Backstory With Larry Potash

Illinois was a free state before the Civil War. But one man found a loophole that allowed him to own slaves. Then he started to kidnap freed slaves, and sell them back to people in slave states. A relic of this operation remains in Equality, Illinois. This is the Backstory. 

When he noticed that older Naval officers were out of shape, this U.S. President mandated new physical endurance tests. When folks in the Navy grumbled about the new directive, he decided to lead by example with an historic stunt. This is the Backstory.

A hero of his era, he fought enemies at home and abroad. But those weren't his only achievements. This is the Backstory.

They only used it for five years, but the people who built the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Chicago designed it like no other building in the world. This is the Backstory.

Abraham Lincoln's personal history fueled his disdain for slavery. And his unlikely alliance with a group of immigrants helped propel him to the White House. This is the Backstory.

Was he a good guy? Or a bad guy? Hiram C. Whitley was a man of dubious moral character. But that's what it took to infiltrate the KKK in the 1860's. This is the Backstory.

A political assassination, domestic terror, and the women of murderess row. Three lost stories of Chicago history. This is the Backstory.

In the era of social media, some people can't take a joke. Political correctness has made it so that many of today's comics won't perform at colleges. But are we missing the point? One of the original stand-ups shows us how we just might be. This is the Backstory.

He was a bootlegger. And at one point, he was bigger than Al Capone. Later, he was purportedly the inspiration for the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." But you probably don't know his name. This is the Backstory.

A building in El Paso, Texas is the site of a century old mystery. On the side of the building: a mural of a turtle. Was it a symbol? In the building's basement: walled off tunnels. Who were they for? Where did they go? This is the Backstory.

The Negro Leagues turn 100 this year. While many of the players never reached Major League notoriety, several people are working to shine a light on their legacy. This is the Backstory.

It was a big boxing match, and it ended in controversy. The referee was accused of cheating the true winner. Who was the ref? You probably know his name. This is the Backstory.

A 19th century daredevil was obsessed with balloons. He wanted to travel far and away... But one stunt ended in tragedy. And the details are still shrouded in mystery. This is the Backstory.

Advertisements painted on old brick buildings still linger in Chicago, but they're slowly disappearing. That's why Joe Marlin is documenting these fading ads of Chicago... This is the Backstory.

A historian gets a rare look inside the Royal Archive to read King George's writings about the Revolutionary War, and Larry takes a trip to his hometown of Boston to walk in the footsteps of history. This is the Backstory.

Ian Fleming worked in British intelligence before he created James Bond... so how much of the world's greatest fictional secret agent was Fleming himself? Find out, on Backstory.

He's found several photographs from more than a century ago, and now Mark Hersch is painstakingly recreating these images, and giving them new life — one frame at a time. This is the Backstory.

He was the man who helped the Feds nail Al Capone on tax evasion charges. But his legacy is greater than that. Find out how, on Backstory.

Considered a useless byproduct by many, offal cuisine is gaining in popularity. Larry Potash gives us the past, present, and future of this culinary tradition through the eyes of some very talented local chefs. This is the Backstory.

Lipizzans are some of the most beautiful horses in the world, but how did they become ensconced on Chicago’s North Shore? Find out, on Backstory...