Femme Fatale Sophie Lyons

About this episode

This episode explores the life of Sophie Lyons, a notorious criminal in Gilded Age New York who became a philanthropist.

Gilded Age New York crowned her the Queen of Crime. Sophie Lyons — pickpocket, shoplifter, blackmailer — spent fifty years selling men's shame back to them at Parker House prices. She retired to Detroit a millionaire philanthropist. Three of the men she tried to reform killed her for the rest of it. Jump to the AD-FREE Safe House Edition Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support . You can pay more if you want to, but rent at the Safe House is still just a buck a week, and you can get access to over 400 ad-free episodes from the dusty vault, Safe House Exclusives, direct access to the Boss, and whatever personal services you require. We invite you to our other PULPULAR MEDIA podcasts: If disaster is more your jam, check out CATASTROPHIC CALAMITIES , telling the stories of famous and forgotten tragedies of the 19th and 20th centuries. What could go wrong? Everything! For brand-new tales in the old clothes from the golden era of popular literature, give your ears a treat with PULP MAGAZINES with two new stories every week.

People in this episode

Host: Richard O Jones

Topics covered

• crime
• Gilded Age
• philanthropy
• New York history
• female criminals

Keywords

• Sophie Lyons
• crime
• Gilded Age
• Detroit
• philanthropy
• pickpocket
• blackmailer
• New York

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Parker House

Places: Detroit, New York

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