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Time & Tales Podcast

LM Riviere + CJ Prime

Time & Tales Podcast — Dark History. Strange Lore. One Tale at a Time.

Welcome to Time & Tales Podcast — Dark History. Strange Lore. One Tale at a Time. Each week we bring you the spookiest tidbits from history and folklore. If macabre facts, eerie fables, and 4am rabbit holes are your natural habitat, you’re in the right place. New episodes every week, wherever you listen.

Prepared and presented by LaNae and CJ. One an author of dark fairy tales, fantasy, and folk horror; the other a skeptical engineer who keeps the evidence front and center. Expect the occasional. lighthearted clash!

If you’re ready for your next late-night obsession, this belongs in your queue.

As always, sources and links can be found in the show notes.

PODCAST THEME by RANDY LEE RIVIERE (randyleeriviere.com)

#history #folklore #darkhistory #fables

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S3 · E11
October 16 · 43 min
Empire of Pain: The Opiod Crisis, PART TWO
In part two of our deep dive into Purdue Pharma, we examine the legal and financial fallout of the opioid crisis. Despite a 2007 guilty plea for misbranding OxyContin, Purdue continued operations while the Sackler family transferred billions of dollars into private accounts. We break down the 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, the subsequent $7.4 billion national settlement, the restructuring of Purdue into Noah Pharma, and the activist campaigns that successfully scrubbed the Sackler name from global museums. ................................................. Support Time & Tales: Our new dark history and folklore eBooks launch October 31st for $13. Grab them at lmriviere.com/anthologies, Or join our Patreon for ad-free & bonus episodes, articles, and other goodies. ............................................ Sources: Barry, Meier. Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. 2nd ed., Random House, 2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic.” CDC, 2024. General Accounting Office. Prescription Drugs: OxyContin Abuse and Diversion and Efforts to Address the Problem. GAO-04-110, U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2003. Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. 603 U.S. ___, Supreme Court of the United States, 2024. Keefe, Patrick Radden. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Doubleday, 2021. Macy, Beth. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America. Little, Brown and Company, 2018. Meier, Barry. “Origins of an Epidemic: Purdue Pharma Knew Its Opioids Were Widely Abused.” The New York Times, 2018. Purdue Frederick Company, Inc. “The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc. and Top Executives Plead Guilty to Misbranding OxyContin; Will Pay Over $600 Million.” U.S. Department of Justice, 10 May 2007. United States v. Purdue Pharma L.P. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Substance Use and Overdose Prevention.” FDA. U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform. “The Role of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family in the Opioid Epidemic.” 2020. UCSF-Johns Hopkins University. Opioid Industry Documents Archive. University of California, San Francisco, and Johns Hopkins University, 2021. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Pre-Episode Warm-Up & BanterTXT 6:36 Cold Open: The 2007 Plea & Escaping CourtTXT 7:14 Intro Music & Episode WarningTXT 8:12 Housekeeping: Books Dropping Oct 31!TXT 10:28 Business as Usual & The Fentanyl TransitionTXT 13:58 The Opioid Industry Documents ArchiveTXT 15:47 Withdrawing $10.7 Billion & The Bankruptcy ShieldTXT 18:48 The 2020 DOJ Criminal & Civil ResolutionTXT 23:55 The Reorganization Plan & Structural AppealsTXT 28:44 Supreme Court Ruling: Harrington v. Purdue PharmaTXT 30:45 The $7.4 Billion Settlement & Noah PharmaTXT 32:55 Nan Goldin, PAIN, & The Museum ProtestsTXT 36:00 Final Thoughts: Corporate AccountabilityTXT 41:40 OutroTXT
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S3 · E10
October 9 · 37 min
Empire of Pain: The Opiod Crisis, PART ONE
In this episode, we cover the Sackler family, Purdue Pharma, OxyContin, and the start of America’s opioid crisis. The story begins with medical advertising, museum prestige, and the doctor-focused marketing that helped turn a Brooklyn family of physicians into one of the most powerful names in pharmaceuticals. We trace OxyContin’s 1995 approval, Purdue’s push into chronic pain treatment, the misleading claim that addiction was rare, and the early warnings from Appalachia. The trail leads to the 2007 federal guilty plea for misbranding OxyContin and a drug campaign that turned pain into profit. ..................................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Dark History Books: https://www.lmriviere.com/anthologies ...................................................... Sources: Barry, Meier. Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic. 2nd ed., Random House, 2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic.” CDC, 2024. General Accounting Office. Prescription Drugs: OxyContin Abuse and Diversion and Efforts to Address the Problem. GAO-04-110, U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2003. Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. 603 U.S. ___, Supreme Court of the United States, 2024. Keefe, Patrick Radden. