The durable Mike Malloy

November 11, 2011 2:46 PM

In 1933, Anthony Marino, Joe Murphy, Frank Pasqua and Dan Kriesberg decided to make money by taking out life insurance on drunks and then letting the victims drink themselves to death. Then they encountered Mike Malloy...
posted by reenum (17 comments total)

Ah yes, first heard about this on QI a while ago.
posted by kmz at 2:49 PM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

This was the basis of an old episode of "Amazing Stories"
posted by Renoroc at 2:51 PM on November 11, 2011

I've heard this story too, but I have no idea where.
posted by pinky at 2:56 PM on November 11, 2011

This guy makes Rasputin look like a sissy.
posted by CCBC at 2:57 PM on November 11, 2011 [3 favorites]

This was the basis of an old episode of "Amazing Stories"

THAT'S where I've heard this story before!
posted by zarq at 3:00 PM on November 11, 2011

That's a great story. Thanks for posting it.
posted by cribcage at 3:03 PM on November 11, 2011

wow. poor guy.
posted by sweetkid at 3:34 PM on November 11, 2011

I've heard this story too, but I have no idea where.

The People's Almanac #2.
posted by jonmc at 3:50 PM on November 11, 2011 [3 favorites]

Yeah, PA#2 ftw.
posted by scruss at 4:01 PM on November 11, 2011

Nice. I'd never heard of Mike Malloy before. Going to an old-fashioned whiskey drinking, make sloppy drunken remembrance toasts -style party tonight. Think I'll raise a toast to that guy.
posted by mannequito at 4:50 PM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

I had forgotten all about the People's Almanacs. They were where I first heard of a LOT of things.
posted by Curious Artificer at 6:01 PM on November 11, 2011 [2 favorites]

Time for a movie!
posted by telstar at 6:08 PM on November 11, 2011

I read The Peoples Almanac until it literally fell apart. They have excerpts at Trivia-Library [Warning: Don't click the link unless you have lots of spare time].
posted by unliteral at 9:03 PM on November 11, 2011

Wow, poor guy. Must have had a cast iron constitution to put up with all of that and keep coming back.
posted by arcticseal at 10:24 PM on November 11, 2011

This story is also in The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum - a pretty good read.
posted by sigmagalator at 11:15 PM on November 11, 2011

This reminds me of another indestructible, Duroux (also known as Mimiche).
posted by hat_eater at 3:06 AM on November 12, 2011

It was in the Book of Lists, too. Although that was sort of like the People's Almanac's cousin.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:39 PM on November 14, 2011