Backstory with Larry Potash

People come from all over to the historic Crescent Hotel in Arkansas for its ghost tours, but the backstory of this national landmark is much scarier. Larry Potash traveled to the Ozarks to bring us a story of a macabre con man, and the legacy he left behind.   Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available on Amazon, Roku, Apple TV,...

Caffeine is the most widely-used drug and for generations, people have consumed coffee to fuel creative ideas, and even revolutions. In this piece for Backstory, Larry Potash looks at how coffee starts, and how it’s evolved from muddy swill to gourmet beverage. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available on Amazon, Roku, Apple...

Before the 1972 Olympics, the U.S. Men’s basketball team was considered the favorite to win gold. Some say they did. Only thanks to one of the most controversial finishes in sports history, they came home without the gold. Larry Potash digs into “3 seconds in Munich” in this Backstory piece. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available o...

The history of the Chicago mob is largely dominated by men. Imagine growing up in Chicago and one day finding out your grandmother was a key player for The Outfit. In this segment for Backstory, Larry Potash meets the Nitto family, who’s ancestor, the late Annette Nitto, was a crucial figure in the Capone-era and beyond. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV an...

Researching your family tree can help you understand where you’ve come from but it’s just a chart full of names. What about the faces that go along with those names? They can be hard to find. In this piece for Backstory, Larry Potash tells the story of one man’s mission to bring people closer to their ancestors. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the...

In 1921 the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the site of a nothing less than a race massacre. African-Americans were murdered, their homes and business burned down. Why was this tale largely lost to history for both Blacks and whites? Larry Potash traveled to Oklahoma to meet a small group of people searching for justice, a century later.   Backstory airs Saturday nigh...

For years, a reign of terror rips through a community of the Osage tribe, 50 miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Native Americans died under suspicious circumstances. Larry Potash traveled to Oklahoma and uncovers the backstory of this tale of murder, greed, and oil Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available on Amazon, Roku, Apple TV,...

Throughout the 20th century the FBI amassed a large trove of surveillance on Americans famous, forgotten, and everyone in between, resulting in numerous Americans having an “FBI file.” In this segment for Backstory, Larry Potash takes a peek at what’s in some famous Chicagoans FBI files, and the scrutiny the agency is facing regarding past intelligence collection efforts. Backstory airs&...

 In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash cracks open his baseball card collection and looks at the rise, fall, and rise again of these cardboard keepsakes. How did baseball cards get started as a thing? Where does the hobby stand in the digital age? And most importantly – is Larry’s collection of ‘70s baseball heroes worth anything? Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6 on WGN-TV. Check...

In 1913, a new highway connects one coast to the other, and it comes to connect a little-known aspiring address to adoring fans. Larry Potash has the backstory on Anita King, AKA the Paramount Girl, and her pioneering feet involving the Lincoln Highway. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6 on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, iTunes, Google Play, or w...

In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash looks at the search for answers to that age-old question: Are we alone? Meet some of the people looking for answers, learn about the technology letting us see more of the stars, and the problems that come along with progress. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6 on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, iTune...

Chicagoan Joe Rauen’s approach to music is a little weird, because, well, the instruments he plays are weird. Learn what drove this Berklee-trained musician to embrace the odd, including a suitcase bass, a tennis racquet banjo, and an electric shovel guitar in this Backstory segment from Larry Potash. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6 on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/...

There's been an ongoing debate about what depictions are appropriate for the public square. For artist and urban planner Chris Devins, how he chose to showcase the history of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood goes beyond historical figures. Larry Potash has the Backstory. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6:30 on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, iT...

In this Backstory piece, Larry Potash provides a short history of the M.I.A./P.O.W. movement through the viewpoint of a select few families who lost loved ones in Vietnam and WWII, and their struggle to find answers. Also, how Bears QB Jim McMahon gave a boost to the movement during Super Bowl XX. Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6pm on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backsto...

Over 2,000 Lustron homes were constructed in America shortly after World War II, through 1950. What makes them special? Why was production stopped? And what drives this father-daughter team's obsession with these peculiar, historic homes? Backstory airs Saturday nights at 6:30 on WGN-TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, iTunes, Google Play, o...

A pile of decaying pages of colorful language make up a manuscript about mobsters from long ago. There's no author, but some clues may lead to the writer's identity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Conspiracy theories have been spread around long before the internet made it easy. While some are harmless, there are those that have led to dangerous consequences. We look at how some people can believe these far-fetched ideas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Roller skating started out as a fad and eventually became a cultural movement. New skaters continue to be inspired even as more roller rinks disappear. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Chicago artist Carrie McCluskey uses a long-lost photographic technique to bring home a message with a chilling warning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

John Kettman made a discovery in a remote patch of farm field that ignited a mission to uncover a centuries-old mystery. This is the Backstory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

How the donut changed Americans' perspective on the Salvation Army, while feeding soldiers on the front lines. This is the Backstory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Bozo T. Clown... from its humble beginnings as a record company character, to its height as a cultural icon for generations of Chicagoans. This is the Backstory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Everyone has their own idea of what makes great barbecue. For one Chicago family, their mastery of “the pit” is as much about the stories behind the recipes, the beginnings of which date back to their ancestor’s enslavement. This is the Backstory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A hundred years ago, four brothers decided to rob a train car carrying millions in cash and bonds. It's considered one of the greatest train robberies of all time. This is the Backstory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .