Ghosts of Vegas Past

Ghosts of Vegas Past is an immersive audio experience focused upon events and personalities in the life of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part IV (Finale)

The full and complete story of Sonny Liston's life and death in Las Vegas   Items mentioned in the show: Sonny's Commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol: https://youtu.be/jWYamU2e2wU?si=3jzzf-i_qGCvIMnh Sonny's Appearance on Love American Style: https://youtu.be/fyYtR9ZA3xM?si=Su1oNnHkIiuO8eks Be sure to follow the show's Instagram at GOVPPOD!  See the post dated 10.22.2024 for exclusive photos of the inside of Sonny's home.

05-03
03:37:12

GOVP's Halloween Treat 2024 - Sleepy Hollow

The days are shorter and the temperatures are (allegedly) cooler, so once again it's time for another classic ghost story.  This year it's the granddaddy of them all, Washington Irving's 1820 classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." More Vegas History soon - in the meantime enjoy the annual Fall Classic!

10-18
42:16

The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part III

Sonny Liston, now Heavyweight Champion, faces the most legendary opponent of them all: Muhammad Ali.  Will he maintain the title, or is there a Phantom Punch forthcoming? Be sure to check out the show's Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/govppod/ for additional supplimental material, and interesting Vegas-related stuff. Some items mentioned in the show: A look inside Le Colisee in Lewiston, ME: https://stadiumandarenavisits.com/visitsreviews/the-colisee/ The Modern Martial Artist's breakdown of the "Phantom Punch": https://youtu.be/rqZlQ3IWX4s?si=u_owgYOt9IzWc4VG  

07-01
02:17:46

The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part II

Sonny Liston was the world's greatest Heavyweight Boxer in 1961.  So why wasn't he the Heavyweight Champion?  A neurotic opponent and his vindictive manager planned on keeping the title all for themselves.  Meanwhile, Las Vegas fulfills its destiny as the Capitol of Boxing.

03-08
01:23:11

The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part I

Charles "Sonny" Liston was as terrifying in the ring as he was misunderstood outside of it.  A youthful run with the wrong crowd gives him a criminal record he'll never live down, even as he reaches the pinnacle of his sport. In this episode, we look at Sonny's early years and ascent in the Heavyweight Division, through the lens of his eventual relocation to Las Vegas and early death. Follow us on Instagram at govppod, or send your comments and emotional outbursts to govppod@gmail.com.

11-05
01:03:10

GOVP's Halloween Treat 2023 - The Yellow Sign

If it's October, it must be time for another trip into the world of classic horror fiction.  This year's entry is The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers, which is part of a larger anthology called The King in Yellow.   Have you ever started down the road into a relationship you knew wasn't a good idea?  This year's protagonist sure does.... Be sure to follow the show on Instagram @GOVPPod, or contact us at govppod@gmail.com More history content coming soon!  

10-01
48:20

Trashed House on the Left: The Horrible Hoarder of Sun City Summerlin

In Fall 2012, one of the worst cases of hoarding ever recorded was uncovered in one of Las Vegas' nicest neighborhoods.  How could someone live in a house packed to the rafters with trash?   Jane Ann Morrison's original article about the case:  https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/jane-ann-morrison/help-comes-for-hoarder-neighbors-in-las-vegas/ Dr. Todd Grande's episode about alleged killer Rob Telles:  https://youtu.be/NKLfaJbmWNM  

02-01
01:02:05

GOVP's Halloween Treat 2022 - Pickman's Model

It's that time of year again, where we turn our attention to another piece of classic horror fiction.  This year's entry is "Pickman's Model," one of H.P. Lovecraft's best and most accesible works. Dripping in the antique spookiness of Old New England, this story is a great introduction to one of the 20th Century's most important authors.   Follow us on Instagram at govppod for Vegas history content, or contact me directly at govphost@gmail.com for your questions, concerns, and emotional outbursts.

10-01
36:25

Distant Dreamer: The Too-Short Life of Kathy Hobbs

In the Summer of 1987, a painfully shy teenager named Kathy Hobbs is abducted from her East Las Vegas home and brutally murdered.  A serial killer already on Death Row in Texas named Michael Lee Lockhart is ultimately fingered, but was he the responsible party? This story was featured in the first season of Unsolved Mysteries; today we give it a full GOVP Examination.

09-01
01:10:39

At the Crossroads of Old Vegas and Old Hollywood - Part II

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, actress Carole Lombard went out of her way to support the war effort.  What she didn't know was that poorly thought-out Civil Defense plans would take her life and bring Hollywood's greatest love story to an abrupt end.

05-21
01:29:42

At the Crossroads of Old Vegas and Old Hollywood - Part I

In 1942, one half of the most celebrated couple in Hollywood history met her end on a mountainside just outside of a then-unknown town called Las Vegas.  In this episode, we look at daily life in this little desert hamlet, as well as reviewing how Clark Gable and Carole Lombard came to be Hollywood's Golden Couple.

01-01
43:41

GOVP's Halloween Treat 2021

We're taking a break from history content today; instead relax as your host reads a classic from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe - The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

10-01
24:18

PEPCON - May 4, 1988: The Date of Demarcation

Henderson, Nevada wasn't always the good part of Vegas.  They used to make rocket fuel there, until the day eight million pounds of it exploded with the force equivalent of a small nuke. What follows is the story of this tragic event, and how it set the table for Henderson to become one of America's most desirable addresses.

09-01
01:00:03

You were warned: The annihilation of Nelson's Landing

20 miles below Hoover Dam, a resort community was built at the bottom of a wash.  What could possibly go wrong?

08-01
43:36

The Strange Death of Ted Binion - Part IV

The biggest 3-Ring Circus of a trial since OJ descends upon Las Vegas.  Will there be a similar outcome?

07-01
52:44

The Strange Death of Ted Binion - Part III

The day Ted Binion died, law enforcement had no reason to suspect that Rick Tabish and Sandy Murphy had anything to do with it.  During the months to follow, the pair would seemingly do everything in their power to look as guilty as humanly possible.  What would Las Vegas Metro PD's next move be?

06-01
38:43

The Strange Death of Ted Binion - Part II

The final 24 hours of Ted Binion's life, and the first 48 hours thereafter.  

05-01
32:17

The Strange Death of Ted Binion - Part I

Lonnie "Ted" Binion, son of the legendary casino magnate Benny Binion, was found dead in his home on September 17, 1998.  At first, it was assumed to be an accidental overdose, but suspicion soon swirled around his decades-younger girlfriend's motives. Did Binion simply overdose?  Or was it murder?

03-24
37:50

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