Stephanie Hoover Has That Story Stephanie Hoover

How the popular vampire franchise Fright Night was killed by one of the most notorious murders in American history.

* Includes an Exclusive Interview with the Legendary Singer Johnny Mathis *

It was “the” place to see and be seen. But it was too successful for Monte Proser’s own good.

Monte Proser was described as a “little guy who was practically brought up on Broadway.” He instinctively understood that patrons came to a nightclub for the show. And his finest creation was the Copacabana at 10 E. 60th Street in Manhattan.

A-List 1940s celebrities from Susan Hayward, to Bert Lahr, to Betty Grable wanted tables - and didn’t mind paying for them.

The Copa was a goldmine, and gangster Frank Costello took notice. Before he even knew what happened, Monte Proser was a bit player in his own greatest production.

This episode offers a fascinating look at the history of this iconic New York nightclub and includes an exclusive interview with legendary singer Johnny Mathis who performed there in the 1950s.

For more information on this podcast, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

Spiritualism, the belief in the ability to speak with the dead, started as a practical joke in 1848 when two teenage girls in upstate New York realized they could produce seemingly paranormal noises by cracking their toe knuckles, of all things. The Fox sisters delighted in their gullible mother's response, and soon convinced her these "rapping" sounds were actually produced by a murdered vagabond buried on their property. It was, the girls said, his form of communication - conversations that only they had the power to initiate.
Within two decades, the organized Spiritualism movement was a worldwide phenomenon - and it wasn't just exploitable housewives who took the bait. Men and women from all walks of life, levels of education, and strata of society fell under its spell - political leaders among them.
There were, of course, presidents who didn't believe in this supernatural mumbo jumbo. But, to paraphrase the old cliché, psychics aren't known for letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

In this episode I tell you the surprising - sometimes rocky - history of the unpredictable relationships between politicians and psychics.

For more information about Stephanie Hoover Has That Story, or to listen to more episodes, visit this page.

And, to read Stephanie's book about Nelson and Jennie Holmes and their fraudulent medium Katie, click here.

It's Election Day in America and the only thing we can be sure of is that a lot of people will have a lot of predictions.
Humans have tried to predict the future since the first caveman wondered if it would rain. But the truth is, no one knows what the future holds. Still, that doesn't stop people from guessing.
Today I'm going to tell you about the five worst prognostications of all time (including the one about women not actually wanting to vote.) I predict that, if nothing else, you'll find them an entertaining reminder that - where human beings are concerned - there's no such thing as a sure bet.

To listen to other episodes of Stephanie Hoover Has That Story, visit this page.

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who cover their face with pillows while they watch scary movies - and those of us who inch closer to the screen the scarier the movie gets. 
We've all heard the dime store psychology. Horror movies, claim the professionals, satiate our primitive need for safe thrills. We all KNOW there's no Freddie Krueger... no malevolent clown in the street drains... no evil spirit in your TV about to do a freaky-deaky jerky crawl into your living room. 
These frights, as effective as they are, are just products of the imaginations of skilled - if not deliciously morbid - writers' imaginations. 
And so, we pop our popcorn and turn off the lights and we laugh at the fools who investigate noises in the basement or attic when it's quite obvious that THAT is EXACTLY where death waits. 
We laugh at friends complaining of nightmares, smugly reminding them it's all just Hollywood hooey.
But what if it wasn't…?
What if the horror on the screen is simply a retelling of horrors perpetrated in real life? Worse, what if they could actually happen… again? To… you?
In this final installment of my six-part Halloween celebration, I'll tell you about the REAL events that inspired some of Hollywood's most terrifying feature films. And then we'll see just how brave you really are.

For more information, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

As the old rhyme goes...
Even he who is pure of heart
And says his prayers at night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the moon is full and bright.

We all know the legends - but where did this myth of "man-becomes-wolf" originate? Are these simply exaggerated stories of one of the world's most efficient natural predators? Perhaps the werewolf's carnage is symbolic of the savagery man has inflicted on man over the centuries. Or, could there actually be some underlying truth to the folklore? Stephanie has that story - but she'll leave the conclusions to you.

To share your comments on this episode, send Stephanie a message. Or, join the conversation in one of her new Facebook groups:

• Old Fashioned Crime

• Ghosts, Monsters & Myths

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The following music (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
White Hats by Wayne Jones (You Tube Creator Studio)
Apocalypse by SYBS (You Tube Creator Studio)

Werewolf image created by Ria Sopala from Pixabay