:14:00
Okay. So the last season that just came out of Pen15. Oh, yes. On Hulu. I cried at the end.
00:14:09
I never fucking cry at shit like that. But it is like one of, it's like the most beautiful show and accurately portrayed.
00:14:16
how fucking hard it is to be 13. Yeah. And it was like, it was such a magical show.
00:14:25
I highly recommend it. And then they did an animated version where their body dysmorphia issues
00:14:31
became real. And then they just walked around with the thing that they hate the most
00:14:36
about themselves being real. And it just made me think about how you just, you have a thing you hate about yourself so much.
00:14:42
And you think everyone's looking at you and being like, oh that thing is gross about them but it's just in your head you know yeah yes it takes forever
00:14:51
to understand yeah i don't understand it still i mean yeah it's like the way it's that the thing
00:14:57
we we talked about it recently it's like the way you interpret the world is your own biased lens
00:15:03
yeah and at some point in your life you have to realize you're wrong you just have to admit it
00:15:08
like you're get you get it wrong and you're getting it wrong and it's because of like you're
00:15:14
you're justified in the reasons you get it wrong but you eventually have to let it go but i follow
00:15:20
so many people who love that show pen 15 and who talk about it so i feel like i have like weekly
00:15:25
reminders of like i have to go back and finish because i think i left off near the end of season
00:15:31
one but then i whatever happened i just i just didn't get maybe it was a little bit too uh
00:15:37
I just really suffered around that age so much. Oh, yeah. You're like, can't rewatch.
00:15:47
Yeah. No, it was definitely like it's definitely got those little triggers. Like there's like a sexual scene in the last two episodes that reminded me like 13 years old is when I really went off the rails and started fucking living life in a way that 13 year olds shouldn't live.
00:16:05
And there's a couple scenes in that that like definitely remind like, oh, that's what it was like for me.
00:16:12
Oh, I forgot how like inexperienced and young I was like doing meth and like fooling around with older boys.
00:16:21
It's like, oh, you know, it's these reminders and it's really cringy to watch. But it's also like really beautiful.
00:16:28
Their friendship is so lovely and strong. And like you forget about those and like how important your friendships are when you're that young, you know, and how much they mean.
00:16:39
So I recommend it. Yeah, I'm going to watch it. Do it. What else? Should we do exactly right corner and get into our stories?
00:16:48
Let's do it. OK, let's just wrap this year up. Can we finally? Well, let's see over on an exactly right podcast network.
00:16:57
We've got season one of Wicked Words coming to an end. This week, the first part of a two episode finale came out with journalist Elon Green.
00:17:07
So Elon and Kate are talking about the last call killer who preyed upon gay men in New York in the 80s and 90s.
00:17:13
He was one of the most notorious serial killers. I actually read this book and recommended it, recommended it on the show.
00:17:20
It was really well written and it was really, it's very sinister. It's like one of those very plain men who was in these bars, very well lit bars, like almost like piano like fern bars in New York City.
00:17:33
But slowly but surely, gay men were being murdered. And this week is the finale of Waiting for Impact.
00:17:41
Episode 10 has Dave chatting with another member of Sudden Impact about the vocal group's journey and what a fucking ride Waiting for Impact has been.
00:17:51
So incredible. We so proud to have it on the network Yeah Dave Holmes is the king If you ever read his um any of his Esquire columns he just such a talented journalist and such a talented host Yeah
00:18:05
He's hosted podcasts for a long time. So waiting for impact has really been an amazing job. He's,
00:18:11
it's truly a Dave Holmes passion project. Also, this podcast will kill you. One of the OGs,
00:18:17
one of our original acquisition podcasts. We like them first. They're back with a new season
00:18:24
and their first episode covers the disease typhus. Oh, I can't wait to hear what they
00:18:29
fucking have to say about it. And this week, our celebrity hometowns, we are talking to none other
00:18:37
than the murderino we all know and love, Phoebe Bridgers. She talked to us, you guys. She took
00:18:45
time out of her busy touring schedule to talk to us and fuck she's a dream she did a great job she
00:18:52
has a really great story it was really fun to talk to her yeah listen to that for sure she's
00:18:56
incredible definitely all right should we get it going yeah dude you're up baby joy is essential and it's also elusive but now there's a new and exciting way to start your
00:19:10
journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotb.
00:19:17
If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting,
00:19:22
and moving on-air chats. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Joy 101, and listen now.
00:19:30
Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CVS. This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall.
00:19:38
In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security,
00:19:44
one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS
00:19:51
and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:20:03
How much do you weigh, Wanda? Right now, I'm about 130. I'm at 183. We should race.
00:20:08
No, I want to leave here with my original hips. On the podcast, The Matchup with Aliyah,
00:20:12
I pair prominent female athletes with unexpected guests. On a recent episode, I sat down with undisputed boxing champ,
00:20:18
Clarissa Shields and comedian Wanda Sykes to talk about Wanda's new movie, Undercard,
00:20:22
the art of trash talk and what it really means to be ladylike. Open your free iHeartRadio app,
00:20:27
search The Matchup with Aliyah and listen now. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network.
00:20:34
so today i'm going to talk about the murder of amanda malon okay so there was a salon article
00:20:43
called the crying game by nina seagal there's an article also by nina seagal of the new york times
00:20:49
called watershed of mourning at the border of gender um on the blog spot trans griot posted
00:20:57
by monica roberts there is a post called the amanda malon anniversary the new york county
00:21:03
District Attorney's Office news release, the Murder of Amanda Milan Wikipedia page,
00:21:09
the New York Times Metro briefing, which was compiled by Anthony Ramirez, and a New York
00:21:14
Post article by Dara Gregorian called The X-Man Guilty in Slaying of Transsexual.
00:21:22
And then there's also the New York City Commission on Human Rights Legal Enforcement Guidance
00:21:27
on Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Expression, Local Law 3, 2002.
