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Fancy seeing why Liverpool is dubbed the European Capital of Culture? With the Beatles, football and a rich maritime past, Liverpool has so much to share with both visitors and locals coming from London.

You can reach Liverpool from London by train, coach, private transfer, car or tour. The road distance between London and Liverpool is 340.7 kilometres or 211.7 miles while the direct distance is 286 kilometres or 178 miles. It takes about 4 hours and 27 minutes to travel this distance by car. 

Whether you are coming to Liverpool by public or private transport, you will find that getting there from London is quite easy. Good thing the cities are well-connected with each other!

How to get from London to Liverpool

OPTION 1: How to get from London to Liverpool by Train

• Travel Duration: about 2 hours 15 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £30.90

Travelling from London to Liverpool by train is made possible by Avanti West Coast. There are more than 50 direct trips that travel between the two destinations regularly. 

The train departs from London Euston and arrives at Liverpool Lime Street. You can check Trainline for an updated schedule of departures and arrivals. Below is a sample timetable:

Train from London to Liverpool

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	5:31 am	8:17 am	2 hours 46 minutes	£50.72
Latest trip	10:00 pm	12:49 am	2 hours 49  minutes	£30.90
Cheapest fare	10:00 pm	12:49 am	2 hours 49  minutes	£30.90
Fastest duration	7:07 pm	9:22 pm	2 hours 15 minutes	£88.31

Make sure to book in advance so you can get great offers with your train ticket. Also, it is worth checking if you are eligible for any Railcard discounts.

A word of advice: if you are going on a day trip to Liverpool from London, take one of the earliest train trips so you can make the most out of your journey.

OPTION 2: How to get from London to Liverpool by Coach

• Travel Duration: about 5 hours 35 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £15.32

Coach travel is among the widely used modes of transport when locals and visitors go from London to Liverpool.

The coach departs from London Victoria Coach Station and arrives at the Liverpool One Bus Station in Canning Place.

Check and book with Megabus all the necessary details for your preferred date and time of travel from London to Liverpool. Here is a sample timetable so you have an idea:

Coach from London to Liverpool

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	9:00 am	2:45 pm	5 hours 45 minutes	£15.32
Latest trip	11:30 pm	6:10 am	6 hours 40  minutes	£29.48
Cheapest fare	9:00 am	2:45 pm	5 hours 45 minutes	£15.32
Fastest duration	11:00 am	4:35 pm	5 hours 35 minutes	£15.32

OPTION 3: How to get from London to Liverpool by Private Transfer

• Travel Duration: about 3 hours and 40 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £361

Britannia offers a private transfer via minicab from London to Liverpool. This option is best for those wanting to have the vehicle to themselves – maybe for baggage purposes or just for utmost comfort and privacy.

What’s good with a private transfer is its door-to-door service and flexible travel time that follows your schedule. You don’t have to worry about catching a bus or booking a train ride in advance; your minicab will come right at your hotel!

You also agree on a fixed price before your journey starts, so this saves you from unjustifiable fare adjustments along the way. It is true that getting a private transfer from London to Liverpool is quite expensive, but it can prove to be cheaper than a traditional taxi in the UK which, estimated, can go as high as £405. 

OPTION 4: How to get from London to Liverpool by Car

• Travel Duration: about 4 hours and 12 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £79.48

You can drive yourself from London to Liverpool. If you have experience driving in the UK before, this option is something worth considering although definitely not on top of my list.

If you haven’t driven in the UK and would like this to be your first time, I suggest reading my article about UK driving tips before you push through with the idea.

Should you be in need of a rental car, Discover Cars are where you can find a lot of car deals depending on the vehicle of your choice.

There are various routes you can take when driving from London to Liverpool. The fastest way (still depending on the traffic conditions) is via M1 and M6. Keep in mind that this route has tolls.

OPTION 5: How to get from London to Liverpool by Tour

• Travel Duration: Full day
• Travel Fare: from £179

Perhaps the funnest way to get to Liverpool from London is by booking a tour! For example, Get Your Guide has a Magical Mystery Tour originating from London. You will spend the whole day going through the colorful Beatles history, including a visit to the Cavern Club.

When you join a tour, not only will they take care of your transportation but also of your Liverpool itinerary. This allows you to save time, effort and even money as tours are arguably priced well. 

More About Liverpool

FAQs on How to Get from London to Liverpool

Investigative journalist Dorothy Kilgallen was probing the John F. Kennedy assassination when she suddenly died under strange circumstances on November 8, 1965.

By the time she died in 1965, Dorothy Kilgallen had made a name for herself as a journalist, a radio broadcaster, and a popular game show panelist. But she planned to become known as something else: the reporter who revealed the real story behind the John F. Kennedy assassination.

A dogged journalist unafraid to speak truth to power, Kilgallen was deep into her own investigation about the president’s death when she died. She found the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald had killed Kennedy alone “laughable” and spent 18 months speaking to sources and digging into the assassination.

Before she could publish anything, however, Kilgallen died from an overdose of alcohol and barbiturates. But was it likely accidental, as newspapers reported at the time? Or had something more sinister taken place — and what happened to Kilgallen’s pages and pages of research?

The ‘Girl Around The World’

Born on July 3, 1913, Dorothy Kilgallen had a reporter’s nose from the beginning. Her father was a “star reporter” with the Hearst organization, according to the Los Angeles Times, and Kilgallen followed in his footsteps.

