8 | The Rear View Mirror

Summary

Crook County: Episode 8 - "The Rear View Mirror"

Release Date: March 25, 2025
Hosted by Kyle Tequila, produced by Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts

---

Introduction

In Episode 8 of "Crook County," titled "The Rear View Mirror," host Kyle Tequila delves deeper into the tumultuous life of his father, Ken Tequila—a celebrated Chicago firefighter who simultaneously led a secret life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia. This episode explores the pivotal moments that led to Ken's downfall, his struggle with addiction, and the profound impact his double life had on his family.

---

Ken's Transition to Firefighting and Crime

The episode opens with Ken Tequila expressing his desire to leave behind his life of crime:

Ken Tequila [04:19]: "I really wanted to get back into civilian life. I was ready for it."

Despite his intentions, Ken finds it challenging to escape his past. His role within both the Chicago Fire Department and the mafia creates an intricate web of deceit and danger:

Kyle Tequila [04:25]: "The cops are just as crooked as the criminals."

Ken grapples with the constant pressure of his criminal obligations, revealing the impossibility of fully abandoning his past:

Ken Tequila [04:48]: "I always had that pendulum swinging over my fucking head that I could be called in at any time."

---

The Incident: Fire Station Accident

A turning point in Ken's life occurs in the late 1990s during a routine call to a grocery store fire with a high, arched bowstring truss roof. The complexity of the situation leads to a catastrophic accident:

Mike [20:02]: "The fire alarm sounded... the ladder kicked out and it fell on your dad."

Ken sustains severe injuries—fractured limbs and facial damage—and recounts the traumatic experience:

Ken Tequila [23:02]: "Fractured my left hand, fractured my right and left knee, some damage to my face and skull..."

This accident not only leaves Ken physically scarred but also marks the beginning of his battle with addiction.

---

Descent into Addiction

Post-accident, Ken becomes dependent on painkillers, which gradually morph into a heroin addiction. His struggle is evident through his estrangement from family and visible signs of drug use:

Kyle Tequila [23:53]: "When the pills stopped being enough to satisfy his addiction, he turned to heroin... you could see the veins from his inner elbow all the way down to his wrist."

Mike, Ken's old ambulance partner, provides insight into Ken's hidden battles:

Mike [24:47]: "I knew he was struggling with stuff, but I couldn't tell what... he likes to play his cards very close to the chest."

---

Impact on Family and Relationships

Ken's addiction wreaks havoc on his family dynamics, leading to emotional and physical distancing:

Kyle Tequila [28:27]: "I don't need to rehash the pain we all went through during this period of self-destruction."

Family members share their perspectives, highlighting the deep scars left by Ken's actions and lifestyle:

Rich [29:06]: "I just can't do it because there's just too many things for too long, and I just can't do it."

Kyle reflects on the duality of his father's persona, juxtaposing Ken's role as a loving grandfather with his dark past:

Kyle Tequila [12:38]: "That's the perfect example of just how easy it was for him to hide this dark double life from us for all these years."

---

Ken's Struggle and Redemption

In 2013, after years of deceit, Ken reaches out to his son for help, signaling a desire to change:

Kyle Tequila [28:27]: "After all the pain and abuse, what else could we do?... I had been estranged from him for nearly five years when he finally reached out to me for help in 2013."

Ken's brother, Rich, recounts the moment he intervened to prevent Ken from self-harm, effectively saving his life:

Rich [29:06]: "...he was in a really bad place... I saved his life because he was in a really bad place."

As Ken embarks on the path to sobriety, he begins to open up about his past, seeking forgiveness and striving for redemption:

Ken Tequila [30:20]: "I just hope that, God, I get forgiven for this... I regret every second of it."

---

Family Members' Perspectives

The episode features heartfelt testimonials from various family members and close associates:

• Mike [32:21]: "He changed my life just being friends with him... I'm basically here because of him."

• Kyle Tequila [33:53]: "I've come to peace with the past... I look it right in the eyes and embrace it, learn from it, share it with the world."

These narratives underscore the complex emotions of love, resentment, and forgiveness that permeate the family's journey.

