How Orson Welles War of the Worlds Led to Geraldo Rivera's Capones Vault

I have written two books on high risk high reward moments in media where boundaries were pushed and careers on the line and the result was that the mediums were changed forever and the men behind both events were pushed on to greater heights. At first glance there may seem to be no through line from Orson Welles to Geraldo Rievra but in fact for one night in both of their careers they were mirrors of a moment in time. My book Dead Air The Night Orson Welles Terrifed America tells the story of a twenty three year old boy genius who in 1938 put on a radio show that terrified the nation by telling people martians had invaded and were exterminating humans. Orson was growing tired of radio and was looking for a way out and it was in his DNA to push boundaries. His breaking news radio format had people convinced the human race was being exterminated. By the time it was revealed it wsa only a radio play that nation was in full blown panic. Orson was pilloried and received death threats.He was sure his career was over. But then at the last minute an editorial by Dorothy Thompson saved him and he was pushed onto Hollywood. The thinking was that anyone who could fool a nation could make a hell of a movie. Capones Vault tells the story of an unemployed edgy jounralist named Geraldo Rivera who became famous for opening a vault in the Lexington Hotel on the South Side of Chicago. This was to be Geraldos comeback after being fired from ABC.The two hour docutainment went on the air on April 21 1986 and for two hours crews blasted their way thorugh walls and brought down slabs to find only more dirt. It was quickly billed as the greatest disaster in television. Geraldo went and got drunk and knew his career was over. But the next day the ratings came out and Geraldo found out 30 million people watched The Mystery of Capones Vault. He had tweleve job offers and was given his own show. The opening of Capones Vault proved reality television had arrived as the networks realized that people didnt care about the payoff they just wanted the ride. In Orson Welles case radio was never the same. Dramatized news was forbidden by the FCC from then on which was the standard format. Only real news could be reported. So there you go. Orson and Geraldo were at the junction of change in two different mediums at two very different times but they were agents of change. High risk high reward moments that changed the lives of not only the men but radio and television forever.

“Five Things People Don’t Know About the Night Geraldo Opened Capone’s Vault.”

I interviewed Geraldo Rivera extensively for my book Capones Vault that is out in one month April 16. Here are five things that surprised me 1. When Geraldo was about to go on he asked where the teleprompter was and was told there wasnt one. It was then a producer grabbed him by the shirt and said, "you fucking got this...go out and kill it!" Geraldo said that stopped all his nervousness and from then the whole show was spontaneous. 2 They were going to blow up the wall leading to the vault with dynamite but Chicago didnt give the producers a permit until 4 PM the afternoon before the broadcast. When Geraldo pushed down the plunger some people feared the whole building would come down. 3 The first moment of doubt came when the 5000 pound slab came down the first chamber was too clean. There was no debris or left over artifacts except for two blue bottles. Everyone proclaimed thhey were from the twenties but privately they were identified as being from the forties. 4 Geraldo began to sit on a milkcrate in the darkness between takes when he began to realize along with the producers that there really might be nothing in the vault. 5 After the broadcast Geraldo got tequilla drunk and hung a DO NOT DISTURB sign on his door thinking his career was over. Doug Llellyn the producer slid the ratings under his door and it was then he realzied 30 million people had watched The Mystery of Capones Vault. A pile of messages by his phone turned out to be tweleve job offers. Geraldo had proven that people just wanted the ride.

Chicago Marks 40 Years Since the Night Reality Television Was Born: The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault

