The Brighter Side of Blue Podcast

This week’s episode of The Brighter Side of Blue has it all — from off-the-wall laughs to hard-hitting cases. We kick things off with one of our trademark chaotic openings (yes, it gets rowdy fast 😅) before settling in with Sunset Hills Police Lt. Brad Rainey and Det. Sgt. John Piesker . Together, we dive into the unforgettable summer of 2015, when Sunset Hills saw two murders in just one week —...

Former FBI agent Frank Brostrom takes us inside two headline-making cases with surprising St. Louis links: The 1993 kidnapping of Kevyn Wynn , daughter of casino mogul Steve Wynn—how the ransom drop played out, how the suspects were tracked, and the St. Louis surveillance that helped close the case. The stolen Norman Rockwell painting “Russian Schoolroom” —missing for decades after a Clayton galle...

In this episode of The Brighter Side of Blue , we are joined by retired St. Louis legends Tony Rask (37 years) and Tony Lachenicht (36 years) to relive their time in the 3rd District —one of the busiest, toughest, and most memorable assignments in the city. From high-speed car chases on icy streets to the chaos of the projects, the guys share wild stories of characters like Sleepy and the notoriou...

A police family with three unsolved homicides. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Charlyn O’Brien to revisit the killings of her grandmother (1952) and her brothers Brady (1990) and Kelty (2008)—all still cold. Former FBI Special Agent–turned–PI Frank Brostrom joins us to walk through what’s known, what was missed, and why fresh tips now could finally crack these cases. You’ll hear:The 195...

This week we take it back to the 90s and early 2000s—when St. Louis’ 5th District was lit up with gangs, dope sets, and street violence. Our guests, Joe Crews, Billy Noonan, and Tony Boone, were right in the middle of it. 💀 Murders. 😂 Funny moments. 💊 Dope houses. 👊 Gangsters. They saw it all—and now they’re telling the stories. But let’s talk setups: Billy Noonan coming in hot from rural Miss...

In this gripping episode, we sit down with Luke Adler , a 27-year veteran of the US Marshals Service and author of Chasing Bandits . Born and raised in St. Louis, Adler’s story is anything but ordinary. From a childhood in a troubled home and a wild season working with traveling carnivals, to becoming a Marine Recon and later one of America’s most relentless manhunters—Luke shares it all. He opens...

Retired FBI Agent Frank Brostrom shares three of his wildest cases — going undercover as a hitman in a St. Louis murder-for-hire sting, tracking a fugitive who tried to ram his in-laws’ house with a gasoline-filled car bomb, and working the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing where quick action and a twist of fate saved lives. From undercover stings to domestic terror investigations, these are the kinds...

In tonight’s episode, we dive into the viral video that’s making headlines—our very own host, JJ, at the center of controversy after removing a fan from a soccer game for wearing a Make America Great Again hat. We’ll also uncover the rise of a terrifying new drug stronger than fentanyl—ISO—now creeping into the Midwest. Plus, a wild case that began in St. Louis and ended in California with murder...

In this episode, former DEA Deputy Administrator Jack Riley takes us back to the gritty streets of late-1980s Chicago, where drugs, dirty cops, and the notorious Chicago Outfit ruled the shadows. Riley recounts an explosive investigation that exposed officers like Nick Rosado and Nedrick Miller—sworn to uphold the law, but instead working hand-in-hand with organized crime. With the help of daring...

Join us for an inspiring look into Officer Nathan Spiess’s extraordinary journey of resilience and recovery. Nathan recounts the harrowing incident on March 17, 2025, when he was struck by a vehicle while pursuing a carjacking suspect on foot—an accident that led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee. He also reflects on a prior traumatic event from 2022, when he and his partner, Offic...

Cassandra Harvey and her son, Joshua Harvey, of Festus MO who were the owners of Miracle Cleaning Products Inc, were the central figures of Operation WEBSLINGER, the DEA's most significant national investigation to date targeting a prolific trafficking organization distributing GHB, GBL and 1-4 BD, all of which can be used as date rape drugs. This operation developed evidence sufficient to con...

