Grim Philly

With a ghost story or two, the mythical cryptid of the New Jersey Pine Barrens’ historical and literary origins are explored from colonial settlement to modernity – and retold through research and banter in this previously unreleased audio from our Jersey Devil series. Joe Wojie, Britnee Smith, Ted Sisco, Tim Collins, and Lauren Krupinski discuss The Devil of Leeds, Daniel and Titan Leeds, early colonial settlements and the governments of New Jersey and New York, the supposed cross-dressing governor Edward Hyde (Lord Cornbury), and how a series of historical personalities and events converged to inform our modern conception of the mythical monster of legend commonly understood as The Jersey Devil.

Professor Joe visits London on-location inside Bedlam Asylum in England with Curator David Luck, in person. Then, visits on-location in Scotland to interview Dr. Gayle Davis, Deputy Head of the History Department at University of Edinburgh about her research in to sex and the asylum where-as applicable to Bedlam and The British Asylum System. Please enjoy here highlight clips from the both in-person interviews in The British Isles, from our larger archive recorded back in 2019. Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly this winter for the three-part Bedlam interview in full (with an earlier introduction), and become a patron, there.For your friendship and support these many years we are ever so humbled and grateful and can not wait to bring to you more global and local true crime and history stories when we return next fall. Visit https://www.grimphilly.com/ for live historian-led history and dark history walks year-round in Philadelphia additionally for the highest rated tours in Philadelphia and amongst the highest rated in The United States for 2023 and 2024 which we remain still currently ranked for our daytime and nighttime history tours, both. https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25Thank you to Anuj Agarwal and Feedspot for ranking us #1 Pennsylvania True Crime Podcast -https://podcast.feedspot.com/philadelphia_history_podcasts/?feedid=5497005&_src=f2_featured_emailAnd to Goodpods for ranking us #1 Dark Histories Podcast globally. - https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/other/dark-history?period=alltime#60797433 

From Germany to Philadelphia evil magic and witches have frightened, fascinated; been studied, and characterized from King James and Shakespeare to modernity in the popular imagination. Join historians from Grim as we discuss belief in magic and witchcraft from The Old World to The New – and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about witches, in a scholarly sense – from the Germanic territories and British Isles through Philadelphia and Salem. Numerous academic voices join our long-form conversational exploration with a mild comedic nugget at the end.Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly for a scholarly follow-up interview on a facet of this same topic with Dr. Tom Webster on English witches, demonic possession, and exorcism in the British Isles recorded on-location in Scotland at University of Edinburgh where he is a tenured professor and widely published expert in the field.https://www.grimphilly.com/for nightly Dark Philly Adult Night Tours with a spattering of the paranormal for mature-audiences live in Philadelphia all season. Voted Philadelphia’s best history and ghost tours and one of the highest rated attractions in the country on Trip Advisor’s Best of the Best Activities of The United States for 2024. https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your friendship and support we are ever so humbled and cannot wait to bring to you more recorded material here! 

Dr. Anya and Professor Joe talk ghost hunting, paranormal investigative technique and equipment, and ghost-hunting investigations from Batsto in the Jersey Pines and The Jersey Devil to New Hope Pennsylvania.Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly for more weekly short-story extras on ghost tales and the paranormal this spooky season—for our patrons. And to be a friend of this podcast.https://www.grimphilly.com/for Dark Philly Adult Night Tours live every night this fall. Not a Ghost Tour but Better! Ranked nearly the highest rated ghost tour in the entire country on Trip Advisor’s Best of the Best activities and one of the highest rated of all attractions throughout the entire United States for 2023 and 2024. https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your kind friendship and support these many years we are ever so humbled and cannot wait to bring you more studio recordings and to see you live in Philadelphia!

