The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi
In 1978, Pope John Paul I was found dead in his bed just 33 days after he was elected. The official story is that he suffered a fatal heart attack. But in the years since his death, some have claimed he was murdered to cover up crimes in the Vatican. The question of the Pope’s death has never been definitively answered, but there is one man who claims to know the truth. A man from one of New York City’s crime families who has deep ties to the Italian mafia. He was there the day of the Pope’s death and witnessed his murder firsthand. Or, at least, that’s what he says. His name is Anthony Raimondi, and these are his confessions.
From USG Audio and Truth Media in association with Clockwork Films
Our Editor's Take
Do You Know Mordechai? is a limited-series podcast about a liar. The host of the show is freelance journalist Kathleen Goldhar. She is best known for hosting Crime Story on the CBC.
Kathleen has a dear friend whose name is Arya. Their friendship is unusual-they were both married to, then divorced from, the same man. After her divorce, Arya spent a lot of time online in search of a new relationship. Like so many people, the search was often frustrating and paved with disappointments. Then one day, Arya met Mordechai Horowitz. Her encounter with this man forms the basis of this podcast.
At first glance, Mordechai appeared flawless. He was a rich artist. He spent half his time in Los Angeles and the other half in Toronto. His parents died in the Holocaust, lending pathos to his story. However, the podcast details that Arya soon discovered Mordechai was not who he said he was.
His real name is Marc Ramsden. He was neither rich nor an artist. Worst of all, Arya discovered that he had tricked at least fifteen women with his story. But the story gets stranger. Marc Ramsden's motives for his lies were unclear. He doesn't try to swindle money out of his victims, and he is not violent.
When Arya told Kathleen about this man, her journalistic instincts awakened. Kathleen wanted to find out Marc's story and motivation. So, she started following leads. On this podcast, Kathleen talks to women who have fallen for his lies, including Justine, who has become part of Marc's narrative. Katherine travels from Toronto to Los Angeles to try to understand why the city appeals to Marc so much. Finally, she talks to Marc himself to learn why he lies. But can she trust his answers?
Do You Know Mordechai? is not only Marc's story. It's the story of Kathleen's obsession with him. Even though the topic is benign, the podcast has the feel of a true crime investigation. Lovers of the genre may find the peculiar nature of this story refreshing. Episodes are between 20 to 40 minutes long.
Episodes