She cut her teeth by covering big stories of her day, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first presidential campaign in 1932 and the 1935 trial of Richard Hauptmann, the carpenter convicted of kidnapping and killing the Lindbergh baby. But Kilgallen really made a name for herself in 1936, when she competed in a race around the world with two other reporters.

As the Smithsonian notes, the 23-year-old received special attention as the only woman in the three-way race. Though she came in second, Kilgallen was frequently mentioned by her employer, New York Evening Journal, and later turned her experience into a book, Girl Around the World (1936).

From there, Kilgallen’s star skyrocketed. She started writing a column for the New York Journal-American called “Voice of Broadway,” hosted a radio show called Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick with her husband, Richard Kollmar, and became a popular panelist on the TV show What’s My Line?.

Still, Dorothy Kilgallen remained a reporter at heart. She frequently wrote about the nation’s biggest news stories, including the 1954 trial of Sam Shepherd, an Ohio doctor accused of murdering his pregnant wife. (Kilgallen later got Shepherd’s conviction overturned when she revealed that the judge had told her that the doctor was “guilty as hell,” according to Ranker.)

But nothing stirred her reporter’s instincts more strongly than the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. From the beginning, Dorothy Kilgallen was determined that the story of the president’s death must be told, warts and all.

“The American people have just lost a beloved president,” Kilgallen wrote one week after the JFK assassination, according to the New York Post. “It’s a dark chapter in our history, but we have the right to read every word of it.”

Dorothy Kilgallen’s Investigation Into JFK’s Death

For 18 months, Dorothy Kilgallen set out to learn all she could about the Kennedy assassination. As the New York Post notes, she found the Warren Commission’s 1964 conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald had killed the president alone “laughable” and set her sights on Oswald’s killer, Jack Ruby, who’d murdered the assassin on live television two days after Kennedy’s death.

During Ruby’s 1965 trial, Kilgallen achieved what no other reporter could — an interview with Oswald’s alleged killer.

“Jack Ruby’s eyes were as shiny brown-and-white bright as the glass eyes of a doll,” Kilgallen wrote in her column, as reported by the New York Post. ‘He tried to smile but his smile was a failure. When we shook hands, his hand trembled in mine ever so slightly, like the heartbeat of a bird.”

According to The Reporter Who Knew Too Much by Mark Shaw, Kilgallen found Ruby’s trial odd. Ruby seemed frightened but sane, and Kilgallen was surprised that his lawyer, Melvin Belli, planned to make an insanity plea. Kilgallen also wondered why Belli didn’t fight harder to spare her client’s life and was shocked when Ruby was sentenced to death.

As Shaw notes, Kilgallen left Ruby’s trial more convinced than ever that a conspiracy had killed Kennedy. In her column on March 20, 1965, about a week after Ruby’s sentencing she wrote:

“The point to be remembered in this historic case is that the whole truth has not been told. Neither the state of Texas nor the defense put on all of its evidence before the jury. Perhaps it was not necessary, but it would have been desirable from the viewpoint of all the American people.”

Not only did Kilgallen continue to publicly air her doubts about the JFK assassination, but she also continued to investigate the president’s death. As the New York Post reports, Kilgallen gathered evidence, conducted interviews, and traveled to Dallas and New Orleans to chase down leads.

By the autumn of 1965, Dorothy Kilgallen seemed to feel that she was on the edge of a breakthrough. She had planned a second trip to New Orleans, where she intended to meet an unnamed source in a “very cloak and daggerish” encounter, according to Shaw.

“This story is not going to die as long as there’s a real reporter alive — and there are a lot of them,” Kilgallen wrote on September 3. But just two months later, this dogged reporter was found dead at her Manhattan home.

The Mysterious Death Of Dorothy Kilgallen

On Nov. 8, 1965, almost two years after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead at her East 68th Street townhouse. She was discovered sitting in bed, wearing nothing but a blue bathrobe, false eyelashes, and a floral hair accessory, according to the New York Post.

A week later, The New York Times reported that the 52-year-old journalist had died after overdosing on alcohol and barbituates but that a police investigation had found “no indication of violence or suicide.”

“It could have simply been an extra pill,” James L. Luke, the assistant Medical Examiner, told The New York Times. Admitting that the circumstances of Kilgallen’s death were “undetermined,” he added: “We really don’t know.”

More than 50 years later, however, author Mark Shaw expressed serious suspicions about Kilgallen’s death. In his 2016 book, The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, Shaw made the case that Kilgallen had been murdered to stop her investigation into Kennedy’s assassination.

After filing a Freedom of Information Act, Shaw reported that two additional barbituates had been found in Kilgallen’s system in addition to Seconal, for which Kilgallen had a prescription. He also discovered that there was powder residue in the glass by her bed, suggesting that someone had broken up the capsules, according to the New York Post.

What’s more, a petition that Shaw filed to have Kilgallen exhumed explained that she’d been found dead in a bed she never slept in, in sleeping clothes she didn’t wear, next to a book that she’d told people she’d finished reading.

She’d last been seen with a “mystery man,” whom Shaw identified as Ron Pataky, according to the New York Post. He believed that Pataky and Kilgallen had been having an affair, and that Pataky later penned suspicious poems suggesting that he’d killed her.