00:21:32
that was looked up. Okay, so we start on June 20, 2000. And it's the early morning hours,
00:21:41
couple days before New York City's annual pride celebration. And 25 year old Amanda Milan meets
00:21:48
up with some of her friends at the McDonald's at 43rd and 8th in New York Times Square.
00:21:55
They're there to get coffee. It's kind of the middle of the night. Amanda is a black trans
00:22:00
woman who is also a sex worker. She's just come from a date with a John and she's meeting her
00:22:07
friends at this McDonald's, getting some coffee before she goes home for the night. She is saving
00:22:13
up her money for gender confirming surgery. So about 4 a.m., Amanda leaves the McDonald's and
00:22:20
her group of friends. She's heading down to the Port Authority bus terminal to try to get a cab
00:22:25
home. But as she leaves and she's out on the street, Amanda's friends see a man approach her.
00:22:31
20 year old Dwayne McCuller had been hanging around the block for about an hour. Now he's
00:22:36
saying something to Amanda, but her friends can't quite hear him from across the street.
00:22:41
They do know, though, that it can't be good because witnesses will later report that they
00:22:45
heard Amanda ask Dwayne, do you want to fight? With that, Amanda's friends hear Dwayne shout,
00:22:51
get your fucking drag queen ass away from me. I know what you have between your legs.
00:22:56
Oh my God. And I'm specifying what he shouted at her as painful and hurtful as it is
00:23:04
because it's part of the story of this interaction. So the arguing continues until Dwayne McCuller
00:23:11
threatens to punch and then shoot Amanda. And though Amanda is normally one who would never back down from a fight,
00:23:18
the escalating violence in Dwayne's threats causes her to just walk away. Wow. And as she does, a 26-year-old security guard named Eugene Celestine
00:23:28
tells Dwayne that he has a knife, and Dwayne responds, give it to me. And Eugene does.
00:23:36
Amanda's friends watch in horror as Dwayne runs down the street after Amanda with the knife.
00:23:42
They all start to scream, trying to warn her, but it's too late. Dwayne stabs Amanda in the neck.
00:23:48
and runs off, leaving her to bleed out in front of the Duane Reed on 42nd and 8th Avenue.
00:23:56
So just right there on the New York. City Street. And this was the year 2000? This is in the year 2000. Oh my God. So there's people
00:24:06
standing around. You know, there are some there's some onlookers and a young male bystander who's
00:24:13
described as possibly Puerto Rican rips off his shirt and ties it around Amanda's neck to try to
00:24:19
help stop the bleeding. First responders arrive at 420 a.m. They promptly rush Amanda to St.
00:24:28
Vincent's Hospital in Chelsea. But at 450 a.m. on June 20th, 2000, 25-year-old Amanda Milan is
00:24:36
pronounced dead. Okay, so we'll talk about her life a little bit. She was born in 1974,
00:24:41
and she grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Not much is known about her childhood aside from the fact
00:24:49
that she had early dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She came out as trans around when she was about 18
00:24:56
and right after she moved to New York City. A few years after her move to New York,
00:25:02
Amanda gets herself an apartment at Central Park West and 103rd Street, where she lives with her beloved dog, Ashley.
00:25:09
Amanda is beautiful and hardworking, and she works her way up to an elite escort service
00:25:14
that sends her traveling all over the world, including Paris, London, and Milan, to meet with clients.
00:25:21
One friend says Amanda is, quote, often described as a full-figured Beverly Johnson lookalike.
00:25:27
So she was a stunner. Yeah. She's also incredibly tough. Anytime someone tries to harass or insult her, Amanda stands her ground, which is not surprising.
00:25:38
That's something trans women have to deal with a lot. And, you know, that's I think that's you'd be hard pressed to find a trans person at all who was in any way cowardly because they're constantly being confronted about who they are as human beings.
00:25:57
Yeah. So Amanda has two best friends, Kim and Simone. They're also trans women and they've all been a group of friends.
00:26:04
They've stuck by Amanda's side for about 10 years and they're inseparable. But in 1998, after a move to Australia, Kim is found dead at the base of a cliff, presumably from a fall or a push.
00:26:17
Foul play is insinuated, but never confirmed. Six months after that, Simone moves to San Francisco with her boyfriend.
00:26:25
Only one month later after her move, she is thrown out of a fifth story window and killed.
00:26:32
God. Yeah. So Amanda is reeling from her friend's sudden and tragic deaths. She's shaken to her core, and she confides in another friend who lives in her building named Patra, who's also a trans woman, that she believes these things, quote, happen in threes and that she might be next.
00:26:51
So at first, the murder of Amanda Milan barely makes the news. It gets one small mention in the New York Times Metro briefing.
00:26:59
And in this mention, Amanda is dead named and misgendered. The message this sends is clear that Amanda's death is just one in a long line of trans people who die by violent, hate filled means.
00:27:12
But the LGBTQIA plus community around Hell's Kitchen, they say absolutely not. Hell yeah.
00:27:21
They're not about to allow Amanda's memory or her legacy to be disrespected this way.
00:27:26
Amanda's friends and chosen family are especially dismayed to see her misrepresented in the wake of her terrifying and violent murder.
00:27:33
Her safety and her life matter to them, and they were going to let their city know it.
00:27:39
So the nearby Metropolitan Community Church on 36th Street starts hosting a support group for LGBTQIA plus folks called Gender People, where members meet on a weekly basis to find refuge and community with one another.
00:27:53
And it's here in the church's rec room under the guidance of Minister Reverend Presley Sutherland that the queer community who knew and loved Amanda begin to make plans to honor her with a public memorial service.
00:28:06
So with the help of prominent trans activist Sylvia Rivera, who we've talked about on the show, the group organizes a service on July 23rd, 2000, beginning at the Metropolitan Community Church.