From the Jersey Devil’s haunted home in the Jersey Pines to one of the most infamous haunted dolls on television today. Penn Paranormal’s Mary Jo Chudley joins in-studio to talk paranormal investigation and ghost hunting at The Devil’s Tree, demonic presences, and about her collection of haunted objects. Ghost story readings by Celebrity Historian Britnee Smith. And joined by Dr. Anya Shultz, Psychic Medium Brandi Van, and World History Professor Joe Wojie.Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly for more weekly short-story extras on ghost tales and the paranormal this spooky season—for our patrons. And to be a friend of this podcast.https://www.grimphilly.com/ for Dark Philly Adult Night Tours live every night this fall. Ranked nearly the highest rated ghost tour in the entire country on Trip Advisor’s Best of the Best activities and one of the highest rated of all attractions throughout the entire United States for 2023 and 2024. https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your kind friendship and support these many years we are ever so humbled and cannot wait to bring you more studio recordings and to see you live in Philadelphia!

Ghost Stories, Ouija, and Necromancy from Philadelphia to Salem. Professor Joe Wojie and Celebrity Historian Britnee Smith are joined by Dr. Anya Shultz, Penn Paranormal’s Mary Jo Chudley, and Psychic Medium Brandi Van for true tales of haunting and the paranormal around Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s most famously haunted locations.Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly for more weekly short story extras on ghost tales and the paranormal—for our patrons. And to be a friend of this podcast.https://www.grimphilly.com/for nightly Dark Philly Adult Night Tours with a spattering of the paranormal for mature-audiences live in Philadelphia this fall. Voted #2 Ghost Tour in the entire United States on Trip Advisor’s Best of the Best and #14 of all attractions throughout the entire country for 2024. We are not technically speaking, actually a ghost tour though. Well, maybe a little like a ghost tour. But better. We think. And are honored and thrilled for Trip Advisor's acknowledgement of the care we've put in to creating these experiences for you and the talent of guides who we are quit frankly lucky to have!  https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your friendship and support these many years we are ever so humbled and cannot wait to bring to you more recorded material here with the personalities from our tours and special the guests who join us; and to see you for live events with us every night this fall and year-round here in Philadelphia!

On-Location interview in Chicago: Professor Joe Wojie interviews Author Adam Selzer about The Rise and Fall of Scarface Al Capone. Specific street addresses for assassination attempts by and against the gangster, beer wars, bloodshed, how the gangster got his scar, to Capones love-life, family, and public relations with local press and more are discussed…including fallacies dispelled and urban legends in Chicago about Al Capone. This interview is part of the larger interview library compiled before Grim Philly existed yet in podcast form outside of the original walking tours from which studio recordings later sprung. Please forgive the earlier discrepancies with sound quality and plosives herein – as the interview content is good. The sound quality less-so. The recording is complete also with an earlier introduction and pilot-name, (World History X) before the official launch of Grim Philly studio podcast in 2019.https://www.grimphilly.com/for daily and nightly history and dark histories walks with historians in Philadelphia since 2011.https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly. for weekly extras—short story tales of ghosts and the paranormal—for our patrons. And to be a friend of this podcast.And thank you for supporting these podcast and walking tours these many years and for helping make Grim Philly the number one fall season attraction in Philadelphia, and one of the premiere Best of the Best things to do across the entire United States for 2024! https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your friendship and support we are ever so humbled and cannot wait to bring you more!

From poisoned liquor to mass bribery and criminal activity among Philadelphia police and the mayor – failing attempts to curb the death rate and corruption in Prohibition Philadelphia are brought in to the light by Criminologist Dr. Favian Martin, Professor of World History Joe Wojie, and Historians Britnee Smith and Ted Sisco. Bartender mixology in the era of prohibition period cocktails are mixed in to a more serious sociological mix of The Mayor's Office to thwart reform efforts of Smedley Darlington Butler, Grim Philly’s so-called Batman in 1920’s Gotham Philadelphia. Neighboring New Jersey’s similar sentiment among corrupt public servants and a thirsty citizenry joined to thwart federal attempts at enforcement throughout the Garden State and it’s capital city in kind.Join the personalities from this podcast every night live this fall for a Dark Philly Adult Night Tour, on https://www.grimphilly.com/Join us for weekly extras—short story tales of ghosts and the paranormal—for our patrons over at https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly.And thank you for supporting these podcast and walking tours these many years and helping to make Grim Philly the number one fall season attraction in Philadelphia, and one of the premiere Best of the Best things to do across the entire United States! https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25For your friendship and support we are ever so humbled and can not thank you enough!

