On the Nose

Summary

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Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode: “On the Nose” (October 2, 2025)

Host: Aaron Mahnke
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

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Overview

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, Aaron Mahnke presents two fascinating tales about how fame, connections, and publicity can unlock doors—or sometimes create unexpected disasters. The first story uncovers Marilyn Monroe’s pivotal role in breaking barriers for jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald. The second tale revolves around a Formula One racing team's over-the-top stunt involving precious diamonds, which turns into a mystery reminiscent of a Hollywood heist.

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Story One: Marilyn Monroe, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Mocambo Nightclub

[01:10 - 06:22]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Hollywood Royalty & Connections:
  Mahnke discusses how show business advantages sometimes stem from familial connections, but sustained success ultimately comes down to individual talent.

  “After all, it’s not how you get the opportunity, it’s what you do with it that counts.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (01:27)

• A Budding Star Meets an Icon:
  In 1948, a young, untrained singer at Columbia Pictures—Marilyn Monroe—was encouraged by her coach Fred Karger to study Ella Fitzgerald’s recordings.

  “[Marilyn] became an instant fan and bought scores of Ella’s records. Over the next six years, the young actress spent countless hours listening to Ella’s recordings.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (02:25)

• Barriers for Black Performers:
  Despite her success, Fitzgerald faced discrimination both for her race and not fitting 1950s Hollywood beauty standards, being shut out by prestigious venues like the Mocambo.

  “...even though Ella had been recording albums for almost 20 years and had multiple songs top the Billboard charts, she was still struggling to book a lot of upscale clubs around the country.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (03:40)

• Monroe’s Star Power Opens Doors:
  Monroe, now a superstar, struck a deal with the Mocambo’s owner: if he booked Ella, Marilyn would be there every night, ensuring the press would make the club the talk of the town.

  “[Marilyn] would make sure that the paparazzi got plenty of pictures of her sitting at the center table... The Mocambo would end up being in the newspapers night after night.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (04:42)

• A Transformative Night:
  Monroe delivered as promised, attending in style and bringing fellow icons Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra with her. Fitzgerald’s shows sold out, and her career soared.

  “After selling out that club, Ella’s entire career changed. She was in demand at upscale clubs around the country. In fact, there wasn’t a stage she could not book.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (05:55)

Memorable Moment

“Even though her talent is what brought her so much success, she always credited her good friend Marilyn Monroe for using her star power to open a door that never should have been closed to begin with.”
— Aaron Mahnke (06:10)

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Story Two: The Curious Case of the Missing Monaco Diamond

[07:27 - 13:00]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Value of Publicity:
  Mahnke describes the importance of attention in the world of celebrities and brands—sometimes, any press is good press.

  “There’s an old saying that no press is bad press. It doesn’t matter, they say, what the conversation is, as long as it revolves around you.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (07:27)

• The Stakes at Jaguar Racing:
  In 2004, Jaguar’s Formula One team, struggling for recognition, risked being sold off by parent company Ford unless they could engineer a headline-grabbing stunt.

• The Plot:
  Communications Director Nav Sidhu came up with a plan: He arranged for Ocean’s Twelve stars (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt) to attend the Monaco Grand Prix and had their cars adorned with the movie’s logo. As a final touch, two $250,000 diamonds (loaned by the Steinmetz Group) were fixed to the cars’ nose cones.

  “The press went wild for their race cars, which had huge diamonds affixed to their nose cones, the front end of the cars.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (09:28)

• The Heist—or Accident?:
  Amid the pre-race chaos, a Toyota blocked one Jaguar, mechanics swarmed the track, and at the sixth turn, driver Christian Klein crashed. When the wreckage was recovered, the diamond was gone.

  “Crew members raced to clear the car off of the track, and by the time they got Klein’s car to safety, one of the crew noticed that the $250,000 diamond attached to the nose cone was missing.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (10:20)

  The diamond was never found, sparking speculation: was it an unfortunate mishap or a real-life heist?