---

Conclusion and Reflections

Kyle Tequila concludes the episode by reflecting on the revelations about his father's life and the resilience of his family. Despite the darkness of Ken's past, Kyle chooses to honor the positive memories and the lessons learned:

Kyle Tequila [33:53]: "I am not ashamed of it. I do not run from it. I look it right in the eyes and embrace it, learn from it, share it with the world."

The episode serves as a poignant exploration of the multifaceted nature of identity, the long-term effects of addiction, and the enduring bonds of family.

---

Notable Quotes

• Ken Tequila [05:25]: "He's a soldier but he's a higher end soldier. ... my mission. To snuff the life out of this guy."

• Ken Tequila [07:00]: "I led this son of a bitch right into a kill... his fucking car exploded."

• Kyle Tequila [30:49]: "I have been completely sheltered from the evil that plagued my dad's entire existence."

---

Acknowledgments

Kyle extends his gratitude to family members, friends, and experts who contributed to uncovering his father's story, highlighting the collective effort required to navigate such a personal and harrowing journey.

---

Crook County continues to unravel the intricate tapestry of Ken Tequila's life, offering listeners a deep and empathetic look into the complexities of familial bonds affected by crime and addiction.

Transcript

[Ken Tequila]

Holy.

[Kyle Tequila]

Crook county just surpassed 2 million downloads. That's more viewers than every single season of the Bachelor combined. Look it up. It's a fact. And to celebrate, the fine folks at Tenderfoot TV have created these incredible Crook County T shirts. That's right. So now you get to display my own personal family nightmare under your beautiful body. And as a show of appreciation, I'm gonna hook you up with 20% off. So head over to shop.tenderfoot.com and type in the promo code CROOK20 to receive the discount. Thank you all so much for listening.

[Melissa Moore]

Growing up is tough, but finding out your dad is not who you thought he was is downright terrifying.

[Kyle Tequila]

Melissa, who is your dad and what is he known as? He's known as the Happy Face Serial Killer.

[Melissa Moore]

Listen to the hit iHeart podcast that inspired the new TV series. Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Moore finding out her father was the notorious Happy face killer in 1995. Listen to Happy Face on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Welcome to the Criminalia podcast. I'm Maria Trimarchi.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Each season we explore a new theme, from poisoners to art thieves.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures, from legal injustices to body snatching.

[Maria Tremarchi]

And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

I'm Mary Kay McBrayer, host of the podcast the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. This season explores women from the 19th century to now. Women who were murderers and scammers, but also women who were photojournalists, lawyers, writers, and more. This podcast tells more than just the brutal, gory details of horrific acts. I delve into the good, the bad, the difficult, and all the nuance I can find because these are the stories that we need to know to understand the intersection of society, justice, and the fascinating workings of the human psyche. Join me every week as I tell some of the most enthralling true crime stories about women who are not just victims, but heroes or villains, or often somewhere in between. Listen to the greatest true crime stories ever told on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Kyle Tequila]

Crook county is released weekly and brought to you absolutely free. But if you want to hear the whole season right now, it's available ad free on Tenderfoot Plus. For more information, check out the show notes. Enjoy the episode. You're listening to Crook County. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals participating in the podcast. This episode also contains subject matter, including graphic depictions of violence, which may not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised. Hello friends. We've come such a long way since we launched Crook county, and I want to thank you for sticking with me as I tell this story and for all the incredible words of kindness and support you've showed me over these past eight weeks. I'd like to show that appreciation by having an open and honest conversation with you, the listeners on a bonus episode, which will air in a couple weeks. So please visit our Instagram rookcountypodcast and leave me a comment or an audio message with questions about the show or anything that you feel is relevant, and I will do my very best to answer as many of them as I can. Thank you so much. Our family is so grateful to know that we are not alone in this journey of discovery and healing. And I look forward to hearing from you soon. Previously on Crook County.

[Ken Tequila]

I really wanted to get back into civilian life. I was ready for it.

[Kyle Tequila]

Ken leaves the outfit for the Chicago Fire Department.

[Ken Tequila]

Just when you think you're away from all this shit. I'm covering up fucking murders that these cops are doing.

[Kyle Tequila]

The cops are just as crooked as the criminals.

[Mike]

So the brotherhood of the cops, you know, and you're so dependent on them that I wouldn't even be here today if I hadn't stayed on the right side of that.