Hughie McLoon, Boardwalk Empire, and other politically incorrect stories from Prohibition era Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore are revealed within the larger geo-political climate of the period. World History Professor Joe Wojie is joined by Celebrity Historian Britnee Smith, Historian Ted Sisco, and Arcadia University Criminologist Dr. Favian Martin to discuss everything from mixology to Molly Hatchet in Grim Philly’s Prohibition Part II.Join the personalities from this podcast every night live this fall for a Dark Philly Adult Night Tour, on https://www.grimphilly.com/And join us for weekly extras—short story tales of ghosts and the paranormal—for our patrons over at https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly.  And thank you for supporting Grim Philly’s podcast and tours these many years and making us the number one fall season attraction here in the City of Brotherly Love and in the Great State of Pennsylvania! 

A criminologist, two historians, and a history professor reveal everything from moonshining and speakeasies at the boardwalk and beach, to New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s outright refusal to enforce national prohibition at their respective state levels. The surprising lawlessness of Wildwood and the Jersey Shore saw everything from the illicit liquor trade on boats, barges, and inlets; gangster shoot-outs - to even a mention of The New Jersey Devil or two. Join Britnee, Ted, Joe, and Favian for this storied journey down the shore back to the New Jersey beaches of yesteryear, for Grim Philly’s, Prohibition: Part I: The Wild Woods. Become a patron for exclusive weekly short-story tales of folklore and ghosts this season on https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly. And join the personalities from this show live in Philadelphia for nightly dark philly history tours and more this fall on https://www.grimphilly.com/

A living Jersey Devil caged exhibit was displayed at the 9th and Arch Street Dime Museum in Philadelphia following national headlines and a thousand witness statements claiming to have seen the beast in 1909. Join Grim Philly for a peak inside the gothic world of Philadelphia Victorian entertainments including freak shows, trance lectures and necromancy, mummy unwrapping parties, and the performers whose traveling freak exhibits graced the city of brotherly love. Grim Philly original interview clips from Bedlam Asylum and University of Edinburgh on location highlight entertainments of the era. Visit https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly for additional 2 hours original interview material recorded at Bedlam Asylum in London this winter. Visit https://www.grimphilly.com/ for live entertainments in Philadelphia nightly this fall.

Celebrity Historian Britnee Smith reads us a short-story tale of murder and ghosts from New Jersey’s infamous Shades of Death Road. Available only to our patrons at https://www.patreon.com/grimphilly. We hope to see you there for exclusive weekly short-story readings in folklore and ghosts throughout this fall. And, live in Philadelphia each night with the personalities from this podcast. Dark History tour tickets available at https://www.grimphilly.com/. Just a humble thank you to our patrons and friends who have supported our podcast and tours and helped us to become the highest ranked of all activities across the entire city of Philadelphia and our Dark Philly Adult Night Tour: the 14th BEST of ALL activities across the entire United States for 2024! https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cTopExperiences-g191#25

The Jersey Devil's story begins as we explore Native-American and Anglo cross-cultural pollenization, Quakers, Penn, Anglo settlement of "The Jersey's" and Philadelphia, and banter long on Jersey Devil story seeds of influence. This first episode lays the foundational basis for numerous Jersey Devil side story episodes to come and introduces our full Fall 2024 Jersey Devil Season on New Jersey's cryptid demon.grimphilly.com for true crime and ghost tours this fall and to check out back episodes of Grim Philly Podcast in Philadelphia. patreon.com/grimphilly for exclusive material and to be a friend Grim Philly Podcast and Tours.

Professor Joe Wojie and Dr. Anya Shultz read and banter a folkloric short-story describing the mythical water women described in Lenape tales of the Makeriskhickon (Delaware River) and Shatemuc (Hudson River) – as well as Hoppie the Lockness Monster of the Garden State’s most expansive lake: Hopatcong.  Available to patrons only on Grim Philly Podcast | Dark Histories & True Crime for Mature-Audiences | Patreon - where we will continue to post weekly short stories of folklore and ghosts there throughout the fall.We hope to see you there and thank you for your support and friendship, both there, and for our nightly Dark Philly Adult Night Tours guided by the personalities on this podcast on Grim Philly History and Ghost Tours in Philadelphia – live and in person every night this fall too!