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Doubleday, 2021. Macy, Beth. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America. Little, Brown and Company, 2018. Meier, Barry. “Origins of an Epidemic: Purdue Pharma Knew Its Opioids Were Widely Abused.” The New York Times, 2018. Purdue Frederick Company, Inc. “The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc. and Top Executives Plead Guilty to Misbranding OxyContin; Will Pay Over $600 Million.” U.S. Department of Justice, 10 May 2007. United States v. Purdue Pharma L.P. U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Substance Use and Overdose Prevention.” FDA. U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform. “The Role of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family in the Opioid Epidemic.” 2020. UCSF-Johns Hopkins University. Opioid Industry Documents Archive. University of California, San Francisco, and Johns Hopkins University, 2021. Van Zee, Art. “The Promotion and Marketing of OxyContin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 99, no. 2, 2009, pp. 221–227.
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S3 · E9
October 3 · 53 min
Sh*it Happens: The Erfurt Latrine Disaster
In this episode, we cover the Erfurt Latrine Disaster of 1184, a medieval catastrophe that brought the politics of the Holy Roman Empire crashing into a literal cesspit. King Henry VI had gathered nobles, bishops, and rival factions in Erfurt to settle a feud between Louis III of Thuringia and Archbishop Conrad of Mainz, but the monastery hall beneath them was already under strain. What followed was one of the most grotesque accidents in European history. Rotten beams, overloaded floors, heavy armor, and failing medieval sanitation sent dozens of powerful men into the latrine below, reshaping central German politics in the most humiliating way imaginable. *Our apologies! We had a computer catastrophe at the pod lab, but we're back up and running! A day late, but hope you dig it anyway ;) ..................................... Links: Website: timeandtalepodcast@gmail.com Email: timenadtalespodcast@gmail.com Dark History Anthologies: lmriviere.com/anthologies ................................... Sources: Althoff, Gerd. Family, Friends and Followers: Political and Social Bonds in Early Medieval Europe. Cambridge University Press, 2004. Fuhrmann, Horst. Germany in the High Middle Ages: c. 1050–1200. Translated by Timothy Reuter, Cambridge University Press, 1986. Holder-Egger, Oswald, editor. Chronica S. Petri Erfordensis Moderne. Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, 1899. Magnusson, Roberta J. Water Technology in the Middle Ages: Cities, Monasteries, and Waterworks after the Roman Empire. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. Stubbs, William. Germany in the Early Middle Ages, 476–1250. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1908.
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S3 · E8
September 25 · 51 min
Alaskan Triangle: Lore of the Missing, PART TWO
Why do people, planes, and search teams keep disappearing in the Alaskan Triangle? We follow the lost C-54 military transport, the Hale Boggs and Nick Begich plane disappearance, Erin Marie Gilbert, Mount Marathon runner Michael LeMaitre, and George Smith Sr., whose remains were identified after 17 years. We also break down the science behind the Alaska Triangle mystery, from sudden weather shifts and whiteouts to cold-water shock, glacier crevasses, failed emergency beacons, geomagnetic storms, and the long distances that can keep help out of reach. ................................................ Links: Dark History Anthologies: https://www.lmriviere.com/the-disenchanted-world Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com .............................................. EMERGENCY CONTACTS FOR ALASKA If you are facing an emergency or immediate danger in Alaska, dial 911. For non-emergency dispatch, the Alaska State Troopers can be reached at 907-451-5100 for the Interior and Western regions; 907-352-5401 for the Mat-Su and Copper Valley; and 907-262-4453 for the Kenai Peninsula and Southeast Alaska. In Anchorage, dial 311 for police dispatch, and in Juneau, call 907-586-0600. For a missing child, contact local authorities immediately, then call 1-800-THE-LOST. ............................................... Sources: Alaska Department of Public Safety. “Missing Persons.” Alaska Department of Public Safety Missing Persons Clearinghouse. Alaska Department of Public Safety. “Search and Rescue.” Alaska State Troopers. Alaska State Troopers. “Michael Paul LeMaitre Missing Persons Bulletin.” Alaska Department of Public Safety, 13 July 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Occupational Aviation Fatalities — Alaska, 2000–2010.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1 July 2011. Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative: FY21 Final Report. 14 Oct. 2021. History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. “The Disappearance of Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana and Representative Nicholas Begich of Alaska.” U.S. House of Representatives. National Transportation Safety Board. Revise Processes to Implement Safety Enhancements for Alaska Aviation Operations. 2020. Uenuma, Francine. “The Enduring Mystery of a Plane That Vanished in the Icy Canadian Wilderness with 44 People on Board.” Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025.