[Kyle Tequila]

And Kenny learns that putting his past behind him is an impossible task.

[Ken Tequila]

And I always had that pendulum swinging over my fucking head that I could be called in at any time.

[Kyle Tequila]

My name is Kyle Tequila. Welcome to Crook County. Just by the way I'm tired I see. Cause I'm living a lie Lost in, lost in the way.

[Ken Tequila]

He's a soldier but he's a higher end soldier. I've had experiences with him in the past and I never liked him, never appreciated him, never even wanted to recognize him as a human being. And that was my mission. To snuff the life out of this guy.

[Kyle Tequila]

Episode 8 the Rear View Mirror.

[Ken Tequila]

I can remember heading off to work with the fire department still. And I'm on the Eisenhower Expressway heading east. I see him. There's a lot of traffic in the morning, so there's stop and go, stop and go. So anyway, I managed to worm my way in and stop and go up to him, I was on his left, rolled down the window with my. We had electric windows even back then. Hey, believe it or not. Rolled down the window, spit. And of course, I knew I would get his eyrie up. He heard it, he saw me, he spun out of control and the race was on.

[Kyle Tequila]

The question I asked him was simple. You spent all these years running around the streets of Chicago working for the outfit. But you are also working these same streets as a firefighter and a paramedic. So what happens when you inevitably run into somebody you knew from your days in the mob?

[Ken Tequila]

So we did. Weaving in and out of traffic on the. On the pull off sections, right and left. And people actually getting out of the way for two and a half miles with this 100 mile an hour fucking chase. So I led this son of a bitch right into a kill. We have these concrete embankments in Chicago that the left is the exit and the right is where you continue traveling. So I led this son of a. Because I knew he was raging. He wasn't even thinking properly. I knew it. So I led him right into the. Right into the exit. I can't remember what street. I led him right into the embankment and I made a quick chop left and kept going at about 70 miles per hour. But he wasn't fast enough. He hit that concrete embankment and his fucking car exploded. I watched it in my rearview mirror. So I knew nothing was going to happen with this guy. He was just simply dead. So now you're going to ask yourself, how does a guy working for a fire department go out and snuff out a fucking mop in front of 300 people and go home the next morning and feel good about himself? Well, you gotta understand this people, all you civilians out there, these people are evil garbage. They deserve to be dead. The world is a better place without them. You have no idea what these people are capable of doing and have done and will continue to fucking do. Not unless their lives are snatched from them. And this particular incident, I knew this fuck. I knew his fucking history. And I knew I had to snatch the life out of this fuck. So did I feel bad? No. Not one fucking bit. I slept, woke up the next morning and did whatever I had to do without even thinking about was just a normal kill. That's all in my mind at that time that needed to be done. I actually feel okay about doing it. Because I really believe I did the world a favor. Because the only thing this man could have done was make things worse. That's it, people. I don't know what else to tell you and if you can't live with that, then I don't know Grow the up to the top of the porch to the top of the wall now dash away dash away dash away all.

[Kyle Tequila]

It's Christmas Eve in 2019 so up.

[Ken Tequila]

To the housetop the courses they flew with sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too Santa, Santa, Santa. That's St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas and Santa are the same, dude.

[Kyle Tequila]

Do you know that my dad has been staying with us for a few days while we recorded these final interviews?

[Ken Tequila]

There's no Rudolph. No, there's no Rudolph in this story.

[Kyle Tequila]

We haven't done there yet.

[Mike]

Maybe.

[Ken Tequila]

Yeah, I don't think there's a Rudolph in this one. No, no, there's no Rudolph on this one. Whoa.

[Kyle Tequila]

They messed up.

[Ken Tequila]

Well, maybe they just forgot on this particular Christmas. That doesn't mean he's not gonna be here tonight. I can almost guarantee he's gonna be here tonight. He might have been out for this Christmas here, though, you know, maybe he had a cold. Who knows? What do you think?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

I don't see any shining.

[Ken Tequila]

I don't see it either. But we're not gonna worry about that, right?

[Kyle Tequila]

It's so strange to see my dad switch from this cold hard killer to the loving grandpa almost instantaneously.

[Ken Tequila]

Look at that beard. Hey, look at this. What's that?

[Kyle Tequila]

Cookies.

