The forgotten criminal dynasty that ruled Illinois before Capone even knew their names. Meet the Shelton brothers – Carl, Earl, and Bernie – three farm boys who transformed themselves into the most powerful bootleggers in southern Illinois during Prohibition and later controlled Peoria's entire vice scene.

When Prohibition turned alcohol illegal, the Sheltons built an empire of roadhouses, stills, and speakeasies across "Little Egypt" in southern Illinois. Their rivalry with former gang member Charlie Birger escalated into what can only be described as private warfare, complete with armored cars, machine guns, and even aerial bombings that left dozens dead. All while law enforcement conveniently looked the other way in exchange for what one sheriff called "a really nice Christmas bonus."

By the 1940s, the Shelton brothers had relocated to Peoria, transforming Illinois' second-largest city into what became known as a "Wide Open City." They established the Peoria Amusement Company, running hundreds of slot machines, gambling dens, and brothels while maintaining what they called "gangland peacekeeping." During World War II, with two military bases nearby, soldiers with paychecks made the Sheltons wealthier than ever.

The brothers survived assassination attempts from Chicago mobsters, maintained political connections that kept them untouchable, and brought a strange form of order to the criminal underworld. As one historian noted, "As long as the Sheltons were running things, you weren't getting robbed at random." But their empire couldn't last forever. Between 1947 and 1950, a mysterious assassination campaign eliminated all three brothers, with the killers never identified.

Discover the remarkable story of how three brothers built and lost an empire that rivaled Al Capone's, leaving behind a legacy that's been largely forgotten by history. If you enjoy untold stories of Prohibition gangsters, territorial wars, and mysterious unsolved assassinations, you won't want to miss this episode.

Tara McClellan McAndrew, NPR Illinois – "Booze, Blood And Bombs: Prohibition In Southern Illinois" (2020)nprillinois.orgnprillinois.org

Joel J. Hutchcroft, Shooting Times – "A Bloody Band of Bootleggers: The Shelton Brothers Gang" (2021)shootingtimes.comshootingtimes.com

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Ever wondered what would happen if you tied 45 giant weather balloons to a lawn chair? In 1982, truck driver Larry Walters answered this question with an adventure that transformed him from an ordinary man with a dream into an aviation legend.

After being denied his childhood ambition of becoming an Air Force pilot due to poor eyesight, Larry took matters into his own hands. Armed with a Sears aluminum lawn chair (which he named "Inspiration One"), weather balloons acquired through forged military requisition forms, a BB gun, and a six-pack of beer, Larry cut the anchor cord expecting a gentle ascent to 30 feet. What followed was anything but gentle.

Instead of floating lazily above his neighborhood, Larry rocketed to 16,000 feet, drifting into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport. Commercial pilots radioed the control tower about "a man in a lawn chair floating at 16,000 feet holding a pistol." When he accidentally dropped his BB gun – his only means of popping balloons to descend – Larry found himself truly at the mercy of the winds.

The journey ended with Larry tangled in power lines, causing a neighborhood blackout before he climbed down unharmed into the waiting arms of bewildered police officers. When reporters asked why he'd attempted such a dangerous stunt, his deadpan reply became iconic: "A man can't just sit around."

Though the FAA fined him $1,500, Larry's lawn chair eventually found its way into the Smithsonian, and his flight inspired an extreme sport called "cluster ballooning." His story reminds us that sometimes the most extraordinary adventures come not from elaborate planning but from simple, determined dreams and the courage to look ridiculous in pursuit of them.

What wild dream have you been putting off? Maybe Larry's story is the sign you've been waiting for to take that leap of faith – though perhaps with better safety precautions than a BB gun and a six-pack.

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The mystery of Dyatlov Pass has haunted us for over 60 years, presenting one of history's most perplexing unsolved cases. Nine experienced hikers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute ventured into Russia's Ural Mountains in 1959, only to be found dead under circumstances so bizarre they've spawned 72 different theories.

We're diving deep into the most compelling explanations for this tragedy in our third episode of this series. What could have driven these skilled outdoors people to cut their way out of their tent and rush into subzero temperatures with minimal clothing? Why did some victims show catastrophic internal injuries with no external trauma, while others simply froze to death? And what explains the trace radiation found on some of their clothing?

From the plausible to the paranormal, we explore it all. Could it have been a rare slab avalanche that left minimal trace? Did infrasound waves create an overwhelming sense of terror? Was there a Soviet weapons test gone wrong that officials desperately covered up? Or do the answers lie in more outlandish theories involving cryptids or extraterrestrials?

The evidence presents contradictions at every turn - burned treetops but upright ski poles, a tent partially buried yet with items inside undisturbed, and injuries that forensic experts still struggle to explain decades later. Modern investigations using sophisticated simulation software have attempted to solve the case, but each explanation seems to leave crucial questions unanswered.

Join us as we sift through the facts, debate the theories, and try to understand what really happened on that cold February night. Whether you believe in natural phenomena, government conspiracies, or something more supernatural, the story of Dyatlov Pass forces us to confront how much remains unknown in our world.

• Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
• https://amzn.to/4eXzKkX
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• Soviet investigators’ summary and modern analysis of Dyatlov Pass incidenten.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
• Vox – Delayed avalanche and katabatic wind theories (2021)vox.comvox.com

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This website contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of this website and allows me to continue providing valuable content. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I believe in and have personally used or researched.