history behind HYDE & SEEK
The Murder of Thomas Swope
It's long been suspected that Swope's nephew-in-law murdered him and other members of his family as part of a plot to steal their fortune– but to some, the events remain unresolved more than 115 years later.
Elms Hotel & Spa in the 1920s
In the 1920s, the Elms Hotel and Spa in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, was a thriving national health resort and a center for illicit activities, with both organized crime figures like Al Capone and politicians frequenting its halls. The hotel operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition, featuring illegal gambling and "bathtub gin" parties in its basement, and faced numerous police raids, including one during a cocktail party attended by the Governor of Missouri.
Al Capone in the early '20s
In the early 1920s, Al Capone transitioned from Brooklyn to Chicago, becoming a key lieutenant under Johnny Torrio in the Colosimo mob, which was shifting its focus to the profitable racket of bootlegging due to Prohibition. By the mid-1920s, as Torrio's influence grew and eventually waned, Capone rose to become the Chicago Outfit's boss, ruling an empire of illegal alcohol, gambling, prostitution, and other criminal activities.