00:28:19
Reverend Pat Baumgartner leads the group in a sermon and then others take the mic to talk not only about the tragedy of Amanda's death, but the negligence shown toward homicides of trans folks in New York City.
00:28:32
These heartfelt speeches are both political and personal. There's one speech from a friend recalling how Amanda helped keep her from becoming homeless.
00:28:41
So it's very it's a tribute, but it's also it's a real cry for justice. Over 300 people attend this memorial, and then the memorial ends with the entire group marching out of the church and 10 blocks to the site where Amanda was murdered.
00:28:58
When the group arrives at 42nd and 8th, they create a makeshift memorial with flowers, poems, and photos of Amanda.
00:29:06
The beautiful and infamous model Octavia Saint Laurent, who's known for her appearance in the 1991 documentary Paris is Burning.
00:29:15
Legendary child. Octavia is a friend of Amanda's and one of the people who speaks at the memorial that day.
00:29:21
She attributes the large crowd to Amanda's bold spirit and sense of pride that inspired so many.
00:29:28
In her eulogy, Octavia says, quote, I've been in this community for 30 years, and this is the first time I've seen any gathering of this sort for a transgender or a third sexual.
00:29:40
Death will not be the last word for Amanda Milan. Oh so now that they got the city attention New York trans and queer activists use this opportunity to push for justice and not just for Amanda but for every trans person who has ever and might ever face a similar fate And this pressure works So three arrests are made in the murder of Amanda Milan
00:30:04
Dwayne McCuller, who is indicted for second degree murder. Eugene Celestine, who's indicted for criminally negligent homicide, criminal facilitation in the fourth degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
00:30:17
He's the one who gave him the knife. That's right. OK. The security guard. Yeah.
00:30:21
And a third man named David Anderson, who helped McCuller flee the scene after the attack, he was indicted for hindering prosecution in the first degree.
00:30:29
Eugene Celestine was arrested the same day as Amanda's murder. McCuller and Anderson were arrested the day after when police found them hiding in Anderson's hotel room.
00:30:39
So activists pushed to have these charges classified as a bias crime, which would force all three involved to face harsher penalties,
00:30:48
sending a message to those who wish to do violence to trans people that their hate crimes won't be tolerated in the state of New York.
00:30:55
Given the slurs, witnesses heard McCuller yell at Amanda before he stabbed her. It's only logical to reclassify her murder as a hate crime.
00:31:04
And the framework for reclassifying this crime is already in place because in early July of 2000,
00:31:11
New York Governor George Pataki signed a bill that would give a harsher sentence to anyone who commits violence
00:31:17
based on one's race, religion, age, or sexual orientation. But because this bill's wording is a bit vague,
00:31:26
it's unclear whether or not prosecutors will include trans people in their interpretation of this bill.
00:31:32
So Amanda Milan's aunt, a woman named Diane Dyer McKee, who took care of Amanda when she was growing up,
00:31:40
did a lot of babysitting and knew her all her life, told the New York Times, quote,
00:31:44
It was a hate crime, and anyone who's trying to call it anything else is simply wrong.
00:31:51
But police spokesman Detective John Jimerino asserts that the crime stemmed, quote, from a dispute and therefore is, quote, not a bias crime.
00:32:02
So considering the lack of priority cases of murdered trans folks, especially black trans people, it's unsurprising that the police would give Amanda's case such a vague and dismissive categorization as a dispute.
00:32:16
According to the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, in the eight years between 1992 and 2000, there were seven murders of trans people.
00:32:26
All of them went unsolved. So Amanda Milan's murder charges are never upgraded to bias crimes.
00:32:35
But Dwayne McCuller does plead guilty to murder in November of 2002 and is sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison, plus five years of supervised release.
00:32:45
David Anderson, who's the guy who helped him escape, goes to trial in 2001 and is found guilty of hindering prosecution.
00:32:52
He's sentenced to one and a half to three years in prison. And we don't know the outcome of Eugene Celestine's trial.
00:32:59
We just know that it took place in 2003. The specifics were hard to find. Yeah. But because the other two defendants were found guilty for the same crime.
00:33:11
Right. It would seem likely that he was also found guilty. But there's just no. Wow.
00:33:16
Record. I couldn't find the confirmation. Huh. So Amanda Milan's death has a Stonewall-like effect, galvanizing the queer community to recognize their need to fight for trans rights.
00:33:27
It even prompts Sylvia Rivera to resurrect her 1970 activist collective organization, STAR, the Street Trans Activist Revolutionaries, on January 6, 2001, to aid in the campaign for including a broader definition of gender in the New York City human rights law.
00:33:45
Wow. Mm-hmm. So that fight pays off. In 2002, the New York City Council passes the Transgender Rights Bill, which expands the scope of the gender based protections guaranteed under the NYC HRL, which I believe is in New York City Human Rights League, and to ensure protection for people whose gender and self image do not fully accord with the legal sex assigned to them at birth.
00:34:13
As trans activist Melissa Schlartz puts it, quote, Amanda Milan has become not a martyr, but a rallying cry.
00:34:22
The activism around her death showed the world that transgender people belong in the queer community.
00:34:28
And the message from activists is that there is no difference between Matthew Shepard and Amanda Milan.
00:34:34
The response to her death tells the non-queer community enough. Today, the violence stops.
00:34:39
And that is the story of the murder of Amanda Milan and the hope and love she inspired in life that inspired her community to take action and make some change happen.
00:34:50
Oh, my God. I'm just like, I'm speechless. It's so crazy that it was the year 2000 that that finally got the attention it deserved, which means before that, everything, as we know, was treated poorly. I mean, it's just it's amazing. Great job.
00:35:14
Well, if you think about it, it's 20 years ago, 20, and it's like the beginning of the Internet. So there were very few voices and the voices that dominated were voices that basically minimized and marginalized transgender people always.
