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History Daily

The Kidnapping of John Paul Getty III

History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2023

⏱️ 17 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

December 15, 1973. After widely publicized ransom negotiations, John Paul Getty III, the grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, five months after he was kidnapped by an Italian gang.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:03.7

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0:06.0

Or you can get all of History Daily, plus other fantastic history podcasts at

0:10.5

Into History.

0:11.6

com. It's just after 3 a.m. on July 10th, 1973 in Rome, Italy.

0:27.0

As the city's nightlife starts to wind down,

0:30.0

John Paul Getty III picks his way through streets cloaked in shadow making his way home.

0:35.4

The 16-year-old American who goes by Paul is living in Rome with his mother.

0:40.9

But Paul isn't just any teenager. He's part of one of the wealthiest

0:45.1

families in the world. His grandfather, John Paul Getty Senior, is an oil

0:49.9

tycoon reputed to be the wealthiest man alive. His father, John Paul Getty Jr, runs the Italian

0:56.1

division of the family business here in Rome. But the pressure of being a Getty is part of

1:00.7

what fuels Paul to cut loose on nights like tonight.

1:03.4

Even at his young age it's legal for Paul to buy alcohol in Rome and he's taken full

1:08.6

advantage of that tonight. Despite the relatively cool night air Paul is sweating, his head spins from too much booze as he stumbles his way along the street occasionally reaching out a hand to steady himself against a building.

1:22.0

As he glances up, he passes late night cafes

1:24.7

closing, ushering the last few customers out onto the sidewalk. Hall stops at a

1:30.0

shop to buy a newspaper and some cigarettes before continuing his journey entering the Piazza

1:35.2

Novona, a large open space with a trio of impressive marble fountains.

1:40.5

Paul pauses for a second, his eyes drawn to one of the fountains in particular.

1:44.5

A young boy is carved into white marble staring right back at Paul.

1:48.8

It might just be how much he's had to drink, Paul swears the boy is smiling at him.

...

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