New York's Dark Side

On May 1, 2010, a frantic 911 call was placed by Shannan Gilbert, a young college student who had dreams of becoming a writer and actress. She was working her way through college as an escort and had placed the 911 call from a clients house, then ran from her driver through the neighborhood before disappearing without a trace. The search for Shannan Gilbert would lead to the discovery of 10 other...

Hey Everyone! It's my birthday today, and I wanted to give you a fun gift! So I put together a quirky and fun episode looking at weird and obscure laws around NYS. We talk about donkeys in bathtubs, why you shouldn't put an ice cream cone in your pocket, window puppet shows and more.

📍 Episode Summary: In Part 4 of our Central Park series, Amanda takes us through the lesser-known — and often jaw-dropping — events that shaped the park from the mid-1800s to the late 20th century. From high-society schemes to private zoos, bizarre hoaxes, and public protests, Central Park has always been more than just a scenic green space. Discover how the park’s animal menagerie sparked citywi...

📘 Episode Summary: In this in-depth episode of  New York’s Dark Side , we’re heading back to the mid-1850s, where the fight for control over Central Park wasn’t just about design—it was about political ambition, class warfare, immigrant labor, and national identity. Join Amanda as she explores how  Mayor Fernando Wood’s presidential dreams , a rebellious state legislature, and a cast of “Gentleme...

Episode Summary: In this second part of our series on the creation of Central Park, we shift our focus from the political power plays of wealthy landowners to the lives of those who were most impacted by the park’s creation— the 1,600 residents who lived on the land that would become Central Park , many of whom were immigrants, working-class families, and free Black property owners. Among these co...

New York's Dark Side is a newer podcast covering dark history, true crime, paranormal activity, and other content from all around New York State. It's currently available in audio only format but I am working to also bring a video version to the show. This is the trailer for the video version, where I talk about the first five episodes that are already published on multiple platforms.

🔎 Episode Summary: In this captivating deep dive, Amanda unravels one of New York’s most infamous unsolved mysteries — the 1930 disappearance of Judge Joseph Force Crater . What began as a routine day in Manhattan turned into one of the most baffling vanishing acts in U.S. history, sending shockwaves through political circles, law enforcement, and the media for decades. From suspicious political...

Episode Description: Welcome back to New York’s Dark Side for Part Two of our chilling deep dive into the Double Initial Murders of Rochester, NY. In this episode, Amanda delves into several major suspects tied to the still-unsolved murders of Carmen Colon , Wanda Walkowicz , and Michelle Maenza —three young girls from Rochester, NY, each with matching initials. The discussion includes known seria...

Willowbrook State School... a now abandoned institution in Staten Island, New York for persons with mental and physical disabilities that NYS opened in 1942. We'll talk about the tragic circumstances that residents at Willowbrook lived in- including some being subjected to confirmed human experimentation. Dr. Saul Krugman, a pediatrician and professor at New York University and Dr. Robert W. M...

Andre Rand, born Frank Rostum Rushan is a convicted sex offender and suspected serial killer that drifted around Staten Island. He was convicted of first the 1987 kidnapping of Jennifer Schweiger, and then in 2004 the 1981 kidnapping of Holly Anne Hughes. Staten Island filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio who both grew up in Staten Island with the urban legend of Cropsey- the urban legen...

I'm Amanda Morgan, the host of a new podcast called New York's Dark Side. This podcast will take you all around New York exploring dark history, true crime, paranormal activity, unsolved mysteries and more. Please join me as I explore some truly wild stories. The first episodes launch March 17, 2023 at midnight. Thanks for checking out my show and I hope you stay curious.