00:35:34
Right. So the idea that, you know, I don't know the idea that this is a this group of people has gotten the support and the backing that they have gotten over the years.
00:35:51
It just like it a really important fight And the fact that there that it comes into the news as this kind of like a trending topic Right As opposed to the individual people where these attitudes towards like the other
00:36:06
Right. Can get trans people killed very often get black trans women murdered. Right.
00:36:12
It's not nothing. And it's not a joke. And it's not it's not just your personal opinion.
00:36:18
And it's like that it actually translates to true violence. And people have to come together and stand up and protect people who are that vulnerable.
00:36:28
It's really important, especially because it was 20 years ago. And yet there is so much more to be done.
00:36:34
And it's it's harrowing. You know, it's it's harrowing. I'm Anna Navarro and on my new podcast, Bleep with Anna Navarro, I'm talking to the people
00:36:45
closest to the biggest issues happening in your community and around the world. Because I know deep down inside right now, we are all cursing and asking what the bleep
00:36:55
is going on. Every week, I'm breaking down the biggest issues happening in our communities and around
00:37:01
the world. I'm talking to people like Julie Kay Brown, who broke the explosive story on Jeffrey Epstein
00:37:06
in 2018. The Justice Department, through we counted four presidential administrations, failed
00:37:13
these victims. Listen to Bleep with Ana Navarro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:37:21
Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence.
00:37:30
Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotb. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats.
00:37:41
Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Joy 101 and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb is presented by CVS.
00:37:51
I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families.
00:38:00
Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything.
00:38:11
I was a monster. Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
00:38:23
All right. Well, I'm taking what couldn't be more of a 180-degree turn. I think that's good.
00:38:31
I think we go, you know, I think we go, like, heavy, and then we turn it around to something else.
00:38:37
We contain multitudes. We can entertain all topics. But now it's your turn to shine.
00:38:44
I'm going to shine, baby. Today I'm going to talk about, Karen, the Toronto Circus Riot of 1855.
00:38:52
Oh, my. Oh, we haven't had a good circus riot in here in quite some time. There hasn't been a circus riot.
00:39:00
Come on. That's all you. Don't make me do it. Say it. You're so right. Say it. That's how out of practice I have.
00:39:06
Why, we haven't had a circus riot around here in 25 years. in 125 years since 1855 the toronto circus riot yes the sources used today karen
00:39:20
are the toronto dreams project by adam bunch who wrote a lot about this an article from grunge the
00:39:28
torontoist the baltimore sun and the jeffersonian and i first read about this late at night on reddit
00:39:37
of course on the unresolved mysteries reddit of like what's your favorite crazy or like maybe it
00:39:43
wasn't anyways the next morning hayley gray my research wonderful research woman and uh emailed
00:39:51
me and said hey have you ever thought about doing the toronto circus riot and i was like did you read
00:39:55
reddit late last night she's like yeah oh that's so weird we're like fuck you and hayley were ships
00:40:02
passing in the night that's right because we both saw this story and we're like what the fuck okay
00:40:06
In 1886, Karen, the city of Toronto or Toronto, I don't know, Ontario is named Toronto the
00:40:13
good due to its conservative population who wants the city's name to represent their morals.
00:40:19
So it becomes this like very Victorian timey, like fucking tip of the hat up do, you know.
00:40:25
That sounds a little defensive to me. No, we're good. Do you need to name the whole city good?
00:40:31
What kind of pervy shit are you doing in the afternoons? Well, I'll let you know.
00:40:35
Oh, shit. In the afternoon of time, way back when, they were up to some no good.
00:40:42
But in 1855, so that's 1886 when it becomes Toronto the good. But in 1855, way back when, when the story takes place, Toronto is not like this.
00:40:52
It is not good. It is far from conservative. There are 152 taverns, 203 beer shops, and countless brothels.
00:41:03
The population is only 40,000. So like every block has like 1500 like places you can drink and debauch basically.
00:41:12
So it's a, it's a, it's like an old timey, you know, wild west kind of town. Hell yes.
00:41:18
Yeah. That's right. They're right there. Say it. Aren't they right there on a river?
00:41:26
Aren't they a famous river town? When you pause, I was like, say what you're going to say.
00:41:32
Cause here we go. Pissing them off. Because literally, I don't even know where I'm getting this idea.
00:41:38
Lake Ontario. Oh, yeah, Karen. It's right there on Lake Ontario. That Lake Ontario River that everyone loves so much.
00:41:45
Yeah. Cheers to Stephen for his editing. Okay. Cheers. Yeah. Canadian cheers to Stephen.
00:41:51
Canadian cheers Ahoy ahoy So it kind of a like Wild West type of town In July 1855 the American touring circus
00:42:01
S.B. Howe's Star Troop Menagerie and Circus, you know, Karen, your favorite show,
00:42:08
stops in Toronto. The show features clowns, acrobats, equestrian trick writers, and exotic animals
00:42:15
including big kitty cats, elephants, and a giraffe. the circus is only in town for two days and residents of toronto are super excited because
00:42:24
this is a small town so this is not the kind of place that they usually get exciting stuff like
00:42:28
this yeah and this is before all entertainment so this was like this is like someone bringing
00:42:34
the internet to your town that's right like bringing a visual effects thing and every single
00:42:39
person gets to wear it yes exactly and just like look an elephant no we're not beating it and
00:42:46
chaining it to the wall. Don't worry about that part. No, this big cat isn't behaved
00:42:50
because we're whipping it. It's because it likes to be tamed. It likes to sit on a really small human's chair.
00:42:56
Yeah. So on July 12th, 1855, the circus performs multiple sold-out shows. It's a
00:43:04
big ticket. When the last show's over, the clowns want to take advantage of Toronto's
00:43:10
fun nightlife. Hell yes. As fucking clowns do. Yeah. And so I feel like I should let you know the clowns back then are not.