  “Suddenly it seemed like the PR stunt had turned into a plotline from an Ocean’s movie... There was no way of knowing who took the diamond, and to this day it’s never been found.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (11:00)

• Aftermath:
  The stunt generated massive press for Jaguar, but Ford sold the team anyway. The beverage company that purchased Jaguar—Red Bull—invested heavily, and today, Red Bull Racing is a Formula One powerhouse.

  “F1 fans know them today as Red Bull.”
  — Aaron Mahnke (12:41)

Notable Quote

“Was this an unfortunate accident or a well-planned, high-stakes heist? Either way, Nav Sidhu accomplished his mission. The incident got Jaguar a ton of press, but it didn’t stop Ford from selling the team at the end of the season, anyway.”
— Aaron Mahnke (11:34)

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• Intro to story one / Marilyn Monroe & Ella Fitzgerald: 01:10
• Monroe intervenes for Ella: 04:20
• The breakthrough gig at the Mocambo & its impact: 05:25
• Transition to story two (Jaguar, F1 & the diamond): 07:27
• F1 diamond heist setup: 08:29
• The crash and missing diamond: 10:20
• Red Bull Racing’s origin: 12:41

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Summary & Tone

Aaron Mahnke masterfully weaves together two tales that reveal the hidden energies that shape public success—personal advocacy in the case of Monroe and Fitzgerald and the unpredictability of publicity stunts in the F1 diamond incident. His tone is engaging, warm, and slightly mischievous, underscoring the bizarre twists that make reality often stranger than fiction.

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For further exploration, visit curiositiespodcast.com or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

This is an iHeart podcast. There's a vile sickness in Ambas Town. You must excise it. Dig into the deep earth and cut it out.

[Aaron Manke]

From iheart Podcasts and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manke. This is Havoc Town, a new fiction podcast set in the Bridgewater audio universe, starring Jewel State and Ray Wise.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

Listen to Havoc town on the iHeartRadio.

[Aaron Manke]

App, Apple podcast Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

[Aaron Manke]

Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

In Hollywood, they say that it's who you know. The right connections can give you a leg up. For instance, director Sofia Coppola is an immense talent, but it's easier to get noticed when your dad directed the Godfather, right? In fact, scores of our favorite celebrities, people with massive amounts of talent, come from Hollywood royalty. Nicolas Cage, George Clooney, Emma Roberts, the list goes on and on. But while these artists had a leg up, their talent is what earned them job after job. After all, it's not how you get the opportunity, it's what you do with it that counts. And as one Hollywood starlet has proved, sometimes a foot in the door is all someone needs to break the glass ceiling. In 1948, an up and coming actress arrived for her voice session at Columbia Pictures, one of the leading film studios in Hollywood. She had a good singing voice but was untrained, so the studio had her working with a composer named Fred Karger to get her as ready as possible for the small part in an upcoming film. That afternoon, Fred handed the young actress a vinyl record and encouraged her to listen to it. The singer on the record was a moderately well known crooner by the name of Ella Fitzgerald, and Fred thought that the young actress might be able to learn a few things about singing by listening to Ella. And the actress did listen, and found herself drawn in by Ella Fitzgerald's low, sultry voice. She became an instant fan and bought scores of Ella's records. As it turned out, Ella Fitzgerald wasn't just a hypnotic singer, she was also prolific, having released dozens of records since 1935. Over the next six years, the young actress spent countless hours listening to Ella's recordings. She followed her career even as her own career took off and she began to land bigger and bigger roles in Hollywood. But much as she loved Ella Fitzgerald. She didn't get to see her perform until November of 1954 at a nightclub in Los Angeles. After the show, the actress met Ella and introduced herself as Marilyn Monroe, one of Ella's biggest fans. And the two struck up a fast friendship. By this time, Marilyn Monroe was one of the most famous celebrities on the planet. Ella Fitzgerald was famous in her own right, but had nowhere near Maryland star power. In fact, even though Ella had been recording albums for almost 20 years and had multiple songs top the Billboard charts, she was still struggling to book a lot of upscale clubs around the country. She especially wanted to play the Mocambo, a famous LA nightclub, but the owner had so far refused to book her. This was sadly a common problem for black performers in the 1950s. At the time, a lot of clubs and casinos practiced segregation. These venues flat out refused to hire black talent. Or if they did, musicians like Ella would perform and then be ushered out the back door without being allowed to stay in the venue after their set. But that was only part of why the Mocambo refused to book Ella. In fact, singers like Dorothy Dandridge and Eartha Kitty had already played the Mocambo. So Ella wouldn't have been the first African American woman to perform there. No, the problem was that Ella was full figured. It seems that she didn't meet the traditional beauty standards of the time. And the club's owner worried that a heavyset woman like Ella would lack the glamour needed to draw a crowd. And so for years, Ella had been unable to change the club owner's mind about her. But that was before she became friends with Marilyn Monroe. So in the spring of 1955, Marilyn placed a call to the owner of the Mocambo and made him a deal. If he booked Ella for a run at the club, Marilyn would be there every single night. And she would make sure that the paparazzi's got plenty of pictures of her sitting at the center table. The club owner was a businessman first and foremost. His only real issue with booking Ella was her ability to draw a crowd. And Marilyn would certainly take care of that with her at the performance. The Macambo would end up being in the newspapers night after night. So he agreed and hired Ella for a couple of weeks in March of 1955. On opening night, Marilyn Monroe kept her word. She showed up at the Mocambo dressed to the nines with the trail of reporters and photographers right behind her. She sat at the very front of the club so the whole audience could see her avidly supporting her friend. Plus Two more celebrity guests also showed up to see Ella croon Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. That night, Ella put on an unforgettable show to a packed house. The rest of her run sold out, and the Mocambo decided to extend her contract for another week. After selling out that club, Ella's entire career changed. She was in demand at upscale clubs around the country. In fact, there wasn't a stage she could not book. Years later, she said in an interview that after the Mocambo, she never had to play a small jazz club again. And even though her talent is what brought her so much success, she always credited her good friend Marilyn Monroe for using her star power to open a door that never should have been closed to begin with.

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

There's a vile sickness in Abbas Town. You must excise it. Dig into the deep earth and cut it out. The village is ravaged. Entire families have been consumed.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

You know how waking up from a dream?

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

A familiar place can look completely alien. Get back everyone. Let's go. Dax. And if you see the devil walking around inside of another man, you must cut out the very heart of him, burn his body and scatter the ashes in the furthest corner of this town.

[Aaron Manke]

As a warning from iHeart podcasts and grim and mild from Aaron Manke, this is Havoc Town, a new fiction podcast set in the Bridgewater audio universe, starring.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

Jewel State and Ray Wise. Listen to Havoc town on the iHeartRadio.

[Aaron Manke]

