Amy has an article on huffingtonpost.com about great American con men, including Lou…
Author: Craig Johnson
Mystery Mary
Of the Blonger graves listed on Find-a-Grave, that of Mary (Mollie/Mattie) M. Blonger remains a mystery. We’re not sure who she is, but it’s tempting to think this might be the Mollie Blonger accused of running a brothel in Albuquerque in 1888, just a few days after hooker Kitty Blonger killed Charles Hill in Peach […]
What’s With The Shades, Sammy Boy?
Speaking of Sam’s demise in 1914, we have yet another item of interest to share on Lou’s older brother. Correspondent Kenny Vail — who, by the way, says he has a trove of information on numerous Blonger confederates, including Charlie Ronan, Con Caddigan, and Billy Nuttall — recently contacted us with an article he came across in the […]
Amy Reading’s Interview on WILL
You can listen here. A review of her book will be forthcoming in this space.
A Word From Our Sponsors
It’s curious we have so few advertisements for the various joints owned by the Blonger Bros. Grouping together their saloons, gambling halls, theaters and whorehouses, we count six businesses confirmed before their arrival in Denver (but probably twice that number or more), and at least ten in Denver alone, not counting policy shops, cigar store candy stands and various and sundry […]
Killer Kate Fears For Her Life
First of all, I’d like to mention for the record that, although Scott agrees with me that Sam’s second wife Sadie Wilson, and gun-slinging prostitute Kate “Kitty” Blonger, are likely the same person, he cautions, correctly, that this is not the only possible conclusion. But at present it remains the most obvious one. Which brings us to […]
Burglars, Umbrellas & Punchbowls
A few new odds and ends: LOST AND FOUND September 1, 1914, Denver Post. This day the Lost and Found column had two curious items in a row. The first concerns a pearl pin, duck-shaped, with diamonds, lost at Tabor’s Grand Opera about 8:00 pm on Saturday night, and belonging to Lou’s old friend, Harry Tammen, co-publisher […]
The Widow Viles
We’ve long known that Joe’s only marriage to widow Carrie (Winsor) Viles didn’t last long. A new article from the Albuquerque Daily Citizen, by way of the Las Vegas Optic, colorfully describes just how short it was. UNLUCKY NUMBER Couple Were Married in Room Thirteen of a Hotel. The Pecos Valley Correspondent of the Las Vegas […]
The Mark Inside on WILL
Sounds like Amy Reading will be doing another interview about The Mark Inside, this time in our old stomping ground, Urbana, on WILL-AM, the local NPR affiliate. Listen in on April 25th, or check it out afterward on the net. Amy says her recent interview on NPR’s Saturday Edition was much longer than what was broadcast, […]
Great New Photos
Amy Reading came up with a few photos for her book that are new to us. These two photos, for instance, of Blonger gang members Adolph Duff and George Belcher. “Kid Duffy” managed the big store for Lou; as a matter of fact, Lou tried to throw him under the bus at trial, claiming they […]