At the start of the 2000s, a new class of intrepid bandits rode in on the streets of Tokyo, Paris, Dubai and London. Sophisticated and highly elusive, these modern highwaymen quickly pulled off some of the biggest heists in history.

In this episode, we take a look at the mysterious criminal organisation known as ‘The Pink Panthers’.

Throughout the centuries, the legends of the warriors and spies now known as ‘ninja’ have grown strong. Today, many organisations claim heritage and proficiency in the skills associated with these historical people. And the lore surrounding them is quite extensive. But the accuracy of some of these accounts is often brought into question. 

In this episode, we travel back in time, to feudal and Imperial Japan, and with the help of new research, try to sort out fact from fiction.  It is an adventurous journey across centuries, and a tale which is indeed stranger than fiction.

Show notes: https://cosimogreco.com/staf-show-notes/

As the war in Vietnam raged for all the world to see, its shadowy cousin, known as ‘the secret war’, raged with equal intensity across the border to the west, in the country of Laos. 

It was a war where none of the main participants were supposed to be officially there, and therefore fought by spies, mercenaries, and covert special forces units. It was also the stage for one of the strangest battles ever fought.

Show notes: https://cosimogreco.com/staf-show-notes/