40: Nell Donnelly Reed Conquers All (Part 3)

An Old Timey Podcast

True Crime, History, Comedy

4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2025

⏱️ 117 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the final episode of this series, we hear how it all shakes out. The trials end. The messy love square between the Donnellys and Reeds implodes. Kansas City Mafia boss Johnny Lazia meets his maker. The Donnelly Garment Company thrives, then dies. Through it all, Nell Donnelly Reed rises to untold prominence, but still manages to keep her secrets.

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
The book, “Called to Courage, Four Women in Missouri History,” by Margot Ford McMillen and Heather Roberson
“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
“Depew speaks for Mele,” The Kansas City Times, July 16, 1932
“Paul Donnelly is dead,” The Kansas City Star, Sept 8, 1934
“Estate of Donnelly v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue,” case-law.com
“Rich young widow weds,” The Windsor Star, Jan. 13, 1937
“Reed Ranch,” reed-ranch.com
“The murder of John Lazia,” ganglandwire.com

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hear ye, hear ye. You are listening to an old-timey podcast. I'm Kristen Caruso.
0:08.0	And are you telling me a shrimp fried this rice? It's Norman Caruso. And on this episode, I'll be talking about the kidnapping of America's best businesswoman. Part three! Whoa!
0:26.1	If you've been paying attention, she's been kidnapped and she's been rescued already.
0:26.9	Yeah.
0:27.7	Yeah.
0:30.3	Now you don't even need to listen to this whole thing.
0:32.1	Yeah, what's the point of this episode anyway?
0:37.0	There's no point to any of it, Norm, and yet here we sit ready to podcast.
0:42.6	I've got my three beverages and you've got one because you don't have ADHD.
0:46.3	That's right. You told me I couldn't be in the club the other day.
0:47.6	I did not.
0:52.0	Yeah, you did. I said, man, I wonder if I have ADHD and you were like, I don't think you do.
0:53.3	You can't be in our club.
0:55.4	No, fake news, fake news.
0:56.2	Fake news.
0:58.4	I am cracking down on fake news.
0:59.6	I'm feeling very empowered.
1:02.5	Assholes have all the power now.
1:04.7	I've been waiting for this moment my whole life.
1:10.7	And I'm here to tell you that I'm pretty sure I told you that you could be in the club, but only because of all the ADHD.
1:13.4	We forget to kick people out of the club.
1:15.7	You just, you would forget to kick me out.
	...

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