Unlike many confidential informants, Andrew did not start out with working off a case. In 1984, Andrew walked into the St. Louis DEA building to inquire about being an agent against the war on drugs. Andrew did not qualify to be because he did not have a college degree but he left still wanting to be involved. He came back later that day with his first case. The first day, Andrew met Special Agent...

Former DEA Deputy Administrator Jack Riley discusses the rise of the Sinaloa cartel and El Chapo in the US, starting in Chicago in the early 80s. The Flores twins grew up in Chicago and followed their fathers footsteps as part of the Sinaloa cartel. The twins emerged as a money making machine for El Chapo until they decided to turn themselves into DEA in 2008. Their cooperation resulted in over 50...

Former US Atty Mike Fagan recalls the investigation of Jerry Lewis-Bey and his 8 co-defendants which culminated in a 7 1/2 month trial. The trial is the longest trial in the history of St. Louis. Mike recalls several murders and the drug dealing of the organization

Det. Wasem recalls some of his memorable arrests. 2:30 the arrest of Stephan Cannon, who was later convicted of killing Capt. David Dorn 15:00 the arrest of Myron Kimble, who was the mastermind behind the ATM Solutions robbery where over $6 million was taken 28:50 the arrest of 2 bank robbers 33:20 lying in the weeds all day...for a bag a weed😮 41:00 the arrest of Michael Glover, numerous guns an...

We are joined by prominent St. Louis defense attorney Scott Rosenblum. We discuss some courtroom battles over the years. Scott talks about how he got started. We discuss some of his clients and cases over the years, including members mentioned in our BMF series and other episodes. We also discuss the respect and decorum that comes with being friends and foes.

In our opening we talk about the Legend of Lakeshaw, our ACT test scores, the WNBA, riot fatigue, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and JJs zen28:23 Retried Lt. Col. Jerry Leyshock talks about his undercover years as Louie Merconti. Jerry shares several entertaining stories about his undercover days with the SLMPD

We discuss the recent riots in LA over ICE operations, as well as other topics. 1:00 Blues won cup 6 years ago today (June 12) 6:23 The Ice Riots 28:45 JJ's Zen 30:30 Chicago Officer killed in the line of duty 33:32 Stanley Cup talk and St .Louis connections 39:21 The Lemp Mansion

We discuss the case involving Deron Gatling aka Juanie/Magic. How the case the started. We go over some of the significant events that occurred. We discuss many of the co-conspirators. The case resulted in 41 indictments.

We discuss some undercover operations with Chief Spiess. We also talk about the changes in police officers going undercover.11:55 Brain McKenna Day26:09 Chief Joe Spiess#lawenforcement #realcrime #police #podcast #truecrimestories

We discuss the drug operation of Julius Turrentine and Stephen Henderson. Confidential Informant goes rogue. Several kilos of cocaine and $2,000,000 seized.

This week's guests are retired PO Lisa Pisciotta who is now the Executive Director of Crime Stoppers. We talk about how Crime Stoppers works and some of its successes, as well as Lisa growing up with Producer John and Danny. We also are joined by SLMPD Lt. Kim Allen of the Anti-Crime Unit and discuss patrolling and helping the heavily effected areas of the recent tornado. Timeline...00:52 Prod...

We discuss the criminal activity of Donald White and his associates. We compare their activity to the notorious New York mobsters of "Murder Inc"

We are joined by former Asst. U.S. Attorney John Davis as we talked about the wild criminal adventures of St. Louis weed mogul Tommy Anderson. Timeline 3:00 we discuss devastation of St. Louis tornado 17:30 the Karen Reed trial 29:00 The Tommy Anderson story w/ John Davis

We are joined by former co-workers, Jimmy Long & Mark Biondolino, and recall numerous entertaining stories of out time together, including a couple wild pursuits.