Author William Elliott Hazelgrove reveals how Geraldo Rivera’s infamous broadcast changed television forever. On April 21, 1986, thirty million Americans tuned in to watch Geraldo Rivera open Al Capone’s vault live on television. The vault was empty—but the spectacle changed television forever. In his new book Capone’s Vault, historian William Elliott Hazelgrove reveals how the infamous broadcast became the moment reality television was born, transforming failure into one of the most watched events in TV history.An astonishing 30 million viewers tuned in, making it the highest-rated syndicated television special in history. As Rivera dramatically opened the vault live on air, anticipation built across the country. What would be found inside Capone’s secret chamber? The answer, famously, was nothing. Inside the vault were only a few dusty bottles and debris—no treasure, no hidden mob fortune. The moment was widely mocked as one of television’s greatest anticlimaxes. Yet with the passage of time, historians and media observers have come to see the broadcast differently. The spectacle of suspense, hype, and live television drama—despite the empty result—marked a turning point in American entertainment. In many ways, the program foreshadowed the modern era of reality television. Long before competitive reality shows and viral live broadcasts, the Capone vault special demonstrated that audiences would tune in by the millions to watch an unscripted event unfold in real time. The tension, speculation, and unpredictability of that night helped establish the formula for a new kind of television storytelling. Forty years later, the event remains a cultural touchstone. The Lexington Hotel itself is gone—demolished in the 1990s and replaced by an apartment building—but the legend of Capone’s hidden wealth persists. Some historians still speculate that portions of the gangster’s fortune may remain undiscovered somewhere in Chicago. In the new book Capone’s Vault, historian William Elliott Hazelgrove revisits the infamous broadcast, exploring how a night remembered as a television disaster actually reshaped the medium. By examining the behind-the-scenes planning, the personalities involved, and the cultural impact of the broadcast, Hazelgrove argues that the empty vault did not end the story—it began a new chapter in television history. What seemed like a failure in 1986 may ultimately be remembered as something else entirely: the night reality television was born.

Chicago Reopens Capones Vault--40 Years Later

CHICAGO, IL, March 12, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On April 21, 1986, more than 30 million Americans tuned in to watch Geraldo Rivera open the sealed vault beneath the former headquarters of Al Capone during the live television special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults. Chicago author William Elliott Hazelgrove, whose new book Capone's Vault reconstructs the behind-the-scenes story of the broadcast, will mark the anniversary with a series of media appearances and events across Chicago. Media coverage tied to the anniversary and the book release already includes: An interview with Chicago Magazine A television appearance on WGN-TV on April 16, the book's release date A special live on-location anniversary broadcast on WGN-TV April 21, marking the exact date of the original vault opening A national radio interview on Moody Radio with Janet Parshall A guest appearance on the history podcast History Unplugged A public talk hosted by the Chicago Public Library A Capones Vault Booksigning Party at a Capone Era Location Promoted for weeks with the tantalizing possibility that Capone's missing fortune might finally be discovered, the broadcast became the highest-rated syndicated television special in history. When the vault was finally opened, however, it was empty—creating one of television's most famous anticlimaxes. Hazelgrove's new book, Capone's Vault, explores how the broadcast came together and why the bizarre event captivated the country. For the book, Hazelgrove interviewed Rivera and several of the producers involved in the program and reconstruced the night that changed television. "Millions of Americans watched Capone's vault open live on television," Hazelgrove said. "The vault was empty—but television was never the same. Reality television had begun." The anniversary events in Chicago will revisit the moment when a Chicago mob legend, a mysterious vault, and a young television reporter briefly captured the imagination of the entire country.

Author of Capones Vault Says Capone's Missing Millions May Still Be Hidden--40 Years After the Mystery of Capones Vaults

CHICAGO — As the 40th anniversary of the famous live television event The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults approaches, National Bestselling author William ElliottHazelgrove says the legendary Chicago gangster's missing fortune may still be out there. On April 21, 1986, more than 30 million viewers tuned in to watch journalist Geraldo Rivera open a sealed vault beneath Chicago's Lexington Hotel in what became one of the most anticipated broadcasts in television history. The nationally syndicated special, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, remains the highest-rated syndicated television event ever aired. When the vault was finally opened live on television, however, the results stunned viewers. Instead of the rumored treasure, the vault appeared largely empty. But according to Hazelgrove, author of the new book Capone's Vault, the empty vault did not necessarily solve the mystery of Al Capone's missing fortune. "The vault was only one lead in a much larger mystery," Hazelgrove says. "Capone generated enormous amounts of cash during Prohibition, and much of that money was never accounted for. The empty vault actually deepened the legend rather than ending it." Hazelgrove's book examines the dramatic events behind the famous television special, including the planning of the broadcast, the intense public anticipation, and the aftermath of one of the most talked-about moments in television history. Based on extensive research and interviews with the producers of the program as well as Geraldo Rivera, the book explores how the broadcast helped usher in the era of modern reality television. Four decades later, the legend of Capone's hidden fortune still fascinates Chicagoans and historians alike. Stories of buried cash, secret hiding places, and lost mob money have circulated for decades, keeping the mystery alive long after the famous vault was opened.