00:43:19
Well, I don't know how we think about clowns now, but they're not like, you know, squirty in your face, fun time clown, like with clean clothes and stuff.
00:43:26
These guys are rough and tumble, like cigar, you know, gross. I bet their teeth are fucked up and they smell really bad.
00:43:35
Like these are rough and tumble. These are hobo types. Really? Yeah. They have to like they they do all the manual labor around the circuit.
00:43:44
oh yeah and then come out of a car like they're not chill well they're they don't they're not
00:43:50
purely entertainment they're not artists they're actually the um you know it's i was in a play
00:43:56
my first year of college as a theater major and it was called carnival yeah carnival and basically
00:44:05
it was it was about that and those guys there's a name for those guys and it's like a goofy old
00:44:11
fashion name because they were also sorry Stephen. No leave it I need to know more.
00:44:18
Well you keep going on I'll find you the name. Great. Because I because I it's on the tip of my
00:44:23
tongue but my brain is has gone completely smooth. Okay brother you listen so don't worry about it.
00:44:29
Okay so they decide that night to go out and take advantage of Toronto's nightlife
00:44:33
and they decide to go to a brothel. But little do they know. I know right. Little do they know
00:44:41
The brothel that they settle on, which is called Mary Ann Armstrong's house on King Street,
00:44:47
which is suspected, according to newspapers from the day of being a house of ill repute
00:44:53
or whatever. So like it might be a brothel. It might not be a brothel, but it's probably a brothel.
00:44:58
Mary Ann Armstrong's? No way. Oh, your friend Mary Ann? Oh, yeah. That's just my friend Mary Ann from back in the day.
00:45:03
No. The reason she never invites you over is because she knows how much you like to party.
00:45:10
She's got some parties going on. She knows I'll be jealous. That's right. But here's the thing. Marianne Armstrong's house on King Street is also a favorite of the hook and ladder firefighting company, a local fire brigade.
00:45:24
Also clowns. Well, here's the thing. At the time, firefighting brigade isn't a government run fire department like we have today.
00:45:33
According to the Torontoist, firefighting at this time is as much a social club as a profession.
00:45:40
And the firefighters are often rough and tumble types. Yeah, still like that. So they're basically the same like personalities as clowns, but they're firefighters.
00:45:51
Like how did you watch Gangs of New York? Yes. And it's similar to that. So according to Adam Bunch, the journalist with the Toronto Dreams Project, he says, quote,
00:46:01
When the fire breaks out, all the brigades who are nearby rush to the scene with their horse drawn engines to get there first and call dibs.
00:46:10
So it's like there's no city funded government fucking get there for it's like get their first privately owned firefighters.
00:46:19
And sometimes if they are you about to say this? Tell me if they got there at the same time, they get into fistfights.
00:46:26
Here we go. OK. If more than one brigade does show up, it's not uncommon for them to fight over who gets to put out the fire.
00:46:37
You are correct, ma'am. I think I learned that when we did Boston, I think, and I did the Boston fire.
00:46:42
Yes. That's right. In fact, two weeks prior to July 12th, this happened to Hook and Ladder, who showed up to a fire at the same time as another brigade.
00:46:52
and instead of working together to put out the fire, the brigade started fighting in the streets.
00:46:58
This turned into a riot. And so while the building burned in the background, they fought over who got to put out the burning building.
00:47:06
The burning ground. Which is just a perfect example of modern government. That's right.
00:47:15
Real quick, I'm just going to interrupt you and say the word I was looking for was roustabouts.
00:47:19
Roustabouts! Roustabouts. They actually sing a song in the musical carnival called Yes, My Heart.
00:47:27
And that's how I fucking figured it out. All right. I had to do it. I'm so sorry.
00:47:31
And Karen Pilgarif starred in that in college? I held a long pole that had a birdcage on top of it.
00:47:38
And my one line in the song was I was supposed to say live birds or something. It was like, and then I would sometimes sing dead birds because I thought it was funny.
00:47:49
and that's why you dropped out of college So I want to ruin the play for my own amusement.
00:47:58
OK, sorry. Go like I'm doing to your story right now. This is a story. This is a ruiner kind of story.
00:48:05
So you're all good. OK, OK. The police show up to try to break up the firefighter riot.
00:48:11
And then both the firefighter houses turn on the police and they start fighting.
00:48:17
So Toronto is having a lot of fun. Yeah. That later becomes known as the fireman's riot.
00:48:24
But that's not what we're talking about today. Okay. The SB House clowns are no better than the firemen, though.
00:48:30
They are also known to be rough and tumble types. So they have to perform the manual labor, setting up and tearing down the whole fucking circus.
00:48:37
So they're super strong and like, take no shit, dudes. And so having the firemen and the clowns in one brothel is an issue.
00:48:46
A lot of work for the ladies. Oh, poor woman. So on July 12th, the clowns, led by a man only known as Myers, show up to Hook and Ladder's favorite brothel.
00:48:57
And it doesn't take long for the two groups, of course, to start fighting. Boys.
00:49:03
Truly. We don't know how the fight breaks out exactly. Maybe an obnoxious clown says something that pisses off a fireman, a clown maybe cut in line.
00:49:12
The bar or the most accepted theory is that a fireman named Frazier knocked off the clown leader Myers hat and refused to pick it up.
00:49:21
So they were looking for a fucking fight. I remember that episode of Frazier where, yeah, this is very familiar to me.
00:49:28
That's right. Niles was like, unhand my hat. Niles was like, Frazier, Frazier. No matter how the fight starts, though, things get out of hand very quickly.
00:49:40
And that ends up with two firemen, one being Fraser Crane and the other name Fawcett, are seriously injured and have to be dragged out to safety.