[Ken Tequila]

Cookies and milk. Just like that right over there, buddy. What's that? What is that, carrots? Yeah, that's a carrot. Yeah, we're gonna go with that one.

[Kyle Tequila]

That's for the reindeer.

[Ken Tequila]

Oh, that's right. That's for the reindeer. They gotta eat too. Yeah, yeah, Vic. Smart guy.

[Kyle Tequila]

But it's the perfect example of just how easy it was for him to hide this dark double life from us for all these years.

[Ken Tequila]

I heard him explain as he drove out of sight. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[Kyle Tequila]

As my wife and I sit here by the fire watching our five year old son, Lincoln, reading the Night Before Christmas with his grandfather, I'm also reminded of just how much I loved my dad when I was that age.

[Ken Tequila]

Good night, Lincoln. I'll see you in the morning, buddy.

[Kyle Tequila]

And even after everything that's happened since, I'll always remember the man that he was when I was young.

[Melissa Moore]

Growing up is tough, but finding out your dad is not who you thought he was is downright terrifying.

[Kyle Tequila]

Melissa, who is your dad and what is he known as? He's known as the Happy Face serial killer.

[Melissa Moore]

Listen to the hit Iheart podcast That inspired the new TV series Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Moore finding out her father was the notorious Happy face killer in 1995. Listen to Happy Face on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

In 2020, a group of young women in a tidy suburb of New York City found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare. Someone was posting photos.

[Kyle Tequila]

It was just me naked. Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body. Parts that looked exactly like my own.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream. It happened in Levittown, New York. But reporting the series took us through the darkest corners of the Internet and to the front lines of a global battle against deepfake pornography.

[Maria Tremarchi]

This should be illegal, but what is this?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

This is a story about a technology that's moving faster than the law and about vigilantes trying to stem the tide. I'm Margie Marcy. And I'm Olivia Carville. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Margie Murphy]

Ever wondered what you would do if you found yourself lost in the wild? In the desert, the jungle or the mountains? Would you make the right choices to stay alive? Introducing real survival stories. The new podcast from Noiser. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives.

[Ken Tequila]

How the heck did I get here?

[Kyle Tequila]

And how the heck am I going to get out of here? Am I going to be a pile of bones in the Australian outback? Or am I going to make it out? I heard the nylon dragging against the ice, so I was going faster and faster and all of a sudden, boom.

[Maria Tremarchi]

This is the worst place you can be in a lightning storm. I didn't know if I'd make it through the night. If I live until morning, I will live my greatest dreams.

[Margie Murphy]

Listen to real survival stories. Search real survival stories in your podcast app and hit follow for weekly episodes.

[Melissa Moore]

Some people won't give you the real talk on drugs, but it's time we know the facts. Fentanyl is often laced into illicit drugs and used to make fake versions of prescription pills. You can't see it, taste it, or smell it. Suppliers mix fentanyl into their products because it's potent and cheap and the dealer might not even know. Keep yourself and others safe by knowing the real deal on fentanyl. Get the facts go to realdealonfentanol.com this message is brought to you by the Ad Council.

[Kyle Tequila]

I'm back with my dad's old ambulance partner, Mike. I tell him what I know about Ken's mafia past and he sits there calmly listening. It's mostly me talking and I can't tell one way or the other if he's heard any of this before. He's certainly not telling me if he has. How do you feel in me telling you these things about his mob life?

[Mike]

Well, I'm not surprised, you know, none of it's shocking to me. Cause I, you know, I knew him at the point where he was transitioning, you know, that's when I first met him, you know, so I mean, I knew he was way different than the other people I was working with, you know, but I saw all the upside potential of your dad, you know. Cause he was really good at being a paramedic and a firefighter.

[Kyle Tequila]

Amidst all of the awful things that happened in Ken's life and perhaps maybe even because of it, he threw his entire self into his work as a firefighter.

[Mike]

He had a passion for it, you know, he was really good at it and he loved doing it.

[Kyle Tequila]

I dug up some articles from local papers mentioning Ken's exploits as a first responder. One article from 1992 interviews Ken, who was fighting for fair pay for his fellow medics. And in a sort of twist of fate, another article from the Daily Herald in 1991 mentions Ken as the first firefighter on the scene of a fatal plane crash at DuPage Airport. Just a little over a decade after that American Airlines crash that inspired Ken to join the fire department in the first place.