Capones Vault Prologue

It was cold for April. Even for Chicago. The temperature had plunged to the twenties. Michigan Avenue still had the feel of Christmas with the twinkling lights of horse-drawn carriages for tourists who wanted to tour the Magnificent Mile. Further down on the South Side, crane-high movie lights blazed on an old hotel at 2135 South Michigan Avenue. Men in yellow hardhats spoke outside with their breath illuminated in the light. Diesel-puffing satellite trucks parked up and down the street. The whop whop whop of a helicopter began to get louder. Michigan Avenue was blocked off with crowds of people behind barricades. Mr. T was in the front of the crowd in his trademark gold chains and mohawk. Vendors sold T-shirts that proclaimed i was there when capone’s vault opened. They sold out in minutes. Reporters from all over the world stood around as the helicopter became deafening and everyone looked up. The flashing strobes suddenly appeared in front of the hotel. Then the helicopter with the camera poking out landed on Michigan Avenue. Geraldo Rivera appeared in the front door of the Lexington Hotel as a crane camera moved in. It was Monday, 8 p.m. Eastern in New York and 7 Central in Chicago and people around the world were locked in place in front of their televisions. Geraldo looked like he was breathing smoke in a half-zipped blue coat with a white shirt and tie. He looked at the camera with his trademark Groucho mustache and pointed with his finger. “I’m Geraldo Rivera and you are about to witness a live television event, a massive concrete vault has been discovered, and some think it belongs to none other than the notorious Al Capone. Well, tonight for the first time that vault is going to be opened. . . . LIVE!”

Why I Wrote Evil on the Roof of the World

Prologue Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin quit their Washington jobs and on July 17, 2017, began a bike trip around the world. On July 29, 2018, they biked along Highway A 385 in the Danghara District after biking through the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan along with five other cyclists. The Pamir Highway climbs to elevations of 15,000 feet and was once known as the Silk Road. One hundred kilometers south of the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, five ISIS terrorists ran the cyclists down with a South Korean Daewoo sedan and brutally murdered the two Americans along with a Dutch national and a Swiss citizen. Newspapers, radio stations, and television stations in the United States and around the world would pick up the story of the two twenty-nine-year-old Americans and speculate how two highly educated, well-connected millennials from Washington, DC, had crashed into the homicidal sights of ISIS terrorists on a remote mountain highway in Tajikistan. I read Jay and Lauren’s story in the New York Times in 2018, shortly after it happened. I was intrigued. Not so much by the horrifying way they died, but the crashing together of different cultures on a deserted mountain highway in Tajikistan. I was also intrigued by what motivated Jay and Lauren to leave well-paying Washington jobs and take the road less traveled. After writing a proposal for the publisher and digging into some research, I found Jay’s declaration that “he didn’t want to waste his years in front of a small rectangular screen at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, retire at sixty-five, and then die ten years later.” This resonated with me; it fit in with Americans who have thrown a conventional life aside to pursue a life less certain. Jay and Lauren’s desire for adventure or a different American dream fits the pantheon of people looking for something beyond the safe confines of a world without risk. American history is littered with adventurers, from Amelia Earhart’s daring aerial exploration to Teddy Roosevelt heading West to the Badlands, to Jack London’s famous trek into the Yukon, to Mark Twain lighting out for the territories, to Thomas Stevens, who in 1887 biked around the world on a big wheel bicycle, all the way back to Thoreau, and up to the present day of Chris McCandless’s journey into the wilds of Alaska.