00:49:50
Wow. And the firemen see that they are losing and they all fucking hightail it out of the brothel.
00:49:56
So the clowns think they win and the clowns stay in the brothel, continue to drink and party.
00:50:03
Everyone has a great time. And that's the end of the story. Oh, just kidding. So the lesson is clowns win, firemen lose.
00:50:11
Don't fight a clown. Sorry, bye. Bye. Of course, that's not where the story ends.
00:50:16
The hook and ladder firemen are not giving up that easily. They go gather a group of friends, a very powerful and well-connected group of friends.
00:50:26
Uh-oh. So according to Adam Bunch with the Toronto Dreams Project, as I've talked about before,
00:50:31
toronto is run by the the something called the orange order which is a small group of protestant
00:50:39
tory elites you know tip of the hat yourself tanner wink of the thing a wink of the old
00:50:46
tipple a tipple of the old wink the old river water karen and i are both touching the brim of
00:50:54
our hats i want everyone our imaginary hats everyone should know that's the orange order
00:50:59
tip of the old. Wink of the old. They refer to themselves as the Orange Men and they make sure that all of their fellow patrons
00:51:06
who are Orange Men get the powerful jobs in the city. They're like the Masons, right?
00:51:12
Sure. They're just white guys. Exactly. They're white Protestant Tories and everyone gets the job.
00:51:19
Basically, they're all Protestants from Ireland. An ongoing influx of Catholic Irish
00:51:25
who are coming into town. I don't know. Sorry, leave that up. So pretty much every...
00:51:31
It's because Protestants and Catholics don't like each other. Yeah. Does that help you?
00:51:35
So basically, the Orange Men are these representatives of the Protestant ascendiary of Ireland.
00:51:41
And because there's this influx of Catholic Irish fleeing the famine and who are still like having a lot of fun,
00:51:50
there's a lot of fights and riots going on between these these new Catholic Irish and these Protestants.
00:52:00
In Toronto. In Toronto. Yeah. They basically brought the fight from the old the motherland.
00:52:05
Sure. Right over into Maple Leaf territory. That's right. Pretty much every fireman, police officer and politician in Toronto is an orange man.
00:52:17
So as you can imagine, they're really close knit. They look out for each other. If you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them.
00:52:23
And the orange men are not happy when they hear about what the clowns did at the brothel.
00:52:27
And they're like, let's kick some ass. And they went and got a bunch of mimes. And here we go.
00:52:35
And here's a fucking fighting giraffe. What are you going to do about it? I mean, this is as cartoony as it possibly could be.
00:52:43
It really is. And the next day, you're not going to believe this, is a Friday the 13th.
00:52:48
What? Yeah. So during the day, a mob of Orangemen swarm the circus tents, which are located on the fair green.
00:52:57
The Orangemen tell everyone who isn't a circus employee to get the fuck out of there.
00:53:02
Oh. The Orangemen then shout their demands to the circus employees. They want that clown Myers, but he won't come out or he might not actually be there.
00:53:12
He might have fucking skedaddled knowing there was like trouble in town of ruin.
00:53:16
The bearded lady is like, can I help you? Yeah, exactly. What exactly do you need?
00:53:20
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But either way, the circus employees grab whatever weapon they could find, and they all go into
00:53:27
the big top tent trying to kind of hide out from the mob, knowing that this isn't good.
00:53:33
Right. Right. Meanwhile, the police are notified that a fight is about to break out, but the chief,
00:53:39
Samuel Sherwood, he's, you're not going to believe this, a member of the Orange Order.
00:53:45
Yes, of course. So he drags his feet He like yeah let eventually go out there and help the circus people But don rush Not right this second Yeah So eventually he and six officers head to Fairgreen to see what going on
00:54:01
But by the time the sheriff and officers finally arrive, things have escalated and the orange men are throwing rocks at the tent and they're damaging wagons, you know, wagons, either by setting them on fire or throwing them into the nearby lake.
00:54:16
so it's fucking mayhem okay the police try to get the men to disperse they refuse and when chief
00:54:23
sherwood tries to make an arrest he's attacked and it's clear the six officers and the chief
00:54:29
don't have enough manpower to go up against the angry mob of orange men so they're like let's go
00:54:34
get the mayor and some more officers so the orange they're like the mayor's in there already he's the
00:54:40
biggest orange men of all the whole thing is corrupt it goes all the way to the top he's the bearded
00:54:45
orange man how do we do that so the orange men continue damaging wagons they overturn the ticket
00:54:51
wagon and smash it to pieces with their axes they light it on fire and then at some point part of the
00:54:58
mob sets off a fire alarm which who knew was a fucking thing at the time which causes just a
00:55:05
toucan over on the side like in the Flintstones. So the hook and ladder fire crew shows up. The guys from last night
00:55:19
who got their asses fucking run out of the brothel. So they got a fucking beef to pick.
00:55:25
Right? You don't want your beef picked. You don't want your beef picked. No. So they start attacking the fucking
00:55:32
actual big top. and they they take their fire wagons and they hook up the big top to their fire truck and then drive
00:55:44
basically didn't denude the big top they denude it and everyone's standing there like covering
00:55:51
their tits or whatever like oh no i don't know yeah uh okay then they light it on fire
00:55:58
oh i know circus employees start to flee the big top the hook and ladder crew starts running after
00:56:03
them with picks and with pikes and axes picks probably too though yeah out of all the employees
00:56:10
the clowns bear the brunt of the attack they're severely beaten shit the other employees try to
00:56:16
find a safe place away from what's become a riot and some even jump into the nearby lake to be like
00:56:22
fucking i don't know get away from me home base home free horrifying yeah so the big top 10 is on
00:56:30
fire, the mob of orange men are running for the next thing that they think they need to
00:56:35
fucking ruin, the animal cages. Oh, I know. Oh, as they try to light them in fire, the mayor and six additional officers finally do
00:56:45
something productive and fight them off and save the animals. The mayor then tries to subdue the crowd, but he's unsuccessful.
