True Stories of Crime From the District Attorney's Office

A former New York County district attorney opens a window onto the gritty reality of early‑20th‑century crime, offering listeners a series of courtroom narratives that are as factual as they are compelling. Written from the prosecutor’s own bench, each account preserves the original documents—checks, forged letters, and handwritten orders—so the listener can hear the raw details that shaped every trial.

The first stories follow a seemingly respectable young man who walks into a Broadway shop with a counterfeit check, and the swift, coordinated response of store detectives and police that leads to a dramatic arrest. Subsequent cases reveal a web of forgeries, black‑mail schemes, and desperate “gent” messengers, exposing the clever tricks used to deceive both merchants and the law.

Beyond the suspense of each investigation, the collection provides a rare glimpse into the mindset of those who pursued justice, showing how ordinary people could be drawn into extraordinary criminal plots. Listeners come away with a deeper understanding of human motives and the early legal battles that defined a bustling city’s fight against fraud.