The Jolly Roger Social Club
The story of William Dathan Holbert
You may remember Sharon McConnell-Dickerson from episode 8 titled “The Sculptor.” You know, the blind artist who casts the faces of dying blues musicians. When we first recorded that episode, she told me a story that quite frankly was hard to believe. It sounded like something out of a movie. In fact, it should be turned into a movie. It’s one of the most sadistic con artist stories I’ve ever heard. And warning, this episode is pretty dark. So if you don’t like that kinda stuff, you’ve been warned.
This is the story of Wild Bill.
Wild Bill, who’s real name is William Holbert, had long blonde curly hair and frequently wore a viking helmet. He was 6 feet tall and looked like one of those guys at the gym who’s pumped up on steroids. Wild Bill was also the owner of a Panamanian bar he liked to call the Jolly Rogers Social Club. The bar, which sat off the side of his island property, was a down and dirty watering hole, known for loud parties and the occasional drug use. The decor was simple. Wild Bill flew a flag with skull and bones. And the bar’s motto says it all—90% of our members survive.
William Holbert, and his wife Laura Reece, were not only the island bar owners. They also had a keen eye for real estate. The strange thing is, every time they closed a deal, the person selling them the property would disappear.
Sharon McConnell-Dickerson shares with us the story about her friend Bo Icler and the real estate con artist trap that ripped them apart.
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To learn more about this story, please check out the book titled, “The Jolly Roger Social Club” by Nick Foster.
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Featured Promos:
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Theme music composed by Joe Basile with thechicken.net
Additional music by Podington Bear
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Pretend Radio is a podcast about con artists and people living a lie.
This episode was written and produced by Javier Leiva
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