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S3 · E7
September 25 · 43 min
Alaskan Triangle: Lore of the Missing, PART ONE
This Time and Tales episode explores the Alaska Triangle, the remote region between Anchorage, Juneau, and Utqiagvik where missing people, lost aircraft, glaciers, storms, forests, and empty miles of wilderness have fed one of Alaska’s strangest mysteries. We look at real Alaska missing-person cases, including the high number of unresolved Indigenous disappearances and the search challenges created by weather, distance, jurisdiction, and terrain. Then we turn to Alaska folklore, from the Kushtaka and the Nantinaq of Portlock to the Iliamna Lake monster and the Japan Airlines Flight 1628 UFO encounter. NOTE: We recorded this episode in August, but then got very sick, the pair of us. So, we apologize for the wait, and we'll drop episodes 1&2 together. ............................................. Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ............................................ Sources: “Alaska Department of Public Safety and Anchorage Police Department Release Missing Indigenous Persons Report.” Alaska Department of Public Safety, 22 Aug. 2023. “Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons.” Alaska Department of Public Safety. “Missing Persons.” Alaska Department of Public Safety Missing Persons Clearinghouse. “Search and Rescue.” Alaska Department of Public Safety, Alaska State Troopers. “Quarterly Missing Indigenous Persons Report — 2026 Q1.” Alaska Department of Public Safety, 2026. “Missing Persons and Runaway Minors.” Department of Public Safety Operating Procedures Manual, Alaska Department of Public Safety, 15 Aug. 2024. Beck, Mary Giraudo. Shamans and Kushtakas: North Coast Tales of the Supernatural. Alaska Northwest Books, 1991. Bohrer, Becky. “Skull Found in ’97 in Remote Alaska Belongs to New York Man.” Associated Press, 2 Feb. 2023. Bross, Dan. “Search Called Off for Man Missing in Brooks Range.” Alaska Public Media, 26 Nov. 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Occupational Aviation Fatalities — Alaska, 2000–2010.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1 July 2011. Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative: FY21 Final Report. 14 Oct. 2021. Federal Aviation Administration. “Japanese Airlines JAL 1628 UFO Encounter, November 17, 1986.” FAA Investigation File, 1987. National Transportation Safety Board. Revise Processes to Implement Safety Enhancements for Alaska Aviation Operations. NTSB Safety Recommendation Report, 2020. “NOAA Space Weather Scales.” Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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S3 · E6
September 11 · 50 min
The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok
This episode explores the legend of Ragnar Lothbrok, the famous Viking warrior whose story blends saga, folklore, and real ninth-century conquest. From dragon fights and magical wives to the snake pit death that supposedly brought his sons to England, Ragnar’s life is almost impossible to separate from myth. We trace the history behind Ragnar Lothbrok, including the Paris raid of 845, Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, the Great Heathen Army, and the fall of Northumbria. Along the way, we look at how Viking conquest created the Danelaw, changed the future of England, and turned one legendary name into a dynasty. ....................................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalepodcast@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ........................................................ Sources: Ashman Rowe, Elizabeth. Vikings in the West: The Legend of Ragnarr Loðbrók and His Sons. Fassbaender, 2012. Crawford, Jackson, translator. The Saga of the Volsungs: With The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. Hackett Publishing, 2017. Downham, Clare. Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Dunedin Academic Press, 2007. Groeneveld, Emma. “Ragnar Lothbrok.” World History Encyclopedia, 31 Aug. 2018. Groeneveld, Emma. “Ivar the Boneless.” World History Encyclopedia, 12 Nov. 2018. Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 1984. McTurk, Rory. Studies in Ragnars Saga Loðbrókar and Its Major Scandinavian Analogues. Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature, 1991. Ó Corráin, Donnchadh. “High-Kings, Vikings and Other Kings.” Irish Historical Studies, vol. 22, no. 88, 1979, pp. 283–323. Sawyer, Peter, editor. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Oxford University Press, 1997. Saxo Grammaticus. The History of the Danes, Books I–IX. Edited by Hilda Ellis Davidson, translated by Peter Fisher, D. S. Brewer, 1979. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Translated and edited by Michael Swanton, Routledge, 1996. “The Annals of St-Bertin.” The Annals of St-Bertin: Ninth-Century Histories, Volume I. Translated by Janet L. Nelson, Manchester University Press, 1991.
