S20 Ep24: Murder On Skid Row w/Charlene Wexler
Darkness Radio
Darkness Radio
4.8 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 25 February 2025
⏱️ 123 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The homeless and migrants are not new to Chicago. In the 1960s, there was Chicago’s Skid Row, centered at Madison and Halsted Streets. Now an area filled with recently built upscale housing and trendy businesses near Greektown, decades ago it was a downtrodden community occupied by lost souls, mainly veterans from the war nobody wanted to recognize—Vietnam. Mel, a young dentist who believes he can do good for the people living on Skid Row, enters into this world in 1966. It is a community so different than the working-class neighborhood in which he grew up—a world of gangs, bums, politicians, prostitutes, and murderers—and a few kind-hearted souls who want to help. While trying to become one of those kind-hearted souls by providing dental therapy to his patients, Mel becomes a suspect in a double murder. Did Mel do it, or was it one of the Skid Row swindlers and hustlers? Find out in Murder on Skid Row.
On today's TCT, we talk to the Author of "Murder On Skid Row", Charlene Wexler, about the parallels between her own experiences with her dentist husband and his practice in Chicago, and her experiences, and the story in the book! We also talk about how the city of Chicago has changed since the mid 60's, when the book took place, and about the characters and setting of the book as well!
Get your copy of "Murder On Skid Row" here: https://bit.ly/4kipnur
Get to know Charlene better o social media: https://www.facebook.com/charlene.wexler
PLUS: AN ALL NEW DUMB CRIMES/STUPID CRIMINALS W/JESSICA FREEBURG!
Check out Jessica Freeburg's website and order her new books: https://jessicafreeburg.com/books/
and check out Jess on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicafreeburgwrites
There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store! https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/
#crime #truecrime #truecrimepodcasts #truecrimetuesday #charlenewexler #murderonskidrow #melgreenberg #speakingvolumespublishing #womenscrimefiction #abe #tyrone #darlene #chicago #skidrow #maxwellstreet #spider #drmaxroy #hitforhire #murder #embezzlement #shooting #assault #drugdealing #crimefictionbooks #dumbcrimesstupidcriminals #TimDennis #jessicafreeburg #paranormalauthor #floridaman #drugcrimes #foodcrimes #stupidcrimes #funnycrimes #sexcrimes #dumbcrimes
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome in everybody to the best in True Crime Podcasting. |
| 0:25.9 | This is True Crime Tuesday. I'm your host, Tim Dennis. |
| 0:28.3 | Got a great show in store for you today. |
| 0:30.4 | I've got a great book we're going to talk about today. |
| 0:33.2 | We're going to go to Chicago. |
| 0:34.4 | Not a far trip for me by any means. |
| 0:36.9 | It might be a far trip for you, |
| 0:38.1 | but one of my favorite cities in all the cities in this great nation. I love Chicago for the food. |
| 0:44.6 | I love Chicago for the atmosphere. I love Chicago right there on the lake. And we have got a great |
| 0:50.3 | book today. It's called Murder on Skid Row. It's right here in front of me. Charlene Wexler is our guest today. And she's written a great book today. It's called Murder on Skid Row. It's right here in front of me. Charlene Wexler |
| 0:55.7 | is our guest today, and she's written a great book that's set in August of 1966. And it is set, |
| 1:02.9 | you may call it Skid Row, but it's set in a specific part of Chicago. And it has to do with Mel Greenberg, |
| 1:13.2 | who's opened his first dental office in Chicago. We'll talk a little bit about it. I want to bring Charlene in first, and we'll talk |
| 1:16.6 | about it together. Charlene's a native Chicagoan and is a graduate from the University of Illinois. |
| 1:21.8 | She's worked as a teacher and dental office manager and is a wife, mom, and grandmother. In retirement, her lifelong passion for writing |
| 1:29.9 | has led her to the creation of several essays, short stories, and novels. Among her books is |
| 1:35.2 | Lori, Murder on Skid Row, Elephants in the Room, Murder Across the Ocean, Farewell to |
| 1:41.0 | South Shore and Milk and Oranges. Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome in for the first time to True Shore and milk and oranges. |
| 1:48.5 | Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome in for the first time to True Crime Tuesday, Charlene Wexler. |
| 1:49.2 | Charlene, how are you doing today? |
| 1:51.1 | Okay, and thank you so much for having me on your program. |
| 1:54.9 | Well, it's our pleasure. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darkness Radio, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Darkness Radio and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.