The Cast of Characters:

What follows are the spurious characters you will be meeting. These are all real people!
Feel free to look them up and while much of what we present is straight out of the history books, be aware, we are taking some serious artistic license with them. For instance - none of them were ever implicated in an actual murder!

Col. William d'Alton Mann (deceased)

Col. Mann was the notorious editor/proprietor of the Victorian gossip rag known as "The Town Topics." His ability to learn the secrets of the wealthy class was legendary and he used that knowledge to enrich himself greatly over the course of his life. He was known to accept the blackmail payments in many ways, but would launder much of the cash right through his weekly publication and disguise the income as payment for an ad or a flattering article... It is presumed that everyone in attendance was paying for him to keep secrets safe. Failure to pay him simply meant your salacious secret would appear on the front page, leading you to societal ruin all while selling more papers.

Mrs. Jane Griswold

Mrs. Griswold was born Jane Louisa Emmet. She married John Noble Alsop Griswold in 1860 and while she was fond of social gatherings and frequently hosted parties, it was widely known that Mr. Griswold hated large gatherings. He was known to arrive through a side door and go to the basement where he would turn off the power to the house - unceremoniously ending many of his wife's shindigs! Here's some additional information from Mr. Griswold's Wikipedia page - Mr. John N. A. Griswold Personal Life

Mr. Lispenard Rhinelander Stewart

Born in 1855, Mr. Stewart was a lawyer by trade. With a home on Bellevue Avenue and another at 6 5th Avenue in New York, Mr. Stewart was not just well connected, he was a part of the "Old Money" of New York and hobnobbed with the likes of Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Mamie Fish, and Elisha Dyer. A fascinating fellow who died a "confirmed bachelor" in 1927. More about him here - Lispenard Stewart Jr.

Charlotte Astor Drayton

Charlotte Astor Drayton was the third daughter of the the undisputed "Queen of American Society," Mrs. Caroline Astor.  Charlotte was involved in a huge scandal in 1892 when her illicit affair was outed and sensationally publicized in major newspapers across the country.  Charlotte went on to re-marry George Ogilvy Haig (Scotch whiskey heir).  More about her here - Charlotte Astor Drayton

Cornelius "Neily" Vanderbilt III

A member of the immensely wealthy and powerful Vanderbilt family, Neily was a mechanical engineer, an avid yachtsman, and along with his friend August Belmont Jr, created the New York City Subway system! But his marriage to Grace Wilson in 1896 leeds to a rift in the family and eventually his father disinherits him...  Cornelius Vanderbilt III

Grace Graham Wilson

When she was born into the Wilson family, Grace was not officially given a name! The family simply called her "baby" and that is what her birth certificate read - "Baby Girl Wilson".  She grew up in New York City in a 5th Avenue mansion which was the former home of corrupt New York politician Boss Tweed.  Grace was an outspoken and independent woman in a time that frowned upon such things - Grace Graham Vanderbilt (nee Wilson)

Mary Smith

A mysterious addition to the party - Mary Smith is not known to any of the guests and it seems odd that she has also received the same invitation to the reading of Col. Mann's will...