30:(30 December 1937 – 15 January 2004) was a British media hoaxer, who became known in the UK for providing newspapers with numerous stories that turned out to be fabrications. Earlier in his life, he had been a small-time criminal and film stuntman.
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Ryan used numerous aliases, showing an ability with accents, when he gave stories to the press, including Major Travis, Peter
Bernstein, David Oppenheimer, and Rocco Salvatore. The last name, supposedly a businessman, was used to dupe
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newspaper, believed to have been given by Ryan himself, he claimed to have been born
Michael Rocco Ryan, with his mother being of Sicilian origin, and to have been raised in the East End of London with the
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After a stroke in 2001, which affected a hand, Ryan became a recluse. An inquest after he died found that a potentially lethal dose of painkillers was in his body. The coroner recorded an open verdict.
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Ryan was born in
Tipperary, Ireland, and in his youth served time in borstals. He was involved in film stunt work, and was injured during work in 1975 on
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in 1993 he had tipped off the Iraqis that Bazoft was spying for Iran and Israel as a result of the personal grudge. Bazoft was executed for spying by
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into believing the contact was involved in a military coup in the
Seychelles. Other stories concocted by Ryan included his claim to
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to send one of their staff to investigate. Another newspaper published a false story about
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This article features some of Ryan's biographical inventions identified as such in
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was alive and well and living in Jersey, and telling the same newspaper
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112:'s government in 1990; Ryan's involvement in the case is unconfirmed.
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18:"Rocky Ryan" directs here. For the American football player, see
43:, known as the Black Panther, the armed robber and murderer.
221:"Notebook: Rocky tells lies, and that's the truth"
194:"Fleet Street conman took overdose of painkillers"
250:"Rocky Ryan, scourge of Fleet Street, dies at 66"
67:, the Yorkshire Ripper, was being allowed out of
305:"Rocky Ryan, teller of media tales, dies at 66"
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277:Campbell, Duncan (21 January 2004).
303:Johnston, Chris (18 January 2004).
75:was hiding in South Africa led the
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248:Doward, Jamie (18 January 2004).
359:Mass media in the United Kingdom
219:Nevin, Charles (7 August 1993).
192:Sturcke, James (14 April 2004).
92:Threatening behaviour towards
20:Rocky Ryan (American football)
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59:that the kidnapped racehorse
364:Hoaxes in the United Kingdom
28:Michael Joseph "Rocky" Ryan
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115:In a 1993 interview with
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36:The Slipper and the Rose
326:(subscription required)
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332:obituary a day later.
315:on January 13, 2017
50:The Daily Telegraph
165:. 19 January 2004
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317:. Retrieved
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283:The Guardian
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279:"Rocky Ryan"
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159:"Rocky Ryan"
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354:2004 deaths
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319:12 January
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132:References
122:Kray twins
73:Lord Lucan
330:The Times
163:The Times
83:Koo Stark
69:Broadmoor
61:Shergar
56:The Sun
321:2017
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