00:56:53
He only managed, the only thing he could manage to do is grab an axe out of a fireman's hand
00:56:58
as he's about to kill a clown. that's all it does it's basically game of thrones but with clowns and firemen
00:57:05
clowns and firemen yeah it's the red wedding i'm assuming yes guessing off of nothing there is
00:57:13
definitely a bunch of circus stuff at that wedding keep your eye peeled the madness doesn't end until the mayor calls in the militia and once they arrive around 2 a.m
00:57:28
And they had got by the fucking riot had showed up at like during the day. So by 2 a.m. the crowd finally runs off.
00:57:35
The circus. Shockingly packs up and gets the fuck out of there. Yeah, I bet they do.
00:57:41
Yeah. But the public is outraged over the riot and how their city treated like the one fun thing in town.
00:57:52
And to them, it's clear there's some corruption in the police force and the public.
00:57:56
Yeah. The public demands an investigation into the force and their role in the riot.
00:58:02
But all the officers who had been sent to break up the riot magically can't remember any of the orange men's faces who were part of it.
00:58:12
They say it was too dark to see anyone's faces. Interesting. January 6th. Eventually, after the investigation concludes, 17 people are charged in the riot, but only one is convicted.
00:58:27
So just one person is responsible for burning down the circus. Turns out Gary. Gary over there.
00:58:34
Fucking that guy. He'll start any riot at any moment. He's just a wild eyed youngster.
00:58:40
Drop of the hat. He'll fucking start a riot. Gary. Reactive. Just a reactive man.
00:58:46
Very orange. Very orange. But so the public is outraged about this fact as well.
00:58:52
They feel like a cover up has taken place, which is like no shit. It has. And so riots keep happening because nothing's been done to punish the corrupt police force.
00:59:02
A few months after the circus riot, a big riot breaks out between the Orange Men and the Catholics.
00:59:09
Just all of them. Yeah. And just like the circus, when the riot is investigated,
00:59:14
none of the officers can remember who was at the scene. So within months of the Orange Men
00:59:20
Catholic riots, the Toronto public is so fed up with the corruption that they elect a different
00:59:25
mayor for the first time in more than 20 years, a member of the liberal reform party.
00:59:30
We're like, get this guy out of here. Yeah. Get this orange guy out of here. Am I right?
00:59:36
Am I right? We've been there. We've been there. And so with a new mayor the city council suggests that the police force be completely reformed They like hey you know it be great if we could have some people we could rely on Just some people that actually do the job
00:59:52
You know. Yeah. The thing. And the government of Canada West, which is basically the Ontario government,
00:59:59
agrees. And years later, after many political obstacles, every member of the Toronto police is fired.
01:00:06
Oh my god. A new force is established that resembles the type of force Toronto has today.
01:00:14
So if you're going to visit Toronto, don't let this story stop you. It's a beautiful place. We love it.
01:00:19
Niles and Fraser Crane no longer serve. No, they're there to welcome you as are Kit Kats and some really friendly people.
01:00:29
Toronto becomes more tame and boring under proper Victorian rules and residents no longer have to worry about the Orangemen having control of the city.
01:00:38
But somehow the story of the riots that broke out between corrupt firefighters and rough and tumbled clowns has never been turned into a movie.
01:00:48
Oh, what a mistake. And that is the story of the Toronto Circus Riot of 1855. Oh, shit, dude.
01:00:56
I mean, I never heard anything close to that. Who's in that? We have to cast the Canadian.
01:01:03
And that is how Cirque du Soleil was founded. It's so true. Oh, the feats they went through to get away from the riot that day.
01:01:14
Oh, Jesus. I think Timothee Chalamet should be in there as a, like a young, he's like the young Harlequin
01:01:23
clown. Oh, yeah. Oh, you want him to be Frasier Crane? Is he Canadian? No, I don't think so.
01:01:30
Oh. Okay. Well, we could put him in there anyways. I'm just saying, you know. Just say.
01:01:35
I just want to say, can't I say? I wish you'd say. You know what's really funny?
01:01:41
I thought there was a chance, and I'm actually going to do this now that I think about it, because I heard long ago, and so this was probably in the early 2000s, I went to see Charles Nelson Reilly do a one-man show at the Falcon Theater in Toluca Lake, California.
01:02:00
If you don't know who Charles Nelson Reilly is, you have to watch Match Game. Wow.
01:02:04
He was a legendary comedic performer of the 50s, 60s, 70s. I'm not Googling anything right now.
01:02:12
What are you not Googling? You don't know Charles Nelson Riley? Yes, he was on Foursquare.
01:02:17
What's it called? Smash Game. Match Game. Yes. And him and Brett. So he does this one man show and it was unbelievably great.
01:02:31
And he told all these stories from his childhood. And one of the stories was him and his cousin were going.
01:02:39
They wanted to go to the circus. His mother said no. And they took money and they ran out.
01:02:45
And and his mother yelled as they ran. Like, basically, they got in trouble and they just ran and went anyway to the circus.
01:02:52
And his mother yelled, I hope I hope it burns down or something kind of crazy. Yeah.
01:02:58
The mother yells that. And then they're sitting there. they snuck into the circus because they didn't have, I guess the mother wouldn't give them
01:03:06
money. Sure. And as they're sitting there, the fucking circus tent catches on fire.
01:03:12
No. Because they used to put oil on top of the canvas. Yeah. For some reason. And it was highly flammable.