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S3 · E5
September 4 · 51 min
The Missing Amber Room
The Amber Room was once one of the greatest treasures in Europe, a chamber of Baltic amber, gold leaf, mirrors, and mosaics inside Russia’s Catherine Palace. In 1941, Nazi troops tore it from the walls, packed it into 27 crates, and sent it into the heart of the Third Reich. This episode follows the disappearance of the Amber Room during World War II, from Catherine Palace to Königsberg Castle, the Baltic Sea, secret Nazi tunnels, and the decades-long search that followed. We also look at the curse rumors, the recovered fragments, and the reconstructed Amber Room that opened in St. Petersburg in 2003. ........................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere .............................................. Sources: Blumberg, Jess. “A Brief History of the Amber Room.” Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2007. Shor, Russell. “The History and Reconstruction of the Amber Room.” Gems & Gemology, Gemological Institute of America, Winter 2018. Scott-Clark, Cathy, and Adrian Levy. The Amber Room: The Fate of the World’s Greatest Lost Treasure. Walker & Company, 2004. Krylov, Alexander. “The Amber Room: History, Loss and Reconstruction.” In The Amber Room: Three Centuries of History, Tsarskoye Selo State Museum Preserve, 2003. Owen, David. “Forever Amber.” The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2003. “20 Years.” Tsarskoe Selo State Museum and Heritage Site, 31 May 2023. “The Rebirth of the Amber Room.” The Tretyakov Gallery Magazine. “The Amber Room.” Catherine Palace / Tsarskoye Selo State Museum Preserve. “The Amber Room.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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S3 · E4
August 28 · 50 min
Aqua Tofana: Avon Ladies of Doom
Aqua Tofana was a clear, nearly tasteless poison sold to women in 17th-century Italy. Linked to Giulia Tofana and later Geronima Spana, it became the center of a deadly Roman poisoning scandal involving abused wives, wealthy noblewomen, secret couriers, and papal investigators. This episode follows the rise of the Aqua Tofana poison network, the 1659 Spana prosecution, the executions at Campo de’ Fiori, and the legends that later distorted the case. We also examine how marriage laws, class, gender, and the plague helped the poison spread through Rome. ............................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere .............................................. Sources: Buchanan, Ashley. “‘One Drop to Heal, Three Drops to Kill’: Women and Early Modern Poison.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 24 Oct. 2025. Feci, Simona. “Trame di donne all’indomani della peste romana del 1656. La vicenda dell’«acqua tofana».” Mélanges de l’École française de Rome - Italie et Méditerranée modernes et contemporaines, vol. 132, no. 1, 2020, pp. 59–71. Feci, Simona. L’acquetta di Giulia: Mogli avvelenatrici e mariti violenti nella Roma del Seicento. Viella, 2024. Monson, Craig A. The Black Widows of the Eternal City: The True Story of Rome’s Most Infamous Poisoners. University of Michigan Press, 2020. Zaleski, Erin. “Did Giulia Tofana Kill Hundreds of Men in Renaissance Italy?” National Geographic, 10 July 2026. Archivio di Stato di Roma. “L’Acqua Tofana – Mogli avvelenatrici nella Roma del ‘600.” Ministero della Cultura, 16 May 2025. “Giulia Tofana.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. “Spana Prosecution.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
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S3 · E3
August 21 · 53 min
The Pirate Republic of Nassau, PART THREE
The Pirate Republic of Nassau reaches its end as Blackbeard is hunted down, Calico Jack Rackham returns to piracy with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and Charles Vane loses everything. With Nassau under British control, the pirates no longer have a safe harbor, and the Golden Age of Piracy begins to collapse. Part three follows the deaths of Blackbeard and Charles Vane, the capture of Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read, and Woodes Rogers’ struggle to rebuild New Providence. We also look at how the fall of Nassau helped end the Golden Age of Piracy and whether the Pirate Republic could ever have survived as an independent nation. ...................................................