My Favorite Murder, Episode 510: “We're So Real”

Release Date: December 11, 2025
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Podcast Network: Exactly Right & iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this festive holiday episode of My Favorite Murder, Karen and Georgia dive into a fascinating historical true crime story centered on holiday generosity gone awry: the rise and spectacular fall of “New York’s Santa Claus Man,” John Duvall Gluck. The hosts blend their signature banter with intriguing history, reflect on family holiday traditions (and dilemmas!), and announce their annual December charity donation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Banter & Listener Dilemmas (00:38–11:45)

• Holiday Season Vibes:
  The hosts joke about decorations, family treats, See’s Candy, and funny dynamics around sharing candy and gifts with loved ones.

  • Family candy box “rules” spark discussion about relationship compromises and personal quirks.
  • Notable quote:
    “One of the struggles with being married, I think, is having to not look like a raccoon when you're midway through a See's candy box.” —Georgia (03:03)

• Holiday Pick-a-Side: Family Gift Opening Rituals (03:28–06:42):
  A listener (Chantelle) asks for advice about differing family traditions for opening presents, leading to a debate about whether you should adapt to the host family's way.

  • Karen: “If you're there, you follow their rules...” (04:55)
  • Georgia: “It's okay if I don't like it.” (05:45)

• Holiday Birthdays & Double Presents (06:44–08:19):
  Another listener (Natasia) complains about getting “conjoined” Christmas/birthday presents. Both hosts agree December babies deserve both.

  • “Double presents is a given.” —Karen (07:32)

• Annual December Charity Donation (08:20–09:06):
  Karen and Georgia share their holiday tradition of donating $10,000 to Feed the Children (“dedicated to ending childhood hunger”), encouraging listeners to join at feedthechildren.org.

2. Brief Exactly Right Network Updates (09:07–11:10)

Short run-down on other podcasts in the Exactly Right Network, clever holiday merch mentions (including skeleton Santa!), and playful talk about favorite ugly holiday sweaters.

3. Main Story: The Santa Claus Man, John Duvall Gluck (11:45–47:51)

Background: The Origins of Santa Claus (11:47–16:44)

• Karen details how the American legend of Santa Claus emerged:

  • St. Nicholas: Christian bishop famed for charity in 280 AD Turkey.

  • Traditions spread, blend with European holidays.

  • American Santa myth cemented by “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (a.k.a. “The Night Before Christmas”) in 1822.

  • “Santa Claus? I thought he was Jewish. I thought he was Jewish. Turkey. Oh, you know, not far away.” —Georgia & Karen (12:59)

Letters to Santa & the Postal Service (16:44–19:21)

• By the 1900s, American children flood the postal system with letters to Santa addressed everywhere from “the Clouds” to “Heaven.”

• At first, these letters wind up in the Dead Letter Office, but postal workers, unable to throw away these heartfelt requests, start fulfilling wishes with their own time and money.

  • “I'm gonna cry right fucking now.” —Georgia on learning that postal workers bought toys for kids (18:19)

Establishment of The Santa Claus Association (19:32–23:13)

• In 1913, newcomer John Duvall Gluck (born on Christmas) volunteers to organize responses to thousands of kids’ letters.
• He founds the Santa Claus Association and grows it rapidly with help from wealthy donors and volunteers.
  • The organization matches deserving children’s letters with New York’s affluent, who purchase and sometimes deliver gifts personally.
  • Letters indicating abuse/poverty are referred to city welfare.

Expansion and Early Red Flags (25:26–31:38)

• Growth: Gluck moves the headquarters to prestigious locations, mingles with the elite, and enjoys glowing press.
• Fundraising Doubts: Despite minimal operational costs (given donors provide presents, volunteers handle logistics), Gluck aggressively fundraises — but there’s no accounting and he handles all finances solo.
• Embellishments: Gluck claims false credentials: calling himself “Esq.” (lawyer) and boasting of Secret Service ties.

The Grand Santa Claus Building Scheme (31:38–36:18)

• Gluck announces plans for an opulent “Santa Claus Building” in Manhattan, billed as a national holiday monument (with marble, stained glass, charitable kitchens, a toy emporium, even a rooftop garden!).

• Fundraising for the never-built building goes on for a decade, but there’s no evidence of progress.

  • Notable quote:
    “There is a world—there's another timeline where this all went beautifully.” —Karen (32:28)

Financial Scandal & Collapse (38:09–47:23)

• Growing Suspicion:
  In the late 1920s, city welfare commissioner Bird Kohler audits the charity, finding forged staff, nonexistent financial records, and evidence that Gluck had embezzled nearly all donations — millions by today’s standards.
• Aftermath:

  • The charity collapses in 1928, Gluck flees to Miami, and the post office launches Operation Santa Claus, now a national program answering kids’ letters.

  • Gluck is never prosecuted, likely due to the Great Depression’s overshadowing of the scandal.

  • “He gets away with it. He’s never prosecuted for any financial crimes...” —Karen (45:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• (03:03) Georgia:
  “One of the struggles with being married...is having to not look like a raccoon when you're midway through a See's candy box...”

• (04:55) Karen:
  “If you're there, you follow their rules...”

• (07:32) Karen:
  “Double presents is a given.”

• (18:19) Georgia:
  “I'm gonna cry right fucking now.” (On postal workers fulfilling kids’ Santa letters out of kindness)

• (32:28) Karen:
  “There is a world—there's another timeline where this all went beautifully.”

• (45:23) Karen:
  “He gets away with it. He’s never prosecuted for any financial crimes...”

Important Timestamps

• 00:38–03:01: Light holiday banter, See’s Candy stories
• 03:28–06:42: Pick-a-side on family gift opening & emotional gymnastics
• 06:44–08:19: December birthdays “double presents” debate
• 08:20–09:06: Charity donation announcement
• 11:45–16:44: Santa Claus: from St. Nicholas to American icon
• 19:32–23:13: Birth of The Santa Claus Association
• 25:26–31:38: Growth, early warnings, unaccounted fundraising
• 31:38–36:18: The grand “Santa Claus Building” fundraising scam
• 38:09–47:23: Downfall: audit, embezzlement revealed, charity collapses
• 47:51–end: Hosts reflect, wrap-up, “focus on the Santa Claus building in your heart”

Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode is classic MFM: sharp, irreverent, deeply empathetic, and rich in bizarre history. Karen and Georgia keep things light even when discussing fraud, with relatable asides and a running “we’re so real” theme about human foibles and holiday pressures. They cap the story with a plea for generosity and authenticity (“open the door of the Santa Claus building in your heart”), a perfect send-off for the season.

Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered!
(and don’t run fraudulent Santa charities)