Ultimately, Shaw hypothesized that Dorothy Kilgallen had been circling the theory that the mob had had something to do with Kennedy’s death. He believes that she had determined that New Orleans mobster Carlos Marcello had orchestrated the president’s assassination.

But Kilgallen’s conclusions will be never be known — her meticulous research into Kennedy’s assassination went missing after her death.

“Whoever decided to silence Dorothy, I believe, took that file and burned it,” Shaw told the New York Post.

Shaw further explained that he’d started to investigate Kilgallen’s death while researching a different book, one about Jack Ruby’s attorney, Melvin Belli. During his research, he found that Belli had remarked after Kilgallen’s death: “They’ve killed Dorothy; now they’ll go after Ruby.”

Jack Ruby died on Jan. 3, 1967, shortly before he was set to go to trial after the The Texas Court of Appeals overturned his death sentence. The official cause of death was a pulmonary embolism related to Ruby’s lung cancer.

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After reading about Dorothy Kilgallen, discover the story of Clay Shaw, the only person who ever stood trial for the JFK assassination. Or, see why some believe the “Umbrella Man” gave the signal to assassinate President Kennedy.

Are you looking for the best things to do in Portsmouth? I have been to Portsmouth with my husband and friends to explore various historical sites and attractions in this British seaside town. Portsmouth, one of the oldest seaside cities in Britain, or Pompey to the locals, combines its rich history with a burgeoning food, drink, and nightlife scenes. At the height of the British Empire, Portsea Island, a thumb of Hampshire jutting into the Solent, was one of the top naval ports in the world and is still the main Royal Navy base in the United Kingdom.

A tour of the dockyard from Les Misérables, which features four historic ships, including Henry VIII’s disastrous flagship, the Mary Rose, and a number of excellent museums, is a must-do on any trip.

Portsmouth has a lot to offer in addition to its maritime heritage, including modern art galleries, ancient pubs on cobblestone streets, and football fans who are so fervent that they must be seen to be believed.

I have included Portsmouth in another article about the Beautiful and Best Seaside Towns in the UK, learn more about Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Best Things to do in Portsmouth (UK)

1. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is home to some of the most well-known vessels in the nation, is a representation of the city’s naval significance. Portsmouth has been inextricably linked to the ocean ever since its heyday as a trading port in the Middle Ages. In this complex, real ships and museums shed light on the rich maritime history of the city and the country, visitors can explore the ships of kings and admirals and learn about them.

If you are interested in knowing more about this historical dockyard, I wrote a complete guide to visit the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. I encourage you to read it to know more about various attractions within the complex.

The fearsome iron-hulled ship HMS Warrior, which was constructed sometime around 1859, is one of the oldest vessels in the dockyard. The moment this magnificent 40-gun frigate was launched, rival navies all over the world were frozen with fear. It was renovated in the 1980s and is now a stunning maritime museum that is a part of The National Museum of the Royal Navy.

You can retrace Lord Nelson and his crew’s steps on HMS Victory by going to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. This exquisitely preserved flagship provides insight into what it was like to serve as an officer or crewman during the Napoleonic Wars. HMS M.33, the sole survivor of the British Gallipoli campaign in World War I, is also docked here.

The HMS Victory is arguably the most well-known warship in the Royal Navy. As the flagship ship during Britain’s 1805 victory over France and Spain at the Battle of Trafalgar, the HMS Victory commanded a crew.

Here, you can also see the Mary Rose Museum. The Mary Rose Museum, which bears its subject’s name, offers a thorough look at Tudor culture and a view of the Mary Rose warship, which was a part of King Henry VIII‘s fleet.

The Mary Rose is infamous for sinking on July 19, 1545, in the waters off Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. There were about 500 men aboard this enormous ship, and only 35 of them managed to survive the sinking, which took place in a matter of minutes.

Here are some related tours from the GetYourGuide website, you can book the Historic Dockyard Ultimate Explorer ticket (you can see up to 10 attractions) or the HMS Victory Day Ticket or the Mary Rose Day ticket only.

Read more: Best British War Museums and Memorials to Visit in the UK

2. Spinnaker Tower

If you only take a fleeting glance at the waterfront in Portsmouth, you might be fooled into thinking that you’re in Dubai.

This iconic observation tower is two and a half times as tall as Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, standing at 170 meters tall. The Spinnaker Tower was designed to resemble a sail in order to pay homage to the city’s long history of seafaring. It was originally known as the Portsmouth Millennium Tower, and it is the centerpiece of Portsmouth’s revitalization. Its three panoramic decks offer breathtaking views of the sea and southern England.

It is highly recommended that you go to the Spinnaker Tower if you are interested in attending comedy and music nights. It gives you the opportunity to watch some of the funniest comedians in the area and to let loose and dance the night away in a setting that is unlike any other.

You can buy a ticket for general admission from the GetYourGuide website to the Spinnaker Tower will set you back £13.95, while tickets for children are priced at £10.50. If you are feeling brave, you can abseil down the side of this famous landmark in the city for 100 meters.

3. The D-Day Story Museum

The D-Day Story Museum is the only museum in the world that is entirely devoted to the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. The D-Day Museum tells the personal stories that lie behind this momentous historical event, from the perspective of both civilians and members of the armed forces.

Over 150,000 soldiers landed on five different beaches in Normandy as part of D-Day, which eventually led to the Germans admitting defeat and ending the war. In addition, it is the location of the Overlord Embroidery, which is an enormous depiction that is stitched together over 83 meters long and serves as a memorial to all of the people who participated in the landings.