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ........................ Sources: Bahamas National Archives. “Woodes Rogers.” Britannica. “The Bahamas: British Colonization.” Britannica. “Woodes Rogers.” Queen Anne’s Revenge Project. “Did You Know Woodes Rogers was the First Royal Governor of the Bahamas?” “1717–1718 Acts of Grace.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Woodes Rogers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Charles Vane.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. Colin Woodard. The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt, 2007. Johnson, Charles. A General History of the Pyrates. 1724. Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Beacon Press, 2004. Konstam, Angus. Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day. Lyons Press, 2008. Live Science. “First Shipwrecks Linked to Real Pirates of the Caribbean Found in Bahamas.”
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S3 · E2
August 14 · 50 min
The Pirate's Republic of Nassau, PART TWO
The Pirate Republic of Nassau begins to fall when King George I offers a pardon to any pirate willing to surrender. Benjamin Hornigold accepts the deal. Charles Vane refuses, sets a captured ship on fire, and uses it to escape the British fleet. Part two follows Woodes Rogers as he takes Nassau back for the Crown, hires former pirates to hunt their old allies, and hangs the men who break their pardons. Charles Vane loses his command, Calico Jack Rackham takes his place, and Nassau’s days as the safest pirate port in the Caribbean come to an end. ......................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ........................ Sources: Bahamas National Archives. “Woodes Rogers.” Britannica. “The Bahamas: British Colonization.” Britannica. “Woodes Rogers.” Queen Anne’s Revenge Project. “Did You Know Woodes Rogers was the First Royal Governor of the Bahamas?” “1717–1718 Acts of Grace.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Woodes Rogers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Charles Vane.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. Colin Woodard. The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt, 2007. Johnson, Charles. A General History of the Pyrates. 1724. Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Beacon Press, 2004. Konstam, Angus. Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day. Lyons Press, 2008. Live Science. “First Shipwrecks Linked to Real Pirates of the Caribbean Found in Bahamas.”
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S3 · E1
August 14 · 50 min
The Pirate's Republic of Nassau, PART ONE
The Pirate Republic of Nassau rose in the early 1700s after thousands of privateers were left without work at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. With no strong government, a defensible harbor, and wealthy Atlantic shipping lanes nearby, Nassau became the most important pirate stronghold in the Caribbean. Part one explores the rise of the Pirate Republic of Nassau through Henry Every, the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet, Henry Jennings, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and Blackbeard. We trace how New Providence became a base for the Golden Age of Piracy, where pirate crews elected captains, divided stolen treasure, and built a lawless society beyond the control of the British Crown. ................................... Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ........................ Sources: Bahamas National Archives. “Woodes Rogers.” Britannica. “The Bahamas: British Colonization.” Britannica. “Woodes Rogers.” Queen Anne’s Revenge Project. “Did You Know Woodes Rogers was the First Royal Governor of the Bahamas?” “1717–1718 Acts of Grace.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Woodes Rogers.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. “Charles Vane.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. Colin Woodard. The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt, 2007. Johnson, Charles. A General History of the Pyrates. 1724. Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Beacon Press, 2004. Konstam, Angus. Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day. Lyons Press, 2008. Live Science. “First Shipwrecks Linked to Real Pirates of the Caribbean Found in Bahamas.