[Mike]

You could see that he liked it, you know, that he appreciated the fact that he had helped somebody.

[Kyle Tequila]

There were many occasions over the years where I got to see him in action. At the station, on ride alongs, neighborhood events, I witnessed firsthand the respect of his peers and his chief. One of my favorite memories of all time was probably in third or fourth grade when my dad was invited to speak in front of my whole school about fire safety. After the speech, there was a Q and A with the students and one smart ass kid takes the microphone, points at my dad's pants and goes, did you know your fly was open? So my dad looks down and sure enough, his zipper has been open this entire time. So he just looks at this kid right in the eye and he goes, I just wanted to make sure you all were paying attention. And he zips it back up and the whole place just went nuts. I mean, people were crying, laughing, the kids, the teachers, everyone. One of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[Mike]

The firefighting thing. He liked that more than I did. I mean, sure, you know, it's a lot of fun, it's exciting. You know, there's always the thrill of are you gonna get blown up or not? You know, So, I mean, it's kind of an adrenaline rush kind of thing. But your dad was more, way more into the firefighting thing than I ever was. He always wanted to be the first guy in, get there and get, get his air pack on and get in before anybody else could get in there, you know, he always wanted to be at the front of the line for that. I remember a couple times he got hurt at fire scenes and I was just like, geez, settle down, man. You don't have to be the first guy in all the time. And he was like, I gotta get in there. He had to be the first guy in, you know, he really wanted that.

[Kyle Tequila]

And then sometime in the late 90s, the guys at the station had just finished their dinner when the alarm bells sounded and a call came through that would forever change Kenny's life and set in motion a disastrous chain of events that would eventually destroy our entire family.

[Mike]

The scariest call I ever did in my life. We had a fire at a. It was a grocery store, but it used to be a bowling alley. So it had the bowstring truss roof, you know, the arched roof like that. And it was very high roof in the place. So they had to get a 30 foot extension ladder to get up there. And this 30 foot banger weighs a ton. It's like three guys gotta carry it, you know. And they had one guy healing it and that was your dad. And they had this firefighter in full gear and an air pack going up into the scuttle. And he was a big guy, he was probably a 260 pound firefighter and he had 50 pounds of gear and air pack. So 310 pounds you're talking about. He was all the way up at the tip of the ladder, going in the scuttle and the ladder kicked out and it fell on your dad. And the firefighter came down and he landed right on top of your dad and he is down on the ground and he looked like shit, he was gray. And I thought, oh my God, he's really hurt bad, you know. And it was probably the worst call I've ever done in my life because I was so emotionally invested. In the call, and everybody's running around and screaming, and people are flying back and forth, and I'm telling them, slow down. They're like, running with the stretcher. I didn't want them to dump it over and hurt them again. And so everything got under control. We got him in the ambulance, and my partner Joe was on the phone to the hospital. And your dad's telling him he started coming around a bit, and he says, tell him this, tell him that, tell him this. And my partner hands the phone to your dad and says, do you want to talk to him or do you want me to talk to him? Still bossed everybody around, and your dad goes, no, go ahead. That's when I knew he was going to be okay. But it was really scary because I've seen a lot of people look like he looked at that time that have died on us on the way to the hospital. So it was really scary. You know, the doctor even said that, you know, if he hadn't been in such good physical condition at the time that he would. He would have never survived it.

[Ken Tequila]

Fractured my left hand, fractured my right and left knee, some damage to my face and skull, and had some surgeries, got a lot of painkillers, and, you know, where the hell have you been my whole life? You know, took a really liking to that, took a really liking of painkillers. And then that's when I started having problems with my addiction, was after getting those pain pills after those surgeries catalyzed my addiction and then fueled it after that. After it got catalyzed, in the years.

[Kyle Tequila]

Following the accident, the painkillers became a constant companion. And as the addiction got worse, Ken gradually shrank inward and distanced himself from his family and friends.

[Mike]

I knew he was struggling with stuff, but I couldn't tell what. And I didn't really ask him because I felt like he wasn't gonna tell me anyway. You know, he likes to play his cards very close to the chest when it comes to his personal life and feelings and what he's going through.