Once you have arrived at this location, one of the first things you should do is search for the pencil that Lieutenant Commander John Harmer used to sign the order establishing Force G. This pencil was the impetus for the invasion.

This piece, which is being exhibited for the very first time, exemplifies the museum’s mission of showing all the moving parts of the largest seaborne invasion in the annals of human history. The landing craft tanks provide a good illustration of how challenging it was to transport military equipment onto the beaches of France.

You can book your ticket to the D-Day Museum via the GetYourGuide website.

4. Portsmouth Museum Art Gallery

The Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery is the museum of and for the people of Portsmouth, and it features a wide variety of engaging and thought-provoking exhibits.

Reconstructions of a bedchamber from the 17th century, a kitchen used by dockyard workers in 1871, a Victorian parlor, a kitchen from the 1930s, and a living room from the 1950s can be found in the exhibit titled “The Story of Portsmouth,” which allows visitors to learn about the evolution of domestic life over the course of several centuries.

The next part of the story is titled “Portsmouth at Play,” and it takes place on the beach, in the movie theater, on the football field, and on the dance floor. The Fine and Decorative Art Gallery is home to an extensive collection of artwork that dates all the way back to the 17th century and continues right up to the present day.

5. Charles Dicken’s Birthplace Museum

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, in case you were unaware of that fact. Because of this, going to the museum that is housed in his birthplace is something that fans of literature should do while they are in Portsmouth.

It is highly recommended that tourists pay a trip to the modest terraced house in which the well-known author Charles Dickens was born in the year 1812. The home in which Charles Dickens spent a brief period of time has been meticulously restored and outfitted to reflect the tastes of the middle class during Dickens’ era.

Although Charles’s parents’ actual belongings have been dispersed for a very long time now, the furniture, ceramics, glass, household objects, and decorations faithfully recreate the Regency style that they would have favored. This style was popular during the late 18th century and early 19th century.

The bedroom where Charles was born is one of the three rooms that are furnished. The other two rooms are the parlor and the dining room. A display on Charles Dickens and Portsmouth can be found in the exhibition room, along with a small collection of memorabilia.

This includes the couch on which he passed away at his home in Kent, as well as the snuff box, inkwell, and paper knife that belonged to him. These are all moving reminders of an author who is revered for his prodigious talents and prolific output.

6. Southsea Castle

King Henry VIII had a series of fortifications built along England’s coasts, including Southsea Castle, beginning in 1544. The purpose of these fortifications was to protect England from foreign invasion.

Henry VIII had just about finished the work when he stood inside to watch his flagship, the Mary Rose, tragically sink during the Battle of the Solent against the French in July 1545. The battle took place in the Solent.

Nearly a century and a half later, during the English Civil War, parliamentarian forces successfully took control of the castle for the first and only time in its entire history.

The fortifications of Southsea Castle have been beefed up over the course of several centuries in order to ensure that the castle can continue to guard Portsmouth. The moat of the castle was protected by a tunnel that was constructed in the 19th century.

Visitors are still able to go down into the tunnel and get a glimpse of how the castle would have been protected from attackers. The Isle of Wight and the Solent can be seen in their entirety from the vantage point of the keep’s artillery, gun platforms, and panoramic views.

7. Royal Navy Submarine Museum

On the Gosport side of Portsmouth Harbour, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum can be found in close proximity to the shore establishment of the vessel HMS Dolphin. It is an important attraction that tells the story of the English Royal Navy’s submarine service and how it operated below the surface of the water.

The museum is home to a number of submarines that hold a significant place in our country’s history and have a distinguished record of service in the military. As the only World War II-era submarine still in existence in the United Kingdom, HMS Alliance serves as a memorial to the 5,300 British submariners who were killed while serving their country.

The forward torpedo store is the first stop on a tour of the Alliance. After passing through the accommodation space, the next stop is the control room. Here, the various navigational systems, including the operational periscopes, are on display. The tour then continues on through the galley and onto the engine room, which is considered to be the heart of the submarine. The tour then comes to an end in the aft torpedo compartment, where you can see how crew members would escape in the event of an emergency.

In addition to HMS Alliance, Holland I, and X24, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum is home to thousands of photographs, documents, ship plans, and artifacts. HMS Alliance serves as the museum’s centerpiece. Holland I and X24 are also on display.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum can be found in Gosport on the grounds of what was formerly HMS Dolphin, which served as the headquarters of the Submarine Service for one hundred years. The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard provides its guests with a free waterbus service that transports them across the harbor.

Exploring the decks and corridors of HMS Alliance, as well as making use of the ship’s operational telescopes to look out over Portsmouth Harbour, is open to the public. In addition, you will have the opportunity to view other notable submarines such as the Holland I and the X24, as well as photographs, artifacts, documents, and ship plans from prehistoric times.

8. Portsmouth Cathedral

The oldest piece of architecture at Portsmouth Cathedral is a chapel that was built in the 12th century and is dedicated to Thomas Becket, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury before he was murdered.

During the English Civil War, which began in 1642, almost the entire structure was destroyed; the only parts that were spared were the Early English Gothic transept and choir.

A monument to George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, who was killed by an army officer at the Greyhound Pub in Portsmouth in 1628, can be found in the chancel. Villiers was gunned down at the pub. The impressive octagonal cupola and lantern (for shipping) were installed on top of the church in 1703. Additional extensions to the nave were made in the 1930s after the Portsmouth diocese was established and the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral following these events.

9. Portchester Castle

One of the fascinating things to do in Portsmouth, which is best known as a port city, is to investigate the history of Portchester Castle. A trip to a historic naval city is, without a doubt, missing something important if it does not include a stop at a castle.

It is estimated that the fortifications at Portchester Castle date back almost one thousand years. Portchester Castle is a historical monument that allows visitors to explore the fortifications. You’ll notice that despite its age, this castle is still in a surprisingly good condition compared to the ruins of its contemporaries. This is because this castle was built with superior materials. The layout of the towers in this castle is undoubtedly one of the most captivating features it possesses.

The Portchester Castle is an impressively well-preserved structure that sits atop a hill overlooking Portsmouth Harbour.

Due to the fact that the medieval castle was constructed on top of pre-existing Roman defenses that utilized this design, D-shaped towers can be found all along the exterior wall. The Romans constructed the fort in the shape of a square, and the Normans added the castle to one of the square’s corners sometime in the third century AD after they conquered the area.

Portchester was used to house foreign prisoners beginning in 1665 and continuing through the wars with France that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The entrance fee to Portchester Castle is £7.90 for adults and £4.70 for children, and the castle is open to the public between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm on most days.

10. Titchfield Abbey

Titchfield Abbey dates back to the 13th century and is a relic that provides valuable insight into the monastic life of the time. This abbey was specifically focused on scholarly pursuits, so it provides a unique perspective on the monastic life of the time. The extensive library at the abbey is evidence of the community’s commitment to education. According to the catalogue that has been preserved, the library once housed more than 200 volumes of books.

When you pay a visit, you will have the opportunity to explore the ruins of the medieval abbey as well as the remnants of the mansion that was built around the area in the 16th century after the abbey was closed down. A few miles to the west of the Catisfield town center, you’ll find the abbey in Catisfield.

Cornering the market in heroin and cocaine trafficking, Vito Rizzuto’s mafia family dominated Montreal until his death in December 2013.

Crime ran in Vito Rizzuto’s family. His grandfather on his mother’s side was a Mafia boss in Cattolica Eraclea, the small Sicilian village where Vito was born. In 1954, Vito’s father Nicolo moved the family to Montreal where he started his own crime syndicate after seizing control from the Cotroni crime family.

When it was time for Rizzuto to take over control of the mob from his father, he did it in flashy suits, importing and distributing heroin and cocaine internationally thanks in part to his connections to the Bonanno crime family in New York.

Rizzuto drew comparisons to other another infamous mobster, John Gotti, or the “Teflon Don,” the longtime head of the Gambino crime family, for his ability to stay out of prison — at least, until his past finally caught up with him.

In 2004, Rizzuto was indicted by a Brooklyn grand jury for his involvement in the May 5, 1981, gangland killings of Philip Giaccone, Dominick Trinchera, and Alphonse Indelicato, which became known as the “Three Capos” murder.

He eventually spent five years in prison, and died of lung cancer only a year after his release in 2012. But while Rizzuto himself was gone, his organization wasn’t — and his death resulted in a bloody, prolonged struggle for control.

Nicolo Rizzuto And The Calabrian Cotroni Mob Family

In 1954, Nicolo Rizzuto and his family packed their things and left Sicily for Montreal. He already had a job lined up, too — with the Montreal mob, at the time led by Vincenzo “Vic” Cotroni.

Nicolo Rizzuto wasn’t new to the criminal underworld, either. His wife, Libertina Manno, was the daughter of a Sicilian Mafioso named Antonio Manno, and, according to The McGill Tribune, the mobster’s connections proved beneficial in connecting Nicolo with the Cotronis and other Sicilian crime families.

This connection allowed Nicolo to form his own crew and make his own alliances outside of the Cotroni family, whose management he often disagreed with.

“He is going from one side to the other, here and there, he says nothing to nobody, he is doing business and nobody knows anything,” complained Paulo Violi in 1976. Violi was Cotroni’s successor, evidently unhappy with the way in which Rizzuto conducted his business.

In an attempt to resolve the ongoing disputes between Nicolo Rizzuto and the Cotroni family, the Bonanno family — one of New York’s most powerful crime families, with ties to Sicily themselves — sent a group of mediators to deal with the problem.

When no common ground could be found, the Bonannos sided with Rizzuto, sparking a war between Calabrian and Sicilian factions of the Montreal mob.

Rizzuto quickly orchestrated the murder of Pietro Sciara, an advisor to Violi, and a year later, two of his gunmen shot and killed Paolo’s brother, Francesco. Paolo Violi, however, was seemingly spared by his brief stint in jail — only to be murdered upon his release in 1978.

By 1980, the Sicilians had all but wiped out the Calabrians. Paolo’s remaining brother, Rocco, was shot by a sniper mid-family dinner, and the Rizzutos had cemented themselves as Montreal’s preeminent crime family.

Then, Nicolo Rizzuto handed the reigns of his empire to his son, Vito.

Vito Rizzuto And The ‘Three Capos’ Murder

When Vito Rizzuto took over control of his father’s empire, he was put in charge of a multi-million-dollar organization at the forefront of Montreal’s criminal underworld.

