Fascinating Nouns

Daniel J. Glenn
  • 4.9 (15)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Biweekly

The galaxy’s most trusted source for incredible people, places, things, and ideas

  1. Ep. 275: The Crazy Eddie Story is INSANE!

    6d ago

    Ep. 275: The Crazy Eddie Story is INSANE!

    He was more famous than the mayor of New York — and one of the biggest fraudsters in American history. In this episode of Fascinating Nouns, host Daniel J. Glenn sits down with author Gary Weiss, author of Retail Gangster: The Fall of Crazy Eddie, to unravel the wild true story of Eddie Antar — the man behind the iconic “his prices are insane!” commercials that dominated New York airwaves in the 70s and 80s. We dig into the origins of the Antar family’s Syrian-Jewish immigrant roots, the cultural practice of “Nehkdi” (profit skimming) that became the gateway to massive fraud, and how Eddie built his empire on stolen sales tax, bait-and-switch sales tactics, and rigged co-op advertising deals. We trace the company’s rise through its 1984 IPO, the inventory fraud that inflated its stock price, and the family betrayals — including Eddie’s own cousin and CFO, Sam Antar, who eventually became the key witness against him. Finally, we cover Eddie’s dramatic downfall: insider trading, a hostile takeover that exposed empty filing cabinets, his international manhunt and capture in Israel, and one truly wild detail — a former Crazy Eddie salesman who went on to become a street boss in the Bonanno crime family. This is one of the craziest true crime business stories you’ll ever hear — equal parts immigrant success story, family betrayal, and Wall Street fraud. Topics Covered: Who was Crazy Eddie? The man behind the commercials Syrian-Jewish immigrant roots & the “Nehkdi” tax skim Stolen sales tax, bait-and-switch & “lunching” scams Co-op advertising fraud The 1984 IPO & inventory manipulation Family betrayal: Sam Antar & the cousin who brought him down Insider trading & the hostile takeover that exposed everything Tracking Eddie down in Israel The Bonanno crime family connection Gary on Social Media Website Website 2 Purchase “Retail Gangster” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

    1h 8m

  2. Jun 8

    *Bonus* – Giggles in the Trees

    In this episode Amelia and I go beyond the science and discuss the more supernatural elements of communicating with animals, which include animal psychics and prescient dreams.  And it all starts with a distinct giggling in the trees…

    15 min
  3. Ep. 274: The Science of Animal Communication

    Jun 8

    Ep. 274: The Science of Animal Communication

    Since before the publication of Dr. Doolittle, we have been obsessed with communicating with animals.  Whether it’s out pet dog or the squirrel he’s chasing in the backyard, we would love to know what these creatures are thinking.  That is exactly what motivated Amelia Thomas to write her book ‘What Sheep Think about the Weather’, which documents her attempts at understanding how animals try to communicate with us, and each other.  She and I discuss how she spent a day sniffing the world with her dogs, which earwigs have the best personality, and how many different dialects fruit flies have.  We even discuss the Great Ape Gesture Dictionary, which *Spoiler* is way more intuitive than than you think. Amelia on Social Media Website Facebook Instagram Purchase “What Sheep Think About the Weather” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

    1h 7m
  4. Ep. 273: The Art of Sword Swallowing

    11/18/2025

    Ep. 273: The Art of Sword Swallowing

    If you know the name Dan Meyer, it is because he is the world’s foremost expert on sword swallowing.  He has had several appearances on America’s Got Talent, he has a famous Ted Talk, and he even has an IG Nobel Prize for his work documenting injuries sustained while swallowing swords.  What people don’t know is that for as impressive as this body of work is, it pales in comparison to his lifelong pursuit of thromes.  After surviving a bout of malaria, he vowed to make the most of life and has lived on an island, on a boat, visited the 7 wonders, and has seen Mt. Everest at dawn.  We discuss his unbelievable journey, and even learn how he got the nickname “Curly”, and no, it’s not because he loves the Three Stooges. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Stanford Research w/ Russel Targ Dan Meyer on Social Media Cutting Edge Innertainment Facebook 1 Facebook 2 X Instagram TikTok Purchase “To The Hilt” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

    1h 7m
  5. Ep. 272: The Greatest Memory in the World

    11/04/2025

    Ep. 272: The Greatest Memory in the World

    How far back do your memories go?  Do you remember your kiss with little Susie in second grade?  Can you remember your Kindergarten teacher’s name?  What do you remember about the day you were born?  My guess is, even if you CAN remember any of these things, the details are pretty fuzzy.  Not so for today’s guest Rebecca Sharrock.  She has a rare condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM).  This means, she literally remembers EVERYTHING that has ever happened to her with crystal clear accuracy.  She even claims to have memories that are prenatal!  It is quite possible she has the best memory on the planet right now.  Of course we discuss this, but also her encounters with ghosts, her myriad phobias, and what she thinks of the Huntsman spider. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Memory w/ Elizabeth Loftus Rebecca Sharock on Social Media Facebook 1 Facebook 2 Website Purchase “My Life is a Puzzle” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

    1h 11m

  6. 10/21/2025

    *Bonus* – Gangsters In Rap

    Italian mobsters were not the only ones who wanted to control an entire musical genre.  Rap Mogul Suge Knight followed the formula of the Mafia by controlling the lives of up-and-coming rappers, and beating/killing the competition.  Just ask Vanilla Ice.

    10 min
  7. Ep. 271: The Mafia in Rock n’ Roll

    10/21/2025

    Ep. 271: The Mafia in Rock n’ Roll

    Today, it is a given that Rock ‘N Roll is still one of the most popular and lucrative music genres in the world, but this was not always the case.  In the 1950’s, it was an upstart musical movement that was nothing like the contemporary songs of the day.  It needed a push, and that push came from an unlikely source:  The Mafia.  The Mob realized the potential of this new music, and they made it their mission to make a monopoly out of it.  Jeffrey Sussman is back to tell us how The Mob made a star out of Rock ‘N Roll by using Jukeboxes, “into perpetuity” contracts, Payola, and a few old fashion beatdowns. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Howard Hughes in Hollywood Jeffrey Sussman on Social Media Facebook Twitter Purchase “Backbeat Gangsters” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

    1h 1m
  8. Ep. 270: Let’s Get Wasted

    10/07/2025

    Ep. 270: Let’s Get Wasted

    There is nothing more ubiquitous in human existence than waste.  To live is to produce refuse.  And there are so many kinds of waste:  Human, household, digital to name a few.  But what is waste really?  Turns out, the definition is pretty fluid.  In this episode I talk to John Scanlan, author of “The Idea of Waste” to get to bottom of this garbage pile.  What I find there is shocking.  We discuss fatburgs, cardboard furniture, sealed crap pegged to the gold standard, Henry Ford, and of course Shel Silverstein. John Scanlan on Social Media Website Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook X YouTube Bluesky

    1 hr
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4.9
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About

The galaxy’s most trusted source for incredible people, places, things, and ideas

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel J. Glenn
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2026
  • Episodes
    377
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Glennco 2013 - 2023
  • Show Website
    Fascinating Nouns