[Kyle Tequila]

When the pills stopped being enough to satisfy his addiction, he turned to heroin, which isn't as easy to hide. You would look at his arms. They were clear as day. You could see the veins from his fucking his inner elbow all the way down to his wrist and following up towards his shoulder. They were just gross. He knew something was up. You know, it's fucking horrible.

[Melissa Moore]

Growing up is tough, but finding out your dad is not who you thought he was is downright terrifying.

[Kyle Tequila]

Melissa, who is your dad and what is he known as? He's known as the Happy Face Serial Killer.

[Melissa Moore]

Listen to the hit I Heart podcast that inspired the new TV series. Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Moore finding out her father was the notorious Happy face killer in 1995. Listen to Happy Face on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

In 2020, a group of young women in a tidy suburb of New York City found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare. Someone was posting photos.

[Kyle Tequila]

It was just me naked. Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts on my body parts that looked exactly like my own.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream. It happened in Levittown, New York. But reporting the series took us through the darkest corners of the Internet and to the front lines of a global battle against deepfake pornography.

[Maria Tremarchi]

This should be illegal, but what is this?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

This is a story about a technology that's moving faster than the law and about vigilantes trying to stem the tide. I'm Margie Murphy. And I'm Olivia Carvell. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Margie Murphy]

Ever wondered what you would do if you found yourself lost in the wild in the desert, the jungle or the mountains? Would you make the right choices to stay alive? Introducing real survival stories, the new podcast from Noiza. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives.

[Ken Tequila]

How the heck did I get here?

[Kyle Tequila]

And how the heck am I going.

[Melissa Moore]

To get out of here?

[Kyle Tequila]

Am I going to be a pile of bones in the Australian outback? Or am I going to make it out? I heard the nylon dragging against the ice, so I was going faster and faster.

[Ken Tequila]

Zzz.

[Kyle Tequila]

And then all of a sudden, boom.

[Maria Tremarchi]

This is the worst place you can.

[Kyle Tequila]

Be in a lightning storm.

[Maria Tremarchi]

I didn't know if I'd make it through the night. If I live until morning, I will.

[Kyle Tequila]

Live my greatest dreams.

[Margie Murphy]

Listen to real survival stories. Search real survival stories in your podcast app and hit follow for weekly episodes.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Each season we explore a new theme. Everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarchi]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Kyle Tequila]

I don't need to rehash the pain we all went through during this period of self destruction. But as the years went on and the family fell apart, Holly, Corey, and myself eventually separated ourselves from Ken physically and emotionally. After all the pain and abuse, what else could we do? I had been estranged from him for nearly five years when he finally reached out to me for help in 2013. And I checked him into rehab in California. And I always wondered, why now? What change had occurred to make him suddenly surrender himself to getting clean? I think Ken's brother Rich may have the answer.

[Rich]

Right before he moved out to California, he called me up and we were talking and I just knew it. You know, I don't want to call it the twin thing because we never had that, but he. There was something about his tone, something. And I left work and I went to the apartment and I walked in and he was sitting there in a chair and that pistol was sitting right next to him. And I looked at him and I said, what are you doing? I don't remember the response, but I said, you should probably give me that. And he said, I think you're right. So as far as I'm concerned, I saved his life because he was in a really bad place.

[Kyle Tequila]

Over the last 10 years, as my dad sobered up and embarked on the long, painful path to healing, he began to open up to me for the first time. And even though the truth is so much more fucked up than I could have ever imagined, I'm thankful for this opportunity to finally see the man I call father for who he really is.

[Ken Tequila]

I just hope that, God, I get forgiven for this. I just hope he can forgive me. I really do. Cause I think about it all the time, man. I regret every second of it. Be careful with choices, people. Be careful. The choices you make, they can come back and haunt you a lifetime.

[Kyle Tequila]

Throughout this entire process, I have been constantly shocked about how I can still be constantly shocked whenever I learn some new, awful truth about the world my dad lived in. My first reaction is, how is that even possible? But then a second, even more powerful reality hits me. That I have been completely sheltered from the evil that plagued my dad's entire existence. If his goal was to keep this world away from us, then he succeeded. And despite everything else, I'm grateful to him for that much. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the people featured in this story who were so gracious and brave to open themselves up to me during these difficult interviews. To my amazing mom for her strength and perseverance during these last 20 years as she watched her life crumble around her. To my best friend and my brother Corey, who still carries the weight of our father's abuse. To my Uncle Rich for crawling back into his painful past and shedding some light on their own abusive childhood. And of course, for saving my dad's life that day in 2013. To Jeff Cohen of the Chicago Tribune, for sharing his unmatched expertise on all things Mafia. And finally, to my dad's old buddy Mike, who also wanted to share some words of gratitude.

