The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part II
Ghosts of Vegas Past
Sonny Liston was the world's greatest Heavyweight Boxer in 1961. So why wasn't he the Heavyweight Champion? A neurotic opponent and his vindictive manager planned on keeping the title all for themselves. Meanwhile, Las Vegas fulfills its destiny as the Capitol of Boxing.
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The Last Days of Sonny Liston - Part I
Ghosts of Vegas Past
Charles "Sonny" Liston was as terrifying in the ring as he was misunderstood outside of it. A youthful run with the wrong crowd gives him a criminal record he'll never live down, even as he reaches the pinnacle of his sport. In this episode, we look at Sonny's early years and ascent in the Heavyweight Division, through the lens of his eventual relocation to Las Vegas and early death. Follow us on Instagram at govppod, or send your comments and emotional outbursts to [email protected].
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GOVP's Halloween Treat 2023 - The Yellow Sign
Ghosts of Vegas Past
If it's October, it must be time for another trip into the world of classic horror fiction. This year's entry is The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers, which is part of a larger anthology called The King in Yellow. Have you ever started down the road into a relationship you knew wasn't a good idea? This year's protagonist sure does.... Be sure to follow the show on Instagram @GOVPPod, or contact us at More history content coming soon!
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Trashed House on the Left: The Horrible Hoarder of Sun City Summerlin
Ghosts of Vegas Past
In Fall 2012, one of the worst cases of hoarding ever recorded was uncovered in one of Las Vegas' nicest neighborhoods. How could someone live in a house packed to the rafters with trash? Jane Ann Morrison's original article about the case: Dr. Todd Grande's episode about alleged killer Rob Telles:
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GOVP's Halloween Treat 2022 - Pickman's Model
Ghosts of Vegas Past
It's that time of year again, where we turn our attention to another piece of classic horror fiction. This year's entry is "Pickman's Model," one of H.P. Lovecraft's best and most accesible works. Dripping in the antique spookiness of Old New England, this story is a great introduction to one of the 20th Century's most important authors. Follow us on Instagram at govppod for Vegas history content, or contact me directly at for your questions, concerns, and emotional outbursts.
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Distant Dreamer: The Too-Short Life of Kathy Hobbs
Ghosts of Vegas Past
In the Summer of 1987, a painfully shy teenager named Kathy Hobbs is abducted from her East Las Vegas home and brutally murdered. A serial killer already on Death Row in Texas named Michael Lee Lockhart is ultimately fingered, but was he the responsible party? This story was featured in the first season of Unsolved Mysteries; today we give it a full GOVP Examination.
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At the Crossroads of Old Vegas and Old Hollywood - Part II
Ghosts of Vegas Past
In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, actress Carole Lombard went out of her way to support the war effort. What she didn't know was that poorly thought-out Civil Defense plans would take her life and bring Hollywood's greatest love story to an abrupt end.
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At the Crossroads of Old Vegas and Old Hollywood - Part I
Ghosts of Vegas Past
In 1942, one half of the most celebrated couple in Hollywood history met her end on a mountainside just outside of a then-unknown town called Las Vegas. In this episode, we look at daily life in this little desert hamlet, as well as reviewing how Clark Gable and Carole Lombard came to be Hollywood's Golden Couple.
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GOVP's Halloween Treat 2021
Ghosts of Vegas Past
We're taking a break from history content today; instead relax as your host reads a classic from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe - The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
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PEPCON - May 4, 1988: The Date of Demarcation
Ghosts of Vegas Past
Henderson, Nevada wasn't always the good part of Vegas. They used to make rocket fuel there, until the day eight million pounds of it exploded with the force equivalent of a small nuke.
info_outlineSonny Liston was the world's greatest Heavyweight Boxer in 1961. So why wasn't he the Heavyweight Champion? A neurotic opponent and his vindictive manager planned on keeping the title all for themselves. Meanwhile, Las Vegas fulfills its destiny as the Capitol of Boxing.