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S2 · E13
July 17 · 43 min
The Infuriatingly Sad Tale of "Typhoid Mary" PART TWO
In 1910, Mary Mallon walked out of quarantine under one condition: she could never work as a cook again. By 1915, she was back in a Manhattan hospital kitchen under the name Mary Brown, and a new typhoid outbreak had infected 25 people and killed two. This episode concludes the story of “Typhoid Mary,” the asymptomatic carrier whose choices turned a public health crisis into a legal and ethical battleground. Part two follows Mary’s broken parole, the Sloane Maternity Hospital outbreak, her second arrest, and the decades she spent confined on North Brother Island. We look at disease, quarantine, civil liberties, media panic, gender bias, immigration, and why Mary Mallon’s case still echoes through every modern debate about public health and personal freedom. ......................................... Links: Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Website: timeandtalespodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ..................................... Sources: Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public’s Health. Beacon Press, 1996. Soper, George A. “The Work of a Chronic Typhoid Germ Distributor.” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 48, no. 24, 1907, pp. 2019–2022. Soper, George A. “The Curious Career of Typhoid Mary.” Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, vol. 15, no. 10, 1939, pp. 698–712. Baker, Sara Josephine. Fighting for Life. Macmillan, 1939. Bourdain, Anthony. Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical. Bloomsbury, 2001. Mallon, Mary. “Typhoid Mary Speaks for Herself.” New York American, 1909. Marineli, Filio, et al. “Mary Mallon (1869–1938) and the History of Typhoid Fever.” Annals of Gastroenterology, vol. 26, no. 2, 2013, pp. 132–134. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene records on Mary Mallon, North Brother Island, and typhoid carrier policy. Library of Congress. “Typhoid Mary: Topics in Chronicling America.”
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S2 · E12
July 10 · 42 min
The Infuriatingly Sad Tale of "Typhoid Mary" PART ONE
In early 1900s New York, a cook named Mary Mallon moved from one wealthy household to another while typhoid followed in her wake. This episode begins the story of “Typhoid Mary”: the Irish immigrant cook who seemed perfectly healthy, the baffling outbreaks that struck rich families instead of slums, and the medical investigation that changed public health history by identifying one of America’s first known asymptomatic carriers. Part one follows Mary’s rise as a private cook, the trail of typhoid cases linked to her kitchens, George Soper’s hunt to prove she was spreading the disease, and the explosive confrontation that ended with her forced quarantine on North Brother Island. It’s a story about disease, class, immigration, fear, and the moment modern epidemiology collided with one woman’s life. ............................................ Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ............................................... Sources: Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public’s Health. Beacon Press, 1996. Soper, George A. “The Work of a Chronic Typhoid Germ Distributor.” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 48, no. 24, 1907, pp. 2019–2022. Soper, George A. “The Curious Career of Typhoid Mary.” Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, vol. 15, no. 10, 1939, pp. 698–712. Baker, Sara Josephine. Fighting for Life. Macmillan, 1939. Bourdain, Anthony. Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical. Bloomsbury, 2001. Mallon, Mary. “Typhoid Mary Speaks for Herself.” New York American, 1909. Marineli, Filio, et al. “Mary Mallon (1869–1938) and the History of Typhoid Fever.” Annals of Gastroenterology, vol. 26, no. 2, 2013, pp. 132–134. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene records on Mary Mallon, North Brother Island, and typhoid carrier policy. Library of Congress. “Typhoid Mary: Topics in Chronicling America.”
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S2 · E11
July 3 · 1 hr 7 min
Little Murder Boots: Caligula PART TWO
In this second part of our Caligula series, Rome’s young emperor stops pretending to be merciful. We follow the purge of rivals and family members, the humiliation of the Senate, the money drain of spectacles and forced taxes, the horse-consul insult, the Jerusalem crisis, and the escalating paranoia that turned the palace into a death trap. This episode covers Caligula at his most volatile: the sisters, the treasury, the Bay of Baiae, the failed northern campaign, the execution of Ptolemy of Mauretania, and the final conspiracy inside the Praetorian Guard that ended his reign in blood. It’s the back half of one of Rome’s darkest imperial stories, where absolute power finally pushes too far. ............................. Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ............................... Sources: Suetonius. “The Life of Caligula.” The Twelve Caesars. Cassius Dio. Roman History, Book 59. Philo of Alexandria. On the Embassy to Gaius. Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19. “Caligula.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Barrett, Anthony A. Caligula: The Abuse of Power. Routledge, 2015. Winterling, Aloys. Caligula: A Biography. University of California Press, 2011. Katz, Robert S. “The Illness of Caligula.” The Classical World, 1972. Charry-Sánchez, Jorge D., et al. “Caligula: A Neuropsychiatric Explanation of His Madness.” Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 2021. Shotter, David. Caligula. Routledge, 2004.