[Mike]

He changed my life just being friends with him. He helped me stand up for myself and be more assertive in my life and changed my life, you know, forever. And when I was going into treatment center and I was struggling, I went and sat and talked to your dad. He probably doesn't even remember. Really helped me get on the path I needed to be on, you know, he really steered me in the right direction, which is kind of funny because he was probably messed up at the time himself, you know, but put me on for my recovery. I wish he understood how important that he is to me. I'm basically here because of him, but he doesn't probably realize that.

[Kyle Tequila]

So where does that leave us now? Who the hell knows? I suppose it depends on who you ask. My brother Corey and my Uncle Rich.

[Rich]

Have already made up their minds with everything in consideration. I just. I can't, you know, be the better man and forgive and forget. I just can't do it because there's just too many things for too long, and I just can't do it.

[Kyle Tequila]

My mom has a similar take, but focuses on the good.

[Maria Tremarchi]

I have many videotapes to look back.

[Kyle Tequila]

On, on the happy times. I don't have any tapes of the horrible times, which makes me happy for me. I've come to peace with the past. It has tempered me, made me stronger. I am not ashamed of it. I do not run from it. I look it right in the eyes and embrace it, learn from it, share it with the world. And one day, when he's old enough, I will share it with my son and he will know how far we have come together in spite of it. That is the real legacy of my father and that is what I will choose to remember. Crook county is a production of iHeart podcasts and Tenderfoot TV in association with Common Enemy. All episodes are produced, written and hosted by me, Kyle Tequila. Executive producers are Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay. Original score by Makeup and Vanity Set Main Title song is called Crush by the band Starry Eyes. End credit song is called Dying Islands, also by the band Starry Eyes. Sound mix by Cooper Skinner. For more podcasts like Crook county, search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app or visit Tenderfoot tv. Thanks for listening to Season one of Crook County. It's been an honor to share this story with you. But don't worry, there's more to come. Tying Islands fade away Leaving me alone at sea My heart sounded to the shore the deepest blues are calling the deepest blues are calling me the stars are cold tonight Indifferent to everyone and even now I can't believe just how easy it was to do all the things I've done I lay awake at night trying to slay these ghosts in the worst part is that nobody knows I kill enemies alone Dying islands fade away Leaving me alone at sea Miles ever to the shore the deepest blues are calling Just let me go they're calling the deepest blues are calling.

[Melissa Moore]

Growing up is tough, but finding out your dad is not who you thought he was is downright terrifying.

[Kyle Tequila]

Melissa, who is your dad and what is he known as? He's known as the Happy Face Serial Killer.

[Melissa Moore]

Listen to the hit I Heart podcast that inspired the new TV series. Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Moore finding out her father was the notorious Happy Face killer killer in 1995. Listen to Happy Face on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Kyle Tequila]

This season on Very Scary People, Christine Belford reports Her three young daughters missing. She has no idea where they are, but she knows who took them. Her ex husband has teamed up with her former in laws to do whatever it takes to have total control of the girls, including stalking, harassment and even murder. Listen to Very Scary people wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Each season we explore a new theme. From poisoners to art thieves.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures, from legal injustices to body.

[Maria Tremarchi]

Snatching, and tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

I'm Mary Kay McBrayer, host of the podcast the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. This season explores women from the 19th century to now, women who were murderers and scammers, but also women who were photojournalists, lawyers, writers and more. This podcast tells more than just the brutal, gory details of horrific acts. I delve into the good, the bad, the difficult, and all the nuance I can find because these are the stories that we need to know to understand the intersection of society, justice and the fascinating workings of the human psyche. Join me every week as I tell some of the most enthralling true crime stories about women who are not just victims, but heroes or villains, or often somewhere in between. Listen to the Greatest true crime Stories Ever told on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.