App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

The Devil walks in Abbott.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

There'S an old saying that no press is bad press. It doesn't matter they say, what the conversation is, as long as it revolves around you. And that's why so many celebrities and big name brands rely on PR stunts to generate publicity. If you're outrageous, you can get people talking. So when Nav took a job as director of communications for a racing team, he wanted his race car drivers in the papers. And he would succeed, but only after learning how quickly a publicity stunt can become a PR nightmare. Now, these days, it seems like almost everyone is a fan of Formula One racing, or has at least heard of the hit TV show Drive to Survive. But back in 2004, F1 was a niche sport. It was hard for any team to garner attention from the wider world, which for the owners of the teams was largely the point. Car companies like Ferrari, Toyota and Honda bought F1 teams to show off their automaking prowess. Only first place teams like Ferrari ever made the newspapers. Seventh place teams like Jaguar may as well have been invisible, but that was a big Problem for Jaguar's parent company, Ford Motors. Going into the 2004 season, the Ford executives were beginning to feel like Investing in an F1 team was a major waste of money. There was a rumor that if Jaguar didn't garner some major publicity, Ford would sell the team at the end of the season. Jaguar knew that they weren't good enough to win first place and make the papers, but they wanted to save their team regardless. So Nav Sidhu, the director of communications, devised a different way of garnering attention. The Monaco Grand Prix was coming up, a race that always got more publicity than the rest because Monaco races were usually crawling with celebrities. And Nav wanted to make this year's race all about Jaguar. So he called up the producers of a movie about to hit the theaters, Ocean's Twelve. He proposed that they send George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt to the Monaco Grand Prix as a publicity stunt. The Jaguar team would deck out their cars in Ocean's 12 logos. And after a finishing touch, Seydoux called the Steinmetz Group a high end jeweler. And he asked to borrow two diamonds that would be fixed to the front of the Jaguar race cars for the Grand Prix. He thought that it would play up the jewel heist nature of the Ocean's films. The jewelers agreed, since it would be great publicity for them as well. So on the day of the race, both the drivers for Jaguar, Mark Webber and Christian Klein, took photos with Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The press went wild for their race cars, which had huge diamonds affixed to their nose cones, the front end of the cars. Each diamond, by the way, was worth about a quarter of a million dollars. But while everything was running smooth for the Jaguar team, the Grand Prix got off to a rocky start. When it was time for the race, all of the cars got into their starting boxes on the track. But one of the Toyota drivers pulled up short of his grid box, landing him right next to Christian Kleen, the giant Jaguar driver. A rush of mechanics poured into the track, swarming the Toyota to change its tires, do a mechanical check and position it correctly in place. And when they finally cleared out, the race began. And right from the start, it was chaos. A pack of cars thundered around hairpin turns at breakneck speed. Clean wove through the track alongside the other drivers, screeching around corners and fighting to overtake the cars ahead of him. And at one point, he realized that the right wing of his car was missing. He wasn't sure what had happened. If another car had knocked it off or if he had tapped it on a barrier when he was zooming around a turn. But he didn't need it to control the car and so he pushed the pedal to the floor. Then six turns into the race, he came up to a hairpin turn and lost traction and ended up smashing nose first into the barrier on the side of the track. Crew members raced to clear the car off of the track track and by the time they got Clean's car to safety, one of the crew noticed that the $250,000 diamond attached to the nose cone was missing. The entire Jaguar team jumped into action, canvassing the area for the diamond. They searched the track and watched the security footage, but there was no sign of the diamond and suddenly it seemed like the PR stunt had turned into a plotline from an ocean's movie. The problem was that a ton of unexpected people came in contact with the car. The mechanics at the beginning of the race, the crew members who pulled the car off the track. If the diamond broke off during the race, a lucky bystander might have been able to reach through the barrier and grab it. There was no way of knowing who took the diamond and to this day it's never been found. So was this an unfortunate accident or a well planned high stakes heist? Either way, Nav Seydu accomplished his mission. The incident got Jaguar a ton of press, but it didn't stop Ford from selling the team at the end of the season anyway. At first, the sale seemed like a death knell for Jaguar. After all, the new owners were not even automakers, they were a beverage company. But they poured a ton of money and resources into Jaguar and renamed the team after the beverage company's energy drink. Today they still make the papers, not for missing diamonds, but because they're arguably the best racing team in the world. You'd almost certainly recognize their name and their bright red logo. F1 fans know them today as Red Bull.

[Aaron Manke]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiosity curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

There's a viral sickness in Ambas Town. You must excise it, dig into the deep earth and cut it out from.

[Aaron Manke]

Iheart Podcasts and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manke. This is Havoc Town, a new fiction podcast set in the Bridgewater audio universe, starring Jewel State and Ray Wise.

[Podcast Host/Narrator]

Listen to Havoc town on the iHeartRadio.

[Aaron Manke]

App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator/Character from Havoc Town]

This is an iHeart podcast.