Van Johnson was the dream lover of millions of American girls in the 1940s. But Hollywood whispered a fatal secret. He had no interest in women. He displayed soft mannerisms and was unusually attached to actor Keenan Wyn. To prevent a box office disaster, Louis B. Mayor, the tycoon of MGM, issued a shocking directive….
May 18th, 1963. The White House, Washington, D.C. President John F. Kennedy sits at his desk in the Oval Office. He is composing a letter. The letter is addressed to Prime Minister David Bengurion of Israel. It is not a friendly letter. It is barely diplomatic. Kennedy writes, “This government’s commitment to and support of…
August 1957, Washington DC. Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts takes the floor of the United States Senate. He is 40 years old. He has been a senator for 5 years. He is already thinking about running for president and he is about to deliver a speech that will infuriate the Israeli government and American…
April 13th, 1991. Bay 29th Street, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. 7:45 in the evening. A big man steps out of his house in the fading light and walks toward his 1991 Lincoln Town Car. He’s 47 years old, 6’3, 230 lb of South Brooklyn muscle. He’s been one of the most feared men in New York organized…
January 14th, 1979. A house in Queens, New York. Tommy De Simone walked out his front door, climbed into a car with two men he knew, and disappeared forever. He was 28 years old. He thought he was about to become a made man in the Lucesi crime family. Instead, he was driving to his…
Liberace, the world’s greatest pianist, looked at Elvis Presley and said, “You’re just a guitar player who shakes his hips. Real musicians play piano.” Then he made a bet. $100 if Elvis could play just one song on his piano. What happened in the next 5 minutes made Liberace cry, made the room go silent,…
On the morning of March 23rd, 1945, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery positioned himself before the assembled world press cameras on the western bank of the Rhine River. Behind him, the greatest amphibious military operation since D-Day itself was unfolding in real time, Operation Plunder. Thousands upon thousands of British and Canadian troops were crossing…
Jean Krooa, the greatest drummer in jazz history, walked into Elvis Presley’s recording session and laughed. Let’s have some fun, he said to the band. Let’s put the singer behind the drums. See what happens when a pretty boy tries to keep rhythm. Everyone thought it was hilarious. Elvis, being a good sport, sat down…
It’s March 1945 and at Churchill’s headquarters, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery presents maps displaying the Ryan River crossing points. Operation Plunder, his massive coordinated attack featuring 1,700 artillery pieces, thousands of military vehicles, and weeks of meticulous preparation, has just been completed. Following extensive bombardment and thoroughly calculated planning, British forces have successfully crossed the…
The concert was going perfectly until Elvis heard three words shouted from the balcony that made him stop the band, clear the stage, and do something that had never happened before in his career. It was Friday, December 12th, 1976 at the Civic Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Elvis was performing to a crowd of 15,000…
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