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S2 · E10
June 26 · 46 min
Little Murder Boots: Caligula PART ONE
This episode follows Caligula from “Little Boots,” the adored son of Germanicus, to one of the most infamous rulers in Roman history: his rise under Tiberius, the illness that changed his reign, the deaths of rivals and family members, the war with the Senate, and the assassination that ended his dynasty. In AD 37, Rome welcomed a young emperor from one of its most famous bloodlines, the son of Germanicus and heir to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Less than four years later, Caligula was dead—cut down by his own guards in a palace corridor after a reign marked by executions, humiliation, divine pretensions, and growing terror at the center of imperial power. ............................................. Links: Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Video Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ............................................. Sources: Suetonius. “The Life of Caligula.” The Twelve Caesars. Cassius Dio. Roman History, Book 59. Philo of Alexandria. On the Embassy to Gaius. Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19. “Caligula.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Barrett, Anthony A. Caligula: The Abuse of Power. Routledge, 2015. Winterling, Aloys. Caligula: A Biography. University of California Press, 2011. Katz, Robert S. “The Illness of Caligula.” The Classical World, 1972. Charry-Sánchez, Jorge D., et al. “Caligula: A Neuropsychiatric Explanation of His Madness.” Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 2021. Shotter, David. Caligula. Routledge, 2004.
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S2 · E9
June 12 · 43 min
Prague's Cursed Clocktower: The Orloj
In Prague’s Old Town Square, a skeleton pulls a cord, the apostles pass behind tiny doors, the rooster crows, and one of Europe’s most famous clocks marks another hour. This episode follows the dark history and folklore of the Prague Astronomical Clock, or Orloj: a medieval marvel tied to legends of a blinded clockmaker, ghostly warnings, broken gears, and the belief that Prague will suffer if the clock ever stops. We trace the Orloj from its construction in 1410 through war, religious upheaval, fire, WWII damage, restoration, and modern controversy—asking why this beautiful mechanical wonder has been linked for centuries to curses, disaster, and blood in the square below it. ............................... Links: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com timeandtalespodcast.com https://www.youtube.com/@LMRiviere ................................ Sources: Prague City Tourism. “The Astronomical Clock.” Prague City Tourism. “Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock.” CzechTourism. “Prague Astronomical Clock Returns After Restoration.” Radio Prague International. “Prague’s Astronomical Clock Removed for Repairs.” Radio Prague International. “Was the Reconstruction of Prague’s Famous Astronomical Clock Botched?” Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Prague.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hussite.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Thirty Years’ War.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Battle of White Mountain.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Austro-Prussian War.” Charles University. Historical materials on Jan Šindel and medieval Prague. Prague City Archives. Materials on Old Town Hall and the Prague Astronomical Clock. “Prague Astronomical Clock.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
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S2 · E8
May 29 · 50 min
Eliot Ness and The Mad Butcher: PART THREE
In the final chapter of this three-part series, Time and Tales examines the leading suspects in the Cleveland Torso Murders, including Dr. Francis Sweeney, Frank Dolezal, and Willie Johnson. LaNae and CJ break down Eliot Ness’ investigation into the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the evidence tied to the murders, the links between victims Florence Polillo and Rose Wallace, theories involving morphine trafficking and organized crime, and why the case remains one of Cleveland’s most infamous unsolved serial killer mysteries. ........................................... Links: timeandtalespodcast.com timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com LaNae's Books: lmriviere.com .............................................. Sources: Cleveland Police Museum. Torso Murders. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Torso Murders. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Ness, Eliot. Federal Bureau of Investigation. A Byte Out of History: Eliot Ness and the FBI. Cleveland Historical. Ness’ Burning of Kingsbury Run. Collins, Max Allan, and A. Brad Schwartz. Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: Hunting America's Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer at the Dawn of Modern Criminology. William Morrow, 2020.
