Backstory with Larry Potash

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NASA sells space; missiles in your backyard Oct 14, 2019

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NASA's revolutionary sales pitch worked to enlist the American public in the space race in the '60s, but that race also stoked Cold War fears, whose remnants are still hidden across Chicagoland.

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How a Rolling Stones fan chronicled their career from the inside Oct 07, 2019

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In 1978, Bill German turned 16 years old, and like many kids his age was a major Rolling Stones fan.

He didn’t want to be a rock star, or simply go to their concerts. German wanted to chronicle their careers, and make a living doing so.

How does an innocent, straight-A student from an orthodox Jewish school in Brooklyn, New York, end up chasing the world’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll band around the world? It turns out his adventure had as many ups and downs as the Stones themselves.

In this piece from Backstory, Larry Potash tells us how Bill German’s excellent adventure played out.

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A mother's unsolved killing during N. Ireland's "Troubles" Jul 16, 2019

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During Northern Ireland's "Troubles," a gang of masked people dragged Gene McConville away from her 10 kids.

"Watch the children until I come back," she yelled to her oldest son.

But they never saw her again, and were abandoned after her assumed death. Years later, McConville's body was found with a single gunshot wound to the head.

While the murder remains unsolved, an author says he used a secret archive to finally identify her killer.

Read or watch the full story online

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How one shot saved pinball's future Jul 01, 2019

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When pinball was illegal, he was called upon to prove it's more than a game of chance. That's when one shot changed it all. Watch this full story online.

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How one man escaped a Nazi death march — twice Jun 24, 2019

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Jack Hersch said it was a tradition every Passover for his father, David, to tell his sons about how he escaped the Nazis.

"He would talk about the death march - put on a 34-mile march, he made it sound like he was going to get a cup of coffee around the corner," Jack Hersch said.

Then a mysterious photo led Jack to wonder if there was more the story — and go in search of answers.

Watch the full story online

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How DeLorean rose to icon status, then fell Jun 19, 2019

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While many remember the DeLorean thanks to its appearance in “Back to the Future,” but the story of its iconic creator John DeLorean is just as interesting.

You can also watch Backstory online.

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How the real-life 'BlacKkKlansman' infiltrated the KKK Jun 10, 2019

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How does a black detective go undercover to investigate the Ku Klux Klan? Ron Stallworth shares the amazing true story of how he accidentally used his own name, and talked his way into becoming a card-carrying Klan member.

Want to see the video? Watch this on "Backstory" online.

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The capture of German sub U-505 Jun 03, 2019

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Meet the man who accomplished the impossible: capturing a German sub at sea, helping to turn the tide of WWII.

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Thief stole millions, hid out in Chicago as toy store owner Apr 03, 2019

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For decades, Phil Cresta was the best thief on the East Coast. He stole millions and nobody knew who did it. After fleeing the law and the mob, he was found living under a fake name as a Chicago toy store owner. Not even his wife knew of his past— until he confessed to it all.

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Inside an Ivy League secret society Mar 21, 2019

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Secret societies are a common concern of conspiracy theories and Hollywood blockbusters, and at Ivy League schools, secret societies are the elite among the elite.

While the legends surrounding them often obscure the truth, a member of the Delphic Club at Harvard opens up about his unlikely recruitment, and how the myths surrounding such groups compare with the reality.

Larry Potash has the Backstory.

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