01:03:20
And the main circus tent caught on fire and Charles Nelson Rylena's cousin escaped and
01:03:28
all these people died in the fire. I've heard about circus fires before Like big top circus fire
01:03:33
But I didn't know that's why That's crazy Yeah he explained it It was such an amazing
01:03:38
Like it was a breathtaking story The way he told it But he was right there And the only reason they got out
01:03:43
Is because they didn't wait To go out and exit Because everyone was trying to stampede
01:03:47
Out the exits Yeah They just ran and pulled up a flap And like were like We'll just go out the way we came in
01:03:53
Oh my god And they escaped Yeah Dude Maybe I'll cover that one I'll cover Charles Nelson Reilly's story.
01:04:01
I wish you would. In the new year. No, he passed away. Sadly. Sadly. One of the greats.
01:04:09
Ah, truly. I think this might be our last, our last podcast of. This is our last recording.
01:04:15
This is our last recording. However, we pre-recorded the rest of this year. So. For the holidays.
01:04:21
It's all new and exciting, guys. We just, Karen and I just get to take a couple weeks off, but it's all new to you, baby.
01:04:28
Yeah, but to us, we're about to go into Christmas vacation. We are. It's such a thrill.
01:04:33
It's so exciting. And we have a couple more celebrity hometowns that are brand new coming out.
01:04:36
So there's new stuff coming through the end of this month. Yeah. I have to justify.
01:04:41
Why do I have to justify? We've worked very hard to keep you entertained throughout this winter holiday season.
01:04:47
Don't worry about it. We've done it. Why can't I be like, we're done. Here's some more episodes.
01:04:54
Like, I have to be like, don't worry. We've got you. And everything's fine. and we're not lazy, but I'm going to be lazy
01:04:59
as fuck. What are you going to do? What's your dream? Also, yeah, we don't have to say any of that
01:05:03
shit. People are right there with us. What's your dream for the next couple weeks when we have off?
01:05:10
I would like to watch some movies that I haven't seen because I haven't gone to the movie theater. I haven't seen new
01:05:17
movies. I don't even know what movies have come out. So I'd like to just sit and watch
01:05:24
a two-hour movie yeah um get caught up yeah um i mean sitting and watching is like the operative words of what we're
01:05:36
going to do yeah i think so and just not being on zoom that my dream yeah dude let not do it i gonna to do I going to watch Game of Thrones and watch TV and the great And I going to cook a ton of stuff in the air fryer
01:05:50
Oh, nice. Yes. And that's basically it. Like, I don't have to do Christmas. Vince and I are going to have some Christmas dinner, but like nothing fancy.
01:05:57
It's just going to be nice. Yeah, we're just doing small family Christmas and just really being chill.
01:06:05
Yeah. And like not, you know, taking it as easy as possible. Right. And seeing Metallica for sure.
01:06:11
And of course, we're following Metallica all around the nation, which we owe. I mean, you guys know we do that all the time.
01:06:17
We've done that for most of our lives. We've pretty much been on the tour of us with the guys.
01:06:24
Sorry, but did you know Metallica heads? What is that? Is that a thing? Metallica heads.
01:06:32
Did you know Metallica kicked off their 1980 tour in Petaluma, California? Why? Because, baby, they're a Bay Area band.
01:06:42
Oh, that's right. Yeah. And there was some serious, we had some pretty major metal bands in the Bay Area in the 80s.
01:06:50
Metallica. Cool. It was like... Quiet Riot? No, Y and T. There was a band called Tesla, I think, that was from the Bay Area.
01:07:02
or at least they were I know I know you can't do this shit when you go to the Metallica
01:07:10
show please I'm going to wear an ACDC's from San Francisco shirt no you're going to get the shit
01:07:16
you're going to be like a clown at a fireman convention they're going to beat the shit out of you
01:07:22
oh we didn't do our announcement for our donation this week we have spent the month of
01:07:28
December making donations to charities that we like just because it's the time of year to give to maybe encourage other people
01:07:37
who have it to give if possible. No judgments, no shade. This week, we're donating to the Trevor
01:07:45
Project. That's the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization
01:07:51
for LGBTQ young people. So we're giving the Trevor Project $10,000 to continue their work
01:08:01
And yeah, they're an amazing foundation that's done really beautiful, unbelievable work for the queer and gay community.
01:08:12
Yeah. And we couldn't do it without you guys. So thank you so much for supporting us and for listening and for supporting us.
01:08:21
You've supported us twice and you've listened to us once. That's right. And we'll never forgive you for that.
01:08:31
I love it. I love it. Make a list of things you're grateful for this in this past year or make a list of things
01:08:39
you want to get done in this next year. Let's be goals oriented. Let's be positive.
01:08:44
Let's let's get muscular. I'm going to get super muscular in 2022. That's right.
01:08:52
We appreciate you guys. Karen's going to get fucking ripped. I just want to stay strong
01:08:59
and I want to stay I want to get healthy I want to be strong and I want to fight the fight
01:09:05
that's right you heard it here last right this is the last place you'll hear pretty much anything pressing
01:09:11
but it's the first place you'll hear stay sexy and don't get murdered goodbye great job
01:09:20
boom Elvis do you want a cookie This has been an Exactly Right production. Our producer is Hannah Kyle Crichton.
01:09:31
Associate producer, Alejandra Keck. Engineer and mixer, Stephen. Ray Morris. Researchers, Jay Elias and Haley Gray.
01:09:38
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01:09:49
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01:09:56
Rate, review, and subscribe! me out of the way and said, move. And he went out the front door and he jumped in a car and
01:10:23
drove off. And that was the last time I saw him. Listen to season 14 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
01:10:30
or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist,
01:10:38
they take matters into their own hands. I vowed I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this.
01:10:46
He's going to get what he deserves. We always say, you know, trust your girlfriends.
01:10:52
Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
01:11:01
You think you're in control until you realize you're not. As they're having this gun battle, thousands of feet up in the air,
01:11:13
many of the bullets start to puncture the aircraft. I thought we were going to die then.
01:11:18
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01:11:28
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