Introduction and Overview

• Podcast: Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
• Topic suggested by Alexander/Alex Ramos from State College, Pennsylvania
• Toynbee tiles phenomenon: mysterious linoleum tiles embedded in asphalt
• Found on street corners, crosswalks, intersections across Northeast US
• Concentrated in Philadelphia, extending west to Kansas City
• Also found in Chile, Argentina, Brazil
• Active since mid-1980s, possibly continuing today
• License plate-sized tiles with bizarre messages

Main Message Content

• Primary message in distinct all-caps script made of cut-out linoleum letters:
  • "TOYNBEE IDEA"
  • "IN KUBRICK'S 2001"
  • "RESURRECT DEAD"
  • "ON PLANET JUPITER"
• Additional smaller messages/tags:
  • "Media will be reduced to ash"
  • "You must make plus place tiles you!!!"
  • "I'm only one man" (key clue)
  • "When I caught a fatal disease they gloated over its death"
  • "Now Galileo's cult of the hellion is now searching for more than one hell ideologies to get more reward"
  • "Murder all journalists I beg you"
• "Hellions" refers to Jewish people/Jewish media conspiracy (anti-Semitic elements)

Historical Context and Origins

• Arnold J. Toynbee: popular historian who wrote about civilizations
  • Studied rise/fall patterns of civilizations
  • Civilizations rise when creative people address problems
  • Fall when people stop responding creatively to problems
  • Later took increasingly Christian worldview
  • Views fell out of favor with historians
• Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey connection
  • Star child reborn on Jupiter in novel
  • Astronauts dispatched to Jupiter to investigate signal
• Tile maker's interpretation: Toynbee had idea of scientifically resurrecting dead on Jupiter, depicted in 2001

Early Communication Methods

• Pre-tile activities in Philadelphia (early 1980s):
  • Posters around city with similar messages
  • TV signal interruptions via high-powered car antenna
  • Driving around neighborhood broadcasting messages
• 1980: Call to Larry King's late-night radio show about resurrecting dead on Jupiter
• 1983: David Mamet wrote play "4am" based on Larry King show
  • Play featured caller discussing resurrecting dead molecules on Jupiter
  • Mamet likely unconsciously remembered tile maker's call
  • Not coincidence due to identical language usage

Philadelphia Connections and Press Contact

• 1983: Tile maker contacted Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Clark de Leon
• De Leon wrote unflattering piece about the ideas
• This triggered tile maker's disdain for media (evident in later tiles)
• Minority Association formed by tile maker (actually one person using aliases)
• Radio broadcasts offering to send information to interested parties
• Materials sent to people who requested them, discovered 20 years later

The Three Investigators

• Justin Durr, Steve Weinick, Colin Smith
• Met online through individual interest in tiles
• Worked together on investigation, featured in documentary
• Found crucial Minority Association documents
• Performed detective work that essentially solved the mystery

Investigation and Identity Discovery

• Documents signed by "James Marasco" (alias used by tile maker)
• Real James Marasco in Philadelphia unconnected to tiles
• Only other name in documents: Severino "Sevi" Verna
• Verna tracked to Philadelphia neighborhood
• Neighbors described him as recluse, shopped at night
• Had old car with huge antenna, no passenger seat, hole in floorboard
• Incident where people broke in, held knife to throat over TV interruptions
• Became more reclusive after incident
• Investigators knocked on door, no response
• Mother confirmed Sevi doesn't travel due to lung condition

Other Suspects Ruled Out

• Railroad Jim: died before some tiles appeared
• James Marasco: died 2003, tiles continued after
• Widow confirmed no knowledge of Jupiter/2001/tiles
• Timeline evidence points conclusively to Severino Verna

Tile Construction and Installation Method

• Made of linoleum letters cut in distinctive script
• Wrapped in black tar paper (roof paper)
• Asphalt crack filler used as adhesive
• Installation process discovered by investigators:
  • Pre-made tiles with crack filler on bottom, tar paper on top
  • Dropped from car through hole in floorboard
  • Black tar paper makes tile invisible initially
  • Cars/pedestrians wear away tar paper over weeks/months
  • Reveals tile message underneath
  • Summer installation recommended for sun to bake into asphalt
• Ingenious, elegant, simple method
• Could install at stop lights or briefly stopping in traffic
• Explains appearance in dangerous locations (middle of highways, Holland Tunnel entrance)

Tile Characteristics and Lifespan

• Ephemeral nature: typically last about 1 year
• Made of linoleum embedded in asphalt
• Constantly driven/walked over
• Some cities (Chicago, New York) actively remove when reported
• Most eventually wear away or get repaved over
• Tile maker constantly updating/replacing since mid-1980s

Geographic Distribution Mystery

• South American tiles (Brazil, Chile, Argentina) appeared before Philadelphia tiles
• Contained Philadelphia street address (Verna's address)
• Mystery: Verna's mother said he doesn't travel due to lung condition
• Possible explanation: proxy/accomplice placed South American tiles
• Connection to Toynbee's autobiography mentioning these locations

Copycat Tiles and Authentication

• Many copycats emerged over years
• Some trying to confuse investigation
• Others following tile maker's lead
• Investigators became expert at distinguishing authentic tiles
• Identified different "periods" in tile maker's work
• Most prolific copycat: "House of Hades"
  • Focused on anti-media messages
  • Not interested in Jupiter resurrection theme

Documentary and Resolution

• "Resurrect Dead" documentary (available on YouTube)
• About 1.5 hours long, worth watching
• 6+ rating on IMDb
• Essentially solved the mystery
• Fresh tile discovery was breakthrough moment
• Investigator found newly laid tile, yelled for tile maker to come out
• Led to understanding of installation method

Ethical Considerations and Privacy

• Debate over investigating reclusive individual
• Investigators banging on door, calling mother
• Person clearly scared, hiding upstairs
• Documentary release led to temporary lull in tile activity
• Final encounter: mutual recognition on bus between investigator and tile maker
• Investigator decided to leave tile maker alone permanently
• Question of whether this was art project, mental illness expression, or genuine belief

Tile Maker's Apparent Goals

• Press materials stated goal: "most unusual scientific movement in USA"
• Wanted world to "put all other affairs aside to scientifically colonize planet Jupiter"
• Belief that science should carry out God's promise of afterlife
• Jupiter-sized planet needed to fit all resurrected people
• May have genuinely believed in starting movement while being unable to lead it personally
• Ambiguity remains about true purpose: art, illness, or sincere belief

Current Status

• Activity may continue today
• Tiles still appear periodically
• Mystery of true purpose remains unsolved
• Tile maker's identity essentially confirmed as Severino Verna
• Method of installation understood
• Geographic spread explained
• Historical context established