It was the most unlikely art heist of all time. Join some improbable detectives and one determined comic book dealer as they investigate the mysterious theft of the most important comic in the world ... a comic stolen from Nicolas Cage.
An Artificial Christmas
Who's the artificial Christmas tree king? Meet Si Spiegel, a Jewish kid from New York with a remarkable, improbable Christmas story.
VERY SPECIAL THANKS
Kevin C. Fitzpatrick is author of World War One New York and 7 other books tied to New York City history. Kevin's also a public historian and veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Learn more at FitzpatrickAuthor.com.
In 2021, journalist Laurie Gwen Shapiro introduced Si Spiegel's story to the world with an article in The New York Times. Laurie's latest book is The Stowaway: A Young Man’s Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica. Learn more at LaurieGwenShapiro.com.
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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Research and Fact Checking by Dave Roos and Austin Thompson
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English
Want to listen to other VSEs written by Dave Roos? Check out 'The Shot' (episode 16) and 'The Pledge' (episode 4). If you're enjoying the show and want to do something nice this holiday season, leave us a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.
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