The Rizzuto crime family didn’t discriminate when it came to crime: They had their hands in everything from construction fraud, drug trafficking, and gambling to money laundering, bribery, extortion, and stock manipulation.

Then, in early May, 1981, Rizzuto was called to New York by a high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, Joseph Massino. Many cite this moment as Rizzuto’s official induction into the Bonanno crime family — the Rizzutos were often referred to as “The Sixth Family” — but that wasn’t the only reason he was called down from Montreal.

At that time, The New York Times put out a story detailing the successful infiltration of an FBI agent into the Bonanno crime family. The agent went by the name “Donnie Brasco,” and had been discretely keeping tabs on the criminal organization since 1977.

Not long after Rizzuto arrived in New York, Brasco caught wind of three high-profile murders within the Bonanno organization: Alphonse Indelicato, Philip Giaccone, and Dominic Trinchera, three capos, or leaders in the Bonanno crime family, were gunned down in a nightclub in Brooklyn.

An official complaint filed against one involved mob member named Benjamin Ruggiero read:

“For the past two years, bitter and increasingly violent disputes have arisen among the several capos or captains within the Bonanno family, resulting in their split into two main factions, those loyal to the current boss of the family and those opposed to him.”

As the story goes, Indelicato, Giaccone, and Trinchera had been opposed to the Bonanno family leadership, so Massino orchestrated their murders — and enlisted Rizzuto for the job, along with three other gunmen including Massino’s brother-in-law, Salvatore Vitale.

Although the “Three Capos” murder didn’t yet spell the end for Rizzuto or the Bonanno crime organization, the event planted the seed that would ultimately lead to Rizzuto’s downfall.

Vito Rizzuto’s Arrest And The Dissolution Of His Criminal Empire

For 20 years after the “Three Capos” murder, Vito Rizzuto seemed untouchable. He was the head of Canada’s largest criminal organization, his illegal businesses netting him billions of dollars as he dined with politicians and other powerful officials.

But in January 2001, Rizzuto’s once-impregnable empire was dealt its killing blow: a group of officers appeared at Rizzuto’s home with a pair of handcuffs and a warrant for his arrest.

“It was surgical,” Nick Milano told The Sun. Milano was one of the officers tasked with surveilling Rizzuto and, ultimately, putting him behind bars.

“Mrs. Rizzuto opens the door and he’s at the top of the stairs. It’s not a small property. My partner and I asked him to come down … that’s when my partner told him: ‘Dress up nicely, Vito because you’ll be going to court.’”

Canadian police were able to bag Rizzuto in 2001, but it would take another two years for the FBI’s extradition warrant to come through. Milano accompanied Rizzuto on his trip to New York — and spoke to him extensively on the return trip to Montreal.

“He was forthcoming and spoke openly about his family, his prediction about how things would go down in his absence,” Milano said. “It was prophetic; everything except the murders of his crew and family happened.”

On May 4, 2007, Vito Rizzuto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the killings of Giaccone, Trinchera, and Indelicato. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000.

But, as he had told Milano, things didn’t go well for his crew while he was behind bars.

Rizzuto’s absence created a power vacuum, and while the Canadian mobs fought for control, his family paid the price. In 2009, his son Nick Rizzuto Jr. was gunned down in the street. A year later, his father Nicolo was killed by a sniper in his home.

Now battling lung cancer, Rizzuto was given early release in October 2012, but he was never able to regain control of his former empire. Instead, he reached out to Milano and gave him information about corruption in Canada’s construction industry.

“I repeat to everyone who asks me what Vito was like,” Milano said. “He was a gentleman, in every sense of the word. Very composed and very articulate. He had leadership qualities. He was able to influence people and had that charisma that made him a little bit special.”

Vito Rizzuto ultimately lost his battle against lung cancer in 2013, his criminal empire in shambles and his family on the brink of ruin.

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After reading about the notorious Canadian crime boss, learn about another Sicilian mafioso: Joseph Bonanno, head of one of New York’s most powerful crime families. Then, dive more deeply into the rise of New York’s criminal underworld.

A missing child found hidden under a staircase three years after she was kidnapped and a man who lived with his dead roommate’s body for years while cashing his checks are just some of the most outrageous crime stories that made headlines this past year.

Midterm elections and Elon Musk’s buyout of Twitter may have dominated the headlines in 2022, but life still carried on for the 7.9 billion people on Earth who don’t work for Twitter or the American government — and it was full of surprises. Unfortunately, they weren’t all good surprises.

In fact, some of the most shocking stories we encountered in 2022 were also some of the most disturbing crimes we had ever heard of. One involved someone who had been living with his dead roommate’s body for four years; another saw a man kill his neighbors and claim the government was controlling his mind.

The 12 crime stories gathered here represent some of the darkest — and strangest — parts of humanity.

An 85-Year-Old Florida Man Was Arrested For Trying To Buy A Child — For The Second Time In His Life

Lauren Benning was minding her own business while shopping in a Winn-Dixie in Port Orange, Florida with her eight-year-old daughter when a man approached her, complimenting her little girl and lamenting that he was never able to have children of his own.

That could have been the end of the story — a nice interaction with a lonely old stranger — except for the fact that the man, Hellmuth Kolb, then followed Benning out to the parking lot and offered to buy her daughter for $100,000.

