A Brief History On April 2, 1992, John Gotti’s Teflon coating wore thin and numerous charges stuck, enough to convict him of murder and a host of other crimes! Digging Deeper Gotti was born in New York City growing up in the criminal underground there, eventually rising to become the boss of the Gambino crime family. Moving up the Mafia ladder, Gotti found himself in position to seize the top job by killing his boss, Paul Castellano. More than just a power grab, Gotti had Castellano murdered partly in self defense, as he feared Castellano would have Gotti himself executed…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
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A Brief History In Italy, France, Belgium, and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, a 1st April tradition dating back to at least 1508 is often known as “April fish” (poissons d’avril in French or pesce d’aprile in Italian). This tradition includes attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being noticed. Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fish Day postcards. So, in honor of April Fish Day, we present a list of funny fish names! Digging Deeper Cichlisoma preposterosa- The Ridiculous Cichlid Pterophylum scarie- Also known as Melbie’s Angel…
A Brief History In a startling April Fools prank, the BBC program Panorama aired on April 1, 1957 and showed an astonished British audience farmers growing spaghetti on trees in Switzerland! Digging Deeper We all know people that just wait each year for April 1st to play their pranks on us, but a reputable and serious television show? Spaghetti was not in wide use in Britain in the 1950’s, so many British people were unaware of how spaghetti noodles are made, which of course is like all other noodles, with wheat flour, water and other ingredients. Seeing Swiss farmers seemingly…
A Brief History On March 31, 1930, censorship came to Hollywood! Digging Deeper The United States roared through the 1920’s and left the prudish Victorian period behind. Until of course somebody decided they knew better than you what you should be watching! The 1920’s saw risqué films that shocked conservative audiences and Hollywood scandals that led people to believe that Hollywood was full of sex and violence oriented miscreants! The Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America hired the former Postmaster General, Will Hays, to be the public face of Hollywood to reassure the public and smooth over State and…
A Brief History On March 30, 1939, the Heinkel 100 prototype fighter airplane flew at 463 mph in level flight, at the time the fastest airplane ever. People have always been fascinated by fast things, whether they be people, animals or machines. Here is a list of 10 famous fast things that at one time were the fastest of their type or currently reign as the modern speed champ. 10. The Swift. Monty Python posed the question in the movie, the Holy Grail, with the “correct” answer being another question, “European or North African?“ Actually, an entire family of birds…