How the popular vampire franchise Fright Night was killed by one of the most notorious murders in American history.

* Includes an Exclusive Interview with the Legendary Singer Johnny Mathis *

It was “the” place to see and be seen. But it was too successful for Monte Proser’s own good.

Monte Proser was described as a “little guy who was practically brought up on Broadway.” He instinctively understood that patrons came to a nightclub for the show. And his finest creation was the Copacabana at 10 E. 60th Street in Manhattan.

A-List 1940s celebrities from Susan Hayward, to Bert Lahr, to Betty Grable wanted tables - and didn’t mind paying for them.

The Copa was a goldmine, and gangster Frank Costello took notice. Before he even knew what happened, Monte Proser was a bit player in his own greatest production.

This episode offers a fascinating look at the history of this iconic New York nightclub and includes an exclusive interview with legendary singer Johnny Mathis who performed there in the 1950s.

For more information on this podcast, visit Stephanie Hoover Has That Story.

Spiritualism, the belief in the ability to speak with the dead, started as a practical joke in 1848 when two teenage girls in upstate New York realized they could produce seemingly paranormal noises by cracking their toe knuckles, of all things. The Fox sisters delighted in their gullible mother's response, and soon convinced her these "rapping" sounds were actually produced by a murdered vagabond buried on their property. It was, the girls said, his form of communication - conversations that only they had the power to initiate.

Within two decades, the organized Spiritualism movement was a worldwide phenomenon - and it wasn't just exploitable housewives who took the bait. Men and women from all walks of life, levels of education, and strata of society fell under its spell - political leaders among them.

There were, of course, presidents who didn't believe in this supernatural mumbo jumbo. But, to paraphrase the old cliché, psychics aren't known for letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

In this episode I tell you the surprising - sometimes rocky - history of the unpredictable relationships between politicians and psychics.

For more information about Stephanie Hoover Has That Story, or to listen to more episodes, visit this page.

And, to read Stephanie's book about Nelson and Jennie Holmes and their fraudulent medium Katie, click here.