When police arrived to question Kolb, all he had to say for himself was, “We all like kids.”

Unfortunately for Kolb, his probation officer confirmed with police that he had previously been arrested for attempting to buy a child in 2018 — an incident that landed him on the sex offender registry.

At that time, Kolb noticed a young girl and her mother sitting on a bench outside the local Walmart, approached them, and started “bidding” on the child.

Naturally, the girl’s mother declined. Then, Kolb grabbed the girl’s arm, kissed her wrist, and offered up his final bid of $200,000.

After the 2018 incident, Kolb was sentenced to five years of probation for battery and false imprisonment — which he clearly violated when he approached Benning’s daughter at Winn-Dixie.

“His intent is to buy children,” Benning said after the encounter. “That’s not okay… He needs to be locked up and not allowed to be around our children.”

If you get caught off-guard by a sudden bang, or an unexpected tap on the shoulder, or the sight of a spider high-tailing it across the floor of your shower, there’s a good chance that you’ll let out an audible gasp. That sharp intake of breath is often an involuntary reaction to surprise and alarm. But why do we do it?

Gasping is tied to an innate survival mechanism, hardwired into humans through evolution: the fight-or-flight response. When faced with a potential threat, our bodies start preparing to react, either by engaging with the danger or getting away as quickly as possible. Within an instant, a complex chain of biological events takes place—and a small, almond-shaped region of the brain called the amygdala is responsible for ringing the first alarm bell. 

When we hear or see something threatening, the amygdala sends distress signals to the hypothalamus, known as the brain’s “command center” because it helps regulate important bodily functions. The hypothalamus triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which is the driving force in our reaction to danger or stress. 

Once the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the adrenal glands start pumping hormones, including adrenaline, into the bloodstream. Driven by this surge in adrenaline, the body undergoes numerous changes designed to help us think or act quickly. Our pupils dilate to let in more light and allow us to see better. We breathe more quickly so we can take in as much oxygen as possible. Our hearts start racing, pushing oxygen to major muscle groups and other organs that might need to kick into high gear to deal with a possible threat. 

Gasping in shock—an emotion that is closely linked to fear—may similarly prepare us for go time. The physiologic changes that are triggered by the fight-or-flight response cause the body to use oxygen more quickly, according to BBC Science Focus Magazine; a deep inhale may provide an extra jolt of oxygen in these moments of heightened stress.

Since the days of our ancient ancestors, humans’ fight-or-flight response has helped us survive dangerous situations. But it can get triggered by things that don’t pose any real threat. So after that initial gasp of surprise, take a deep breath and try to make peace with the creepy crawly invading your space—it’s probably pretty keen to get away from you, too.

Have you got a Big Question you’d like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us atbigquestions@mentalfloss.com.

The character Shaggy from the cartoon Scooby Doo has a real name. It turns out that Shaggy is just a nickname. Now, that’s not surprising, but the fact that someone decided to give him enough of a backstory to name him Norville Rogers sure is.

The lowdown on Shaggy’s real name

Norville “Shaggy” Rogers is one of a group of amateur detectives and the slacker of the group, truth be told. Scooby-Doo is his dog, and is just as fond of running away from danger as his owner.

Shaggy is a bit of a hippie, and when the legendary Casey Kasem was asked to voice the character, he was reportedly unsure what hippies were supposed to sound like. Kasem ended up basing the character Walter Donton on the tv show Our Miss Brooks.

Kasem even convinced the producers of Scooby Doo that Shaggy should also be a vegetarian, like Kasem himself.

Since the show began, the character of Shaggy has been voiced by over 20 different people.

Shaggy’s family

Shaggy has quite an extended family. And they have some unique names, including a little sister named Sugie, Uncle Gaggy, Uncle Shaggworthy, and Betty Lous Shaggbilly. Pretty impressive for a guy who is only nicknamed Shaggy!

Of course, Shaggy hails from Coolsville, Ohio and adopted Scooby Doo from Knittingham Puppy Farm. It was after that when Shaggy met Daphne, Fred, and Velma and decided to start Mystery Incorpotated. And it’s no surprise that he’s also the one who bought and painted the Mystery Machine. It does seem like his taste.

According to his Wikipedia entry, there are some other random fun facts about the cartoon character:

“Shaggy’s old nickname was Buzz (apparently for his buzz cut) until his 10th birthday. Fred says that, contrary to what people believe, Shaggy is not skinny because Scooby is always stealing his food, but rather because he’s a vegetarian. But as healthy as Shaggy tries to stay, he has battled unhealthy habits. Velma calculates that he once ate exactly 45% of his body weight. This led to him dieting and starting a new hobby: collecting decorator belt buckles. Shaggy claims to have the largest collection of decorator belt buckles in the world and currently owns 653. He also states that he wears a different belt buckle for every mystery if one pays attention, the joke being that his baggy shirt always hides them.” — WTF fun facts

Source: “Shaggy Rogers” — Wikipedia

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The appearance of the Star Wars character Yoda was partially influenced by a poster of Albert Einstein hanging in the creator’s studio.

What’s the relationship between Albert Einstein and Yoda?

We suppose that a close look and some squinting at the Star Wars character Yoda could conjure an image of Albert Einstein in one’s head. But they’re hardly twins – and that’s not just because of the green skin and alien visage.

Still, they have more in common than just their supposed wisdom.

