E. Virgil Neal: Hypnotist, Fraudster, Tycoon, Part 2

Hosts Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson continue the story of E. Virgil Neal, focusing on the mail fraud investigation into his company, Force of Life. The investigation revealed that several prominent figures were involved with the company, most notably Civil War hero General James R. O'Byrne, who served as its president.

This segment covers the investigation and subsequent arrests of the leadership of the Force of Life Chemical Company, including E. Virgil Neal. A joint effort by federal and local authorities exposed the company's fraudulent medical products, such as 'life ray capsules' that falsely promised to prolong human life.

Hosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey discuss the fraudulent operations of E. Virgil Neal's company, Force of Life, which tricked desperate clients into buying treatments. Neal also ran the Neal Biscuit Company and utilized a complex web of shell companies to evade law enforcement. As federal authorities began investigating Force of Life, Neal went into hiding, with conflicting reports about his whereabouts in Syracuse or Manhattan.

This segment explores the legal challenges faced by E. Virgil Neal and his company, Force of Life, which coincided with the introduction of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Although the mail fraud charges against the company were eventually dismissed, the financial toll and bad press drove Neal into bankruptcy. The hosts also discuss the mystery surrounding Neal's personal life and his estranged wife, Molly.

Host Holly Frey discusses the historical difficulties in tracking E. Virgil Neal's marriages and relationships due to poor record-keeping and overlapping timelines. She also introduces his successful 1907 venture, the Toukulan Manufacturing Company, which began in Syracuse.

E. Virgil Neal transitions into the cosmetics industry with the launch of Toukolon, a beauty brand marketed primarily to women. By using deceptive advertorials, fictitious personas like the Countess de Kergamo, and a production facility in France, Neal builds a highly successful and eventually legitimate perfume empire.

E. Virgil Neal reorganizes his beauty company, Tokalon, expanding it internationally and achieving massive wealth and social status, including an audience with Pope Pius X. However, he continues to face legal trouble in the United States, notably over a fraudulent patent medicine called Nuxated Iron.

Following World War I, E. Virgil Neal relocated to Europe, marrying his third wife Renee Baudier and building a sprawling mansion in France. Despite his controversial past, his public image in the United States was rehabilitated by a flattering Time Magazine profile. During World War II, Neal managed to keep his cosmetics company, Touche-Lain, operating across occupied Europe, which later drew FBI scrutiny over potential collaboration with the enemy.

This segment covers the final years and death of E. Virgil Neal in Geneva, alongside the post-mortem trajectory of his cosmetics company, Touche-Lain. It also details his son Zen Neal's refusal of his inheritance and relocation to California, concluding with a lighthearted listener mail about a disco ball bathroom in Kentucky.

This segment consists entirely of promotional advertisements and sponsor messages. It includes ads for electric vehicles, a podcast about autoimmune conditions, Xfinity internet services, and fencing classes.