Prompt Cast
The Scam Behind the Santa Claus Association
TLDR In the early 20th century, John Gluck created the Santa Claus Association to answer children's letters to Santa, but it was ultimately revealed to be a scam. Gluck pocketed all the money raised for the organization, leading to the termination of their deal with the Postal Service and the creation of Operation Santa Claus.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In the early 20th century, a man named John Duvall Guck saw an opportunity to answer children's letters to Santa and created the Santa Claus Association, which was ultimately a scam.
02:17
In the early 20th century, the US Postal Service would destroy letters to Santa, but in 1911 they began forwarding them to charity groups, although not every city had a group willing to accept the letters, including New York City.
04:19
In 1913, John Gluck established the Santa Claus Association in New York City to accept letters to Santa and distribute them to volunteers who would reply or send toys to the children who wrote the letters.
06:25
The Santa Claus Association announced plans to build a cathedral-like Santa Claus building in Manhattan, complete with a giant Christmas tree, stained glass window, and space for offices, charities, and children's activities.
08:27
The Santa Claus Association planned to build a grand Santa Claus building in Manhattan, complete with a toy store, rooftop restaurant, and a total cost of $300,000, which would be over $9 million today adjusted for inflation, with financing relying on public contributions.
10:31
An investigation into the Santa Claus Association revealed that there was almost no bookkeeping, senior officials were figureheads, and John Gluck pocketed all the money raised for the organization and other non-profit groups he ran, leading to the termination of their deal with the Postal Service and the creation of Operation Santa Claus.
12:37
John Gluck, the con man behind the Santa Claus Association, was never brought to trial, but his actions did lead to the tradition of answering letters to Santa and the establishment of a new address for Santa Claus.
