Michael Malloy

Michael Malloy—also known as Mike the Durable—is the closest thing history has to a real-life Rasputin. In 1930s New York, a group of small-time crooks hatched the dumbest insurance scam of all time: take out a life insurance policy on a local drunk and kill him for the payout. Simple, right? Except Malloy had the constitution of a cockroach. Poisoned drinks? He asked for another round. Antifreeze? Tasted just fine. Rotten oysters marinated in wood alcohol? Delicious. Even running him over with a taxi twice wasn’t enough.

In this episode of The Lesser Known People Podcast, we break down the hilariously stupid series of attempts to take Malloy out, the absurd perseverance of one very drunk man, and the ultimate downfall of the criminal "masterminds" behind the plot. If you love true crime, dark comedy, and stories so ridiculous they sound fake, this one’s for you.