Backstory with Larry Potash

Conspiracy theories have been spread around long before the internet made it easy. While some are harmless, there are those that have led to dangerous consequences. We look at how some people can believe these far-fetched ideas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A pile of decaying pages of colorful language make up a manuscript about mobsters from long ago. There's no author, but some clues may lead to the writer's identity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chicago artist Carrie McCluskey uses a long-lost photographic technique to bring home a message with a chilling warning.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Roller skating started out as a fad and eventually became a cultural movement. New skaters continue to be inspired even as more roller rinks disappear.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How the donut changed Americans' perspective on the Salvation Army, while feeding soldiers on the front lines. This is the Backstory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Kettman made a discovery in a remote patch of farm field that ignited a mission to uncover a centuries-old mystery. This is the Backstory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone has their own idea of what makes great barbecue. For one Chicago family, their mastery of “the pit” is as much about the stories behind the recipes, the beginnings of which date back to their ancestor's enslavement. This is the Backstory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bozo T. Clown... from its humble beginnings as a record company character, to its height as a cultural icon for generations of Chicagoans. This is the Backstory.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A hundred years ago, four brothers decided to rob a train car carrying millions in cash and bonds. It's considered one of the greatest train robberies of all time. This is the Backstory.

When Confederate soldiers came to Chicago, they did so as prisoners. Camp Douglas housed thousands of Union Army prisoners of war... and the camp had its share of controversy. This is the Backstory.

Race continues to be something that divides and disenfranchises people all over the world. Buy why? This is the Backstory.

After World War II, hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members were unwittingly subjected to radiation tests by their own government. Today, many of them are still fighting for health care, and a proper acknowledgment of their sacrifice. This is the Backstory.

In the early days of basketball, women were treated much differently on the court. Doctors said ladies should only play half court, as opposed to the full court games men played. And there weren't very many opportunities for women to play basketball after high school. Then a league of barnstormers entered the scene, and everything changed. This is the Backstory.

One street in a small western Illinois town has housed more U.S. service members than any other street in America. This is the Backstory.

The freedom we feel on a bicycle is difficult to replicate. And the history of the bike goes deeper than you might think. This is the Backstory.

How a Navy veteran fought for years to honor the thousands of marginalized men and women who served in the US Armed Forces. This is the Backstory.

Before Capone, there was another crime king of Chicago. Michael Cassius McDonald arrived in the city as a teenager, and scammed his way to becoming one of Chicago's most influential crime bosses. This is the Backstory.

Few mediums wield the power of the political cartoon. But as newspapers shrink, so do the number of cartoonists working today. A half century ago, Chicago Sun Times Cartoonist Bill Mauldin spoke truth to power with his cartoons. This is the Backstory.

In the early days of the automotive industry, few independent automakers were able to compete with the Big Three. But that didn't stop Charles Nash from trying. This is the Backstory.

For many years, American beer was boring, and rather bland. More recently, craft beer has exploded in popularity... bringing with it more flavor, rich storytelling, and more opportunity for diverse brewers. This is the Backstory.

A colorful and bustling prairie outside Chicago becomes the site of a manufacturing facility for ammunition during World War II. Then, on June 5, 1942 at 2:45 in the morning, tragedy strikes. This is the Backstory.

Illinois was a free state before the Civil War. But one man found a loophole that allowed him to own slaves. Then he started to kidnap freed slaves, and sell them back to people in slave states. A relic of this operation remains in Equality, Illinois. This is the Backstory.

The bond between man and dog has been written about for millenia. But one man's story is just a little bit different. When he lost his dog, he got a new one from Russia, by way of the White House. This is the Backstory.

When he noticed that older Naval officers were out of shape, this U.S. President mandated new physical endurance tests. When folks in the Navy grumbled about the new directive, he decided to lead by example with an historic stunt. This is the Backstory.

A hero of his era, he fought enemies at home and abroad. But those weren't his only achievements. This is the Backstory.

They only used it for five years, but the people who built the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Chicago designed it like no other building in the world. This is the Backstory.

Abraham Lincoln's personal history fueled his disdain for slavery. And his unlikely alliance with a group of immigrants helped propel him to the White House. This is the Backstory.

A political assassination, domestic terror, and the women of murderess row. Three lost stories of Chicago history. This is the Backstory.

Was he a good guy? Or a bad guy? Hiram C. Whitley was a man of dubious moral character. But that's what it took to infiltrate the KKK in the 1860's. This is the Backstory.

He was a bootlegger. And at one point, he was bigger than Al Capone. Later, he was purportedly the inspiration for the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." But you probably don't know his name. This is the Backstory.

In the era of social media, some people can't take a joke. Political correctness has made it so that many of today's comics won't perform at colleges. But are we missing the point? One of the original stand-ups shows us how we just might be. This is the Backstory.

A building in El Paso, Texas is the site of a century old mystery. On the side of the building: a mural of a turtle. Was it a symbol? In the building's basement: walled off tunnels. Who were they for? Where did they go? This is the Backstory.

The Negro Leagues turn 100 this year. While many of the players never reached Major League notoriety, several people are working to shine a light on their legacy. This is the Backstory.

It was a big boxing match, and it ended in controversy. The referee was accused of cheating the true winner. Who was the ref? You probably know his name. This is the Backstory.

A 19th century daredevil was obsessed with balloons. He wanted to travel far and away... But one stunt ended in tragedy. And the details are still shrouded in mystery. This is the Backstory.

Advertisements painted on old brick buildings still linger in Chicago, but they're slowly disappearing. That's why Joe Marlin is documenting these fading ads of Chicago... This is the Backstory.

A historian gets a rare look inside the Royal Archive to read King George's writings about the Revolutionary War, and Larry takes a trip to his hometown of Boston to walk in the footsteps of history. This is the Backstory.

Ian Fleming worked in British intelligence before he created James Bond... so how much of the world's greatest fictional secret agent was Fleming himself? Find out, on Backstory.

He's found several photographs from more than a century ago, and now Mark Hersch is painstakingly recreating these images, and giving them new life — one frame at a time. This is the Backstory.

He was the man who helped the Feds nail Al Capone on tax evasion charges. But his legacy is greater than that. Find out how, on Backstory.

Considered a useless byproduct by many, offal cuisine is gaining in popularity. Larry Potash gives us the past, present, and future of this culinary tradition through the eyes of some very talented local chefs. This is the Backstory.