39: The Mafia Rescues Nell Donnelly (Part 2)

An Old Timey Podcast

True Crime, History, Comedy

4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2025

⏱️ 117 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

James A. Reed was in federal court, about to argue his case, when a call came in from Kansas City. Nell Donnelly had been kidnapped. James panicked. To James, Nell was so much more than a celebrated fashion designer. She was his neighbor. She was his secret lover. She was the mother of his child. He’d do anything to save her – including threatening the head of the Kansas City mafia.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Nelly Gone: KCQ traces the kidnapping of Nell Donnelly,” by Kate Hill for the Kansas City Public Library
The book, “More than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women,” by Elaine Warner
The book, “James A. Reed: Legendary Lawyer; Marplot in the United States Senate,” by J. Michael Cronan
“First A Lady,” by Jennifer Wilding for the Kansas City Star magazine
“Nelly Don’s unexpected legacy,” for the Fashion Conservatory
“Nell Donelly Reed,” Historic Missourians
“Nelly Don’s zero-waste apron design,” run-sew-read
“Nelly Don: Self made in America,” seamwork.com
The book, “The Snatch Racket,” by Carolyn Cox
The book, “The Devil’s Tickets,” by Gary M. Pomerantz
Obituary for George Blair, Kansas City Star, June 10, 1977
“Causes for hate,” The Kansas City American, Dec. 24, 1931
“Mrs. Donnelly is found, safe,” The Kansas City Times, Dec. 18, 1931
“Mrs. Donnelly’s chauffeur tells of the kidnappers’ treatment of them,” The Kansas City Star, Dec. 18, 1931
“Link Mrs. Depew,” The Kansas City Star, Dec. 23, 1931
“Mrs. Donnelly was released last Friday,” Southwest Mail and Weekly Post, Dec. 25, 1931

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hear ye, hear ye.
0:03.1	You are listening to an old-timey podcast.
0:06.8	I'm Kristen Caruso.
0:08.6	And I watched the movie Waiting to Exhale with my grandparents when I was nine years old.
0:14.1	And boy, was it awkward.
0:16.1	It's Norman Caruso.
0:17.3	And on this episode, I'll be talking about the kidnapping of America's best businesswoman, part two.
0:25.0	Part two.
0:26.0	I held up one finger like an idiot.
0:29.7	But only the people on Patreon at the pig butter investor level will know that.
0:36.0	So there we go.
0:37.0	Yeah, don't worry about it.
0:38.4	We can hide your idiocy.
0:40.4	Oh, idiocy!
0:41.9	Is that a word idiocy?
0:43.2	Who's the real idiocy now?
0:45.6	Who's the idiocy now?
0:47.1	Yeah, all right.
0:48.0	Well, that's great.
0:50.6	Welcome to an old-timey podcast, everybody.
0:53.0	So part two, Kristen?
0:54.5	Part two. Ity podcast, everybody. So part two, Kristen? Part two.
	...

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