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Dead End: Crime and Politics

Dead End: Crime and Politics

WNYC, Nancy Solomon 17 Episodes Jun 22, 2026

Dead End blends true crime with political corruption, digging into cases where power and secrecy collide. Season 1 investigated the mysterious deaths of John and Joyce Sheridan and the New Jersey political machine surrounding them. Season 2 traces Senator Bob Menendez's rise and fall, including the romance and Egyptian espionage ties at the center of his downfall. New episodes are released every Tuesday.

Episodes

Nancy Invites You to an In-Person Event at WNYC - this Wednesday!
Nancy Invites You to an In-Person Event at WNYC - this Wednesday! Jun 22, 2026 00:51:45 Friends of Dead End, Nancy Solomon here. This Wednesday I’m hosting an event at WNYC – at 7 pm. It’s all about the history of FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a recent series by On The Media. After years of reporting on far-right militias, co-host Micah Loewinger knew that extremist groups often showed up after natural disasters to recruit, fundraise, and spit-shine their public ima
The Felon
The Felon Jun 18, 2025 00:21:31 It was an elegant scheme, but soon cracks began to appear. The FBI watches Menendez have a dinner with Egyptian spies, they find gold bars in a closet, and a foreign influence scheme unfolds. Menendez faces the trial of his life, and we ask: why would a man at the top of the political world risk everything? And is our political system partly to blame? Can a senator who is not wealthy succeed in a
The Lover
The Lover Jun 13, 2025 00:23:16 As Menendez walks free from his first corruption trial, he meets a new love—Nadine Arslanian. Nadine was a stay at home mom in Englewood cliffs, New Jersey. She drove her kids to a private French school in Manhattan – and had been spotted with cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Within weeks of meeting the Senator, she’s arranging off-the-books meetings with Egyptian generals. What
The Fighter
The Fighter Jun 11, 2025 00:14:31 We trace Bob Menendez’s rise from a tough New Jersey neighborhood to the heights of U.S. politics. With stories from those who knew and worked with him, we explore his brand as a relentless fighter—and how an earlier bribery indictment in 2015 sent him off the rails. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat
Dismissal
Dismissal Feb 27, 2025 00:05:31 It’s been eight months since the New Jersey State Attorney General indicted George Norcross on racketeering, extortion and political corruption charges. The 111-page indictment alleged that Norcross and his brother Phil ran a criminal enterprise that used political power to force individuals to give up their development rights on the Camden waterfront. But that case has hit a roadblock. Hosted by
George Norcross Takes a Front Row Seat for His Own Indictment
George Norcross Takes a Front Row Seat for His Own Indictment Jun 28, 2024 00:23:27 On June 17, the New Jersey state attorney general announced an indictment of George Norcross, and the powerful party boss showed up. It was a remarkable moment because Norcross is charged in a racketeering case that, by definition, involves intimidation. The 111-page indictment alleges that Norcross and five others run a criminal enterprise to “extort others through threats and fear of economic an
Update: The Norcross Enterprise Takes a Hit
Update: The Norcross Enterprise Takes a Hit Jun 18, 2024 00:09:27 Big news for Dead End listeners.On Monday, June 17, George Norcross was charged in a 13-count indictment from the attorney general of New Jersey, Matthew J. Platkin. Norcross, whose entry into politics was chronicled in the fifth episode of Dead End, was once widely regarded as the most powerful unelected person in New Jersey.The indictment says the longtime Democratic power broker led a "criminal
UPDATE: The Camden Investigation
UPDATE: The Camden Investigation Oct 4, 2023 00:11:33 The new Attorney General for New Jersey opened an investigation into the Sheridan deaths, and another investigation into the real estate deals in Camden. While there's been no news on the murder investigation, the subpoenas are flying in Camden. State investigators appear to be looking into real estate deals on the waterfront, whether state tax breaks were given out fraudulently, and how land in C
EPISODE 8: Dead End
EPISODE 8: Dead End Jun 7, 2022 00:31:57 In February 2015, the Somerset prosecutor announced that John Sheridan had murdered his wife in cold blood and then killed himself. In 2017, the manner of death was updated to “undetermined.” From the local detectives to the state’s Attorney General’s office, a lot of people walked away from these murders. If a family as powerful and well-connected as the Sheridans gets such bad treatment, what do
EPISODE 7: Breaking News - "Thou Shalt Pursue"
EPISODE 7: Breaking News - "Thou Shalt Pursue" May 31, 2022 00:09:53 In the almost eight years since John and Joyce Sheridan were killed, five state Attorneys General have come and gone in New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently nominated a new Attorney General, Matt Platkin. Last week, an email came from Platkin’s press office with surprising news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u
EPISODE 6: On the (Camden) Waterfront
EPISODE 6: On the (Camden) Waterfront May 24, 2022 00:32:17 A couple months after his parents’ deaths, Mark Sheridan comes across a paper trail: extensive email exchanges, dated memos, and handwritten notes detailing a real estate deal on the Camden waterfront. His father, John Sheridan, wrote himself a note on an envelope: “I have a duty of loyalty and good faith and I need to act in a way consistent with that responsibility." How did John act and what im
EPISODE 5: New Jersey’s Other Boss
EPISODE 5: New Jersey’s Other Boss May 17, 2022 00:29:06 John Sheridan’s decision to go work at Cooper University Hospital came at a curious time. It was just months after news about the Palmyra tapes came out. The tapes caught George Norcross bullying and offering a favor to a small town official; they are a rare instance where evidence emerged of the rough and tumble side to the south Jersey political machine. An email shows Norcross' control over the

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