The Real Story

Al Capone was a notorious Mafia boss who thrived during the Prohibition era of 1930s Chicago. In the film “The Untouchables,” he was brought down by a small group of gritty law enforcers led by Eliot Ness. The public believed that Ness and his Untouchables were responsible for Capone’s downfall, but that’s not the real story. The Internal Revenue Service recently opened secret documents surrounding the case, including highly classified objects such as Capone’s gun and Ness’s diary. See the full story behind the plot to capture Capone.

On November 13, 1974, police discovered six members of the DeFeo family shot dead at in the quiet village of Amityville, New York. Eldest son Ronald was found guilty of the murders. After a new family moves in, reports of demonic possession and poltergeist activity grab world-wide attention. With eyewitness accounts and archival footage, we explore the facts and reveal new evidence behind the "Horror." Was there an element of truth behind the tales that still abound today, or was the whole thing an elaborate hoax?

Find out the true story behind the most famous prison break in American history. Alcatraz was the world’s most impregnable prison—until three prisoners escaped. Despite a vast manhunt, the men were never seen again. Did the prisoners actually make it off the island, or did the icy waters of the San Francisco Bay stop them in their tracks?

Bond…James Bond. Is this man of mystery a personification of a real spy or a fantasy spun by author Ian Fleming? Fleming wanted his suave secret agent to be the ultimate spy - but who provided the inspiration? Discover Fleming's wartime service in naval intelligence, and meet two men who could have supplied the basis for Bond's character. Uncover the facts behind the fiction – the people, places and even the gadgets that inspired the iconic spy.

Just who was the real Indiana Jones? Indy’s creators George Lucas and Steven Spielberg say the inspiration for the whip-cracking adventurer came from the explorers featured in 1930s and 40s movie serials. In turn, many writers of these serials say their inspiration came from the real life adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews. Another source for the Indy legend is the German scholar and Grail-hunter, Otto Rahn. Both embody the spirit of Indiana Jones, and lived real lives of scholarship, exploration and danger.