Legend dates The Jersey Devil’s birth to 1735; though historical roots are much older amalgamating Anglo, Lenape, and later literary sources. Exploring etymological evidence and retelling primary and peripheral tales Grim Philly brings together close to 20 scholarly voices to retell stories of history, folklore, and ghosts to deliver a more rich understanding of The Garden State’s infamous monster. Occasional episodes will deal with the cryptid full-on or as a throughline within. Others being inspired by the legend and retelling aspects of historical eras such as the prohibition or witch hunting periods to give context to portions of the legend as well as entertainment and educational value in their own right.Through multidisciplinary research and creative story-telling we hope to bring greater awareness to this local legend that is older even than is The United States.We don’t ever take for granted how blessed we are for the amazing patrons who support our free content for you and will be for you giving back something special by way of additional and behind the scenes content on our patreon there, at patreon.com/grimphilly. And will see you for our nightly dark histories walking tours also this fall! - join us with admission tickets every night through this fall season there on grimphilly.com for that too and to meet some of the personalities you’ve heard on this season’s podcast episodes! We are so blessed and thank you for your support and friendship of our podcast and dark histories walking tours both!

Grim Philly Presents: The Jersey Devil, A Full Season of episodes dedicated to Investigating every aspect of folklore and myth about the New Jersey Cryptid - including witches, ghosts, prohibition, freakshows, Native-American Lenape Lore, Pine Barrens and New Jersey and Pennsylvania colonial and aboriginal histories, and more in a full season of episodes dedicated to stories about the official demon of the state of New Jersey. Grim Philly's Jersey Devil Season begins Fall 2024.

1 of 3. True Crime Philadelphia serial killer The Frankfort Slasher was never apprehended and butchered victims in multiple neighborhood's from 1985 through 1990 including from North Philadelphia to South Philly: in Pennsport, Northern Liberties, Kensington, Port Richmond, and Frankfort. Join three historians, three psychologists, and a criminology professor; former police commander with detectives under him in profiling the killer and mapping this case that has never been solved. This is the most comprehensive investigation and analysis of The Frankfort Slasher case to be ever compiled and introduces profiling and analytics never before made public for the first time with criminal justice, investigatory, and profiling experts in the respective fields. grimphilly.com for live true crime Philadelphia tours and history tours in Philadelphia.grimphilly.com/podcast for back episodes of Grim Philly Podcast in Philadelphiapatreon.com/grimphilly for your kind support of this Grim Philly Podcast.

2 of 3. Grim Philly brings together 3 Psychology Professors and Criminal Profilers, a Criminal Justice Professor and authority on DNA evidence, and 3 True Crime Historians to analyze and offer new insights in to this True Crime Philadelphia Cold Case never solved and dubbed by the Philadelphia Press: The Frankfort Slasher. Listen to the conclusion of this 3 part investigative series on patreon.com/grimphilly with additional bonus and exclusive episodes, and to be friend.grimphilly.com - to support Grim Philly History and Ghost Tours live history tours of Philadelphiagrimphilly/podcast - for back episodes of Philadelphia's Podcast: Grim Philly Podcast in Philadelphia.

South Street, Philadelphia disappearance of Danielle Ottobre (Imbo) and Richard Patrone, 2005. New perspectives and evidence are introduced and debated by scholars. Sensitive Content WARNING: the connection to a then-active serial killer--Israel Keyes--is presented and deliberated in great detail to establish hypothesis victimology. 

On-location Interview, Whitechapel England with Sam Peters of the Jack the Ripper Museum. These are 15 minute highlights of our one hour and a half talk there in person about Jack The Ripper, poverty in Victorian England, and politics in the United Kingdom. *Patreon.com/grimphilly to listen to the full length interview with Sam Peters--out in November--and to support this show. *GrimPhilly.com for live daily and nightly history tours, ghost tours, and true crime tours in Philadelphia. And for additional back episodes of this podcast.