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S2 · E7
May 22 · 32 min
Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: PART TWO
By August 1938, the Cleveland Torso Murders had left bodies across Kingsbury Run, the Cuyahoga River, the lakefront, and the city’s industrial edges. In this second part, the case escalates when two more victims appear near the East 9th Street lakefront dump, practically under City Hall’s nose, and the pressure on Eliot Ness becomes impossible to ignore. This episode follows the investigation as it broadens into medical conferences, dead-end suspects, and the growing belief that the killer knew Cleveland’s poorest districts intimately. It also traces Ness’s most infamous response: the Kingsbury Run raid, the burning of the shantytown, and the desperate attempt to disrupt a murderer who always seemed one step ahead. ................................................................ Links: LaNae's Books: lmriviere.com Request an Episode: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Visit our website: timeandtalespodcast.com .................................................................. Collins, Max Allan, and A. Brad Schwartz. Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: Hunting America’s Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer at the Dawn of Modern Criminology. William Morrow, 2021. “NESS, ELIOT.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. “TORSO MURDERS.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. “The Torso Murders.” Cleveland Police Museum. Schwartz, A. Brad. “How Eliot Ness Wound Up Hunting a Serial Killer in Cleveland.” CrimeReads, 6 Sept. 2022. Wikipedia Encyclopedia Britannica
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S2 · E6
May 15 · 33 min
Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: PART ONE
In 1930s Cleveland, bodies began turning up in places most of the city tried not to see: Kingsbury Run, the river flats, rail lines, and waste ground crowded with poverty during the Depression. In this episode, we begin the story of the Cleveland Torso Murders—also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run case—and the nightmare that landed on Eliot Ness’s desk when victims started appearing decapitated, dismembered, and, in some cases, never identified at all. This first part follows the early victims, the panic building around the killings, and the impossible position Ness found himself in: a famous lawman brought in to clean up a city where corruption, class prejudice, and chaos were already working against the investigation. It’s the start of one of the darkest unsolved serial murder cases in American history. ............................................... Check out LaNae's books: lmriviere.com Request and episode: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Sign up for our newsletter: timeandtalespodcast.com .............................................. Sources: Collins, Max Allan, and A. Brad Schwartz. Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: Hunting America’s Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer at the Dawn of Modern Criminology. William Morrow, 2021. “NESS, ELIOT.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. “TORSO MURDERS.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. “The Torso Murders.” Cleveland Police Museum. Schwartz, A. Brad. “How Eliot Ness Wound Up Hunting a Serial Killer in Cleveland.” CrimeReads, 6 Sept. 2022.
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S2 · E5
May 1 · 33 min
Mercy Brown & the New England Vampire Panic
In 1892, in Exeter, Rhode Island, a grieving family exhumed the body of nineteen-year-old Mercy Brown in a desperate attempt to save her dying brother. This episode follows the real story behind one of America’s most famous vampire legends: tuberculosis, winter graves, folk belief, and the New England vampire panic that turned a family tragedy into a permanent piece of American folklore. We trace Mercy Brown’s death, the exhumation in March 1892, the medical reality of consumption, and the wider fear that the dead could drain life from the living. It’s a story of grief, disease, and superstition in nineteenth-century New England—and why Mercy Brown still haunts American dark history more than a century later. ................................................................... Website: timeandtalespodcast.com Email: timeandtalespodcast@gmail.com Read LaNae's New Book: A Vow For Breaking ................................................................... Sources: Auerbach, Nina. Our Vampires, Ourselves. University of Chicago Press, 1995. Bell, Michael E. Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England’s Vampires. Carroll & Graf, 2001. Bell, Michael E. “Vampires and Death in New England, 1784 to 1892.” Anthropology and Humanism, vol. 31, no. 2, 2006, pp. 124–140. Brown, Mercy Lena. Obituary notice. Providence Journal, 20 Jan. 1892. Brown, Edwin Atwood. Obituary notice. Providence Journal, 7 May 1892. “Exhumation of the Brown Family.” Providence Journal, 19 Mar. 1892. Rhode Island Historical Society. “Have Mercy…” 31 Oct. 2016. Stetson, George R. “The Animistic Vampire in New England.” American Anthropologist, vol. 9, no. 1, 1896, pp. 1–18. Tucker, Abigail. “The Great New England Vampire Panic.” Smithsonian Magazine, Oct. 2012.
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