Stuart Freeborn is the special effects artist that worked as a Star Wars makeup supervisor and was primarily responsible for Yoda’s final look. And he had a poster of Einstein hanging on the wall of his office.

Freeborn said Einstein played a role in influencing his vision of Yoda. But he also admitted that the character is based on his own face.

CineSecrets had a quote from the artist:

“…A picture of Einstein ended up on the wall behind the Yoda sculptures and the wrinkles around Einstein’s eyes somehow got worked into the Yoda design. Over the course of this evolutionary process Yoda slowly changed from a comparatively spritely [sic], tall, skinny, grasshopper kind of character into the old wise spirited gnome that we all know today. The final step in that transformation was Franks [Oz, sic] insistence that the puppet should have no jaw fitted. That allowed him more freedom for expression as a puppeteer but it also meant that the skin hung loosely below the cheeks and that gave Yoda an older, rather chinless look that is quite different to the drawings Ralph [McQuarrie] did.”

Surprising it is not

Look at them side-by-side and see what you think. The more you look, the more you can see it.

We want to know what Einstein would have thought. There are many photos of the genius looking goofy and joking around. But he wasn’t always known as a good guy. Unlike Yoda, his attitude sometimes outstripped his wisdom. — WTF fun facts

Source: “How Einstein Influenced the Look of Yoda” — Mental Floss

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When it comes to being able to back out of your driveway, navigate roads, or get school canceled, the intensity of a snowstorm is everything. A few flakes and you won’t be able to plausibly remain indoors. But just because you hear about “15 inches of snowfall” doesn’t necessarily mean there’s 15 inches of powder on the ground. So what’s the difference between snowfall and snow depth?

According to Lifehacker, snowfall is easy enough to understand. It’s the amount of snow that’s fallen over a given period of time. A region might get 12 inches of snowfall overnight, as measured by the snow that’s accumulated in an area free of obstructions, like an overhang or trees.

Snow depth is an extremely similar measurement in that it’s the total amount of snow currently collected on the ground. But it’s not always identical. If 24 inches of snow fell overnight, the amount of snow depth on the ground in the afternoon might only be 18 inches after 6 inches melted, either due to temperature or being pelted by rain.

Snow depth can also increase from snowfall. Think about two storm systems moving through a region in quick succession. Even though 12 inches may fall, it’s contributing to 12 inches already on the ground—making for 2 feet of vehicle-defying weather.

Snow depth can also be influenced by wind carrying snow from one area to another and depositing it on top of existing snow.

In short, snowfall is what fell, or what’s expected to fall in a weather forecast; snow depth is what’s on the ground in a given place. If 10 inches of snowfall battered your area, you might be shoveling a little more—or less—in snow depth the following morning.

[h/t Lifehacker]

Navigating a massive airport can be a journey of its own. The most impressive of these travel hubs span dozens of square miles, making them as big as some cities. To see which airports rank among the world’s largest, read the list below.

According to World Population Review, King Fahd International in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is the largest airport by far. It boasts a footprint of roughly 300 square miles. Manhattan in New York City takes up less than 23 square miles, for comparison. Despite its impressive size, the airport is not the busiest in the world, or even in Saudia Arabia. Just 9.7 million travelers pass through King Fahd International each year.

The second biggest airport on the list is Denver International in Colorado. The 53-square-mile facility is home to America’s longest commercial-use runway, a mysterious network of tunnels, and a 32-foot-tall horse statue that killed its creator. In addition to being the largest airport in the U.S., it’s arguably the strangest, and its quirks have fueled numerous conspiracy theories.

The United States is well represented in the ranking. Behind Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Orlando International, and Washington Dulles International take the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively. After reading through the list of the biggest airports on Earth, check out the world’s best airports based on customer satisfaction.

1. King Fahd International (DMM) // Dammam, Saudi Arabia
2. Denver International (DEN) // Denver, United States
3. Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) // Dallas, United States
4. Orlando International (MCO) // Orlando, FL, United States
5. Washington Dulles International (IAD) // Washington D.C., United States
6. Beijing Daxing International (PKX) // Beijing, China
7. George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) // Houston, TX, United States
8. Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) // Shanghai, China
9. Cairo International (CAI) // Cairo, Egypt
10. Suvarnabhumi International (BKK) // Bangkok, Thailand

[h/t World Population Review]

New Year’s Eve parties look different around the world. South Africans mark midnight by tossing household items through their windows, and the Spanish and those in Latin America celebrate by stuffing their mouths full of grapes. If committing to a new custom this year sounds like too much effort, there’s an easier way to include different cultures in your festivities.

The video below from Innovative Language Learning’s YouTube channel shows you how to say “happy New Year” in 34 languages. Each phrase is spelled out and spoken out loud. After watching the 110-second clip enough times between now and December 31, you can learn how to pronounce everything from xīnnián kuàilè (“happy New Year” in Chinese) to gelukkig nieuwjaar (“happy New Year” in Dutch). And if you don’t have the bandwidth to learn well-wishes in 34 languages over the holidays, maybe stick to short and simple sayings like the Italian buon anno or the Hebrew shannah tovah.

Some cultures don’t need words to ring in the New Year. In the Philippines, midnight is celebrated by making noise in any way imaginable. Lighting fireworks, shooting guns, and banging pots and pans are believed to scare away any evil spirits trying to crash the party. Here are more interesting New Year superstitions from countries across the globe.