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Backstory with Larry PotashEpisodes
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There are more than 750 whiskey and bourbon distillery businesses in the United States. They are growing at a pace of about 15% every year. Dark spirits have made a comeback, in no small part, because of its backstory.See Privacy Policy at ht
America's founding fathers go beyond the English. About half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence have Scottish roots. And they remained an influence on America from that moment forward.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri
For centuries, maps have shown us how to get from point A to point B. But they’re much more than that. They’re a record of what people care about. How do you preserve these stories when maps are no longer on paper? In this Backstory piece, Lar
Baseball pre-dates the other main sports in America. And while it’s often referred to as the American Pastime, its origins are steeped in myth. In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash introduces us to a group of people playing the game as it once
For thousands of years, the cannabis plant was a crucial crop in helping civilizations evolve, used for products from clothing to medicine. But then in the early 20th century, the American government demonized it. Is weed a wonder drug or dange
Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio. Nick White. You have probably heard of the first two, but the third has a fascinating story to tell. In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash introduces us to a man who creates vintage sound effects, and does it
It's a Wonderful Life isn't a hit at the box office in 1946. But decades later it becomes a Christmas classic. In this segment for Backstory, Larry Potash unearths the hidden meanings contained in the sets, props, and more. You may never see it
It was the deadliest maritime disaster in the history of the United States, the sinking of the S.S. Sultana right after the end of the Civil War. And yet, no one was ever convicted of a crime, despite evidence of gross negligence. Larry Potash
Hollywood is the global capital of making movies, but it might not have been if it wasn’t for a man in Chicago. Larry Potash gives us the backstory on one William Selig, a visionary who took the concept of silent films to a new level, and revol
Elliott Ness and the Untouchables, along with Treasury agent Frank Wilson, were instrumental in taking down Al Capone.However, there was another force working behind the scenes, a group of Chicago businessmen, the so-called “Secret Six.”In thi
In 1961 Chicagoan Ted Erikson is a 33 year-old chemist who swims as a hobby. What possessed him to attempt to become one of the first to swim across Lake Michigan? Larry Potash digs into this little-known story through the eyes of Ted’s widow
Eight seasons, four pennants, two World Series titles. Not bad for a Cubs owner. Charlies Murphy has been called “the George Steinbrenner” of the early 20th century. In this piece for Backstory, Larry Potash digs into the innovations he pioneer
How would World War II have turned out if the Nazis had successfully developed Nuclear weapons? And what does a small town in downstate Illinois have to do with preventing that from happening? Larry Potash digs deep into the crucial role a pas
From their humble beginnings as simple newspaper strips, to their heyday in mid-20th century America, to their current status as movie franchise generator, the history of comic books is long and fascinating. Larry Potash looks at their glorious
In this piece from Backstory, Larry Potash gives us an ode to that sport of backyards and schoolyards, wiffle ball, seen through the eyes of a Chicago family that’s been playing each other for 30 years. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and S
The Mormon religion was a movement that took its followers from east to west in the middle of the 19th century, including a strong presence in Illinois before ending up in the Utah territory. But a power vacuum caused a split, leaving two men l
When it comes to technology, usually people want the latest and greatest. So why are vinyl records making a comeback? For some people, it never went away. Larry Potash goes deep into the modern revivial of wax tracks in this piece for Backstory
People come from all over to the historic Crescent Hotel in Arkansas for its ghost tours, but the backstory of this national landmark is much scarier. Larry Potash traveled to the Ozarks to bring us a story of a macabre con man, and the legacy
Caffeine is the most widely-used drug and for generations, people have consumed coffee to fuel creative ideas, and even revolutions. In this piece for Backstory, Larry Potash looks at how coffee starts, and how it’s evolved from muddy swill to
Before the 1972 Olympics, the U.S. Men’s basketball team was considered the favorite to win gold. Some say they did. Only thanks to one of the most controversial finishes in sports history, they came home without the gold. Larry Potash digs int
Researching your family tree can help you understand where you’ve come from but it’s just a chart full of names. What about the faces that go along with those names? They can be hard to find. In this piece for Backstory, Larry Potash tells the
The history of the Chicago mob is largely dominated by men. Imagine growing up in Chicago and one day finding out your grandmother was a key player for The Outfit. In this segment for Backstory, Larry Potash meets the Nitto family, who’s ancest
In 1921 the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the site of a nothing less than a race massacre. African-Americans were murdered, their homes and business burned down. Why was this tale largely lost to history for both Blacks and whites?
Throughout the 20th century the FBI amassed a large trove of surveillance on Americans famous, forgotten, and everyone in between, resulting in numerous Americans having an “FBI file.” In this segment for Backstory, Larry Potash takes a peek at
For years, a reign of terror rips through a community of the Osage tribe, 50 miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Native Americans died under suspicious circumstances. Larry Potash traveled to Oklahoma and uncovers the backstory of this tale of murd
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