Tom Biscardi
Encyclopedia
Carmine Thomas Biscardi is a cryptozoology
enthusiast, Las Vegas promoter, internet radio host, and film producer. He describes himself as the "Real Bigfoot Hunter". Biscardi has been centrally involved in several hoaxes regarding Bigfoot
that have garnered widespread international media attention.
of the Bluff Creek incident. I said to myself, 'How the hell can we send a man to the moon, but we can't find this creature'." His first search for Bigfoot was reported in the magazine Saga in 1973. In 1981, Biscardi produced a documentary film called In the Shadow of Bigfoot.
He is the current CEO and founder of BIGFOOT Inc.
Besides Bigfoot, Biscardi has investigated sightings of the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp
.
Biscardi appears in the 2008 documentary Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie, which focuses on the search for Bigfoot in Ohio.
and claimed he was "98% sure" his group would be able to capture a Bigfoot near Happy Camp, California
. On August 19, he returned to say he knew of the location of a captured Bigfoot specimen, and that he would air footage of the creature through a $14 web-cam service. However, on the day the footage was to be distributed, Biscardi claimed he was "hoodwinked" by a woman in Stagecoach, Nevada
, and that the specimen did not exist. Coast to Coast AM host George Noory
demanded that Biscardi refund the money to people who had paid for the web-cam subscription. Biscardi then offered a refund on his website to those who had subscribed for the service after August 19.
announced that they had discovered the carcass of a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound Bigfoot-like creature while hiking through the northern mountains of their state. They said they had placed the body in a freezer in an undisclosed location. They also claimed to have seen three similar creatures when they found the body.
Tom Biscardi teamed up with Whitton and Dyer to promote the claim that they had a Bigfoot corpse, and promised the media DNA
evidence. The three held a press conference in Palo Alto, California, where they showed photographs of the alleged creature. Whitton boasted, “Everyone who has talked down to us is going to eat their words." Biscardi also tried to reassure the media of the corpse's authenticity, saying, "Last weekend, I touched it, I measured its feet, I felt its intestines."
Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer have since admitted that it was a rubber costume.
Matthew Whitton, a police officer in Clayton County, Georgia
, put his career into jeopardy after participating in the hoax. Clayton County Police Chief Jeff Turner said, "Once he perpetrated a fraud
, that goes into his credibility and integrity. He has violated the duty of a police officer." Biscardi claimed that he was deceived, and that he was seeking justice.
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
enthusiast, Las Vegas promoter, internet radio host, and film producer. He describes himself as the "Real Bigfoot Hunter". Biscardi has been centrally involved in several hoaxes regarding Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
that have garnered widespread international media attention.
Biography
On his website, Biscardi writes, "I was watching John Carson in 1967, and I saw the first 8mm footage that Roger Patterson tookPatterson-Gimlin film
The Patterson-Gimlin film is a famous short motion picture of an unidentified subject the film makers purported to be a "Bigfoot", that was supposedly filmed on October 20, 1967, by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin on the Klamath River outside of Orleans,...
of the Bluff Creek incident. I said to myself, 'How the hell can we send a man to the moon, but we can't find this creature'." His first search for Bigfoot was reported in the magazine Saga in 1973. In 1981, Biscardi produced a documentary film called In the Shadow of Bigfoot.
He is the current CEO and founder of BIGFOOT Inc.
Besides Bigfoot, Biscardi has investigated sightings of the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp
Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp
The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp is a humanoid cryptid which is said to inhabit areas of swampland in and around Lee County, South Carolina along with the sewers and abandoned subways in towns near the swamp....
.
Biscardi appears in the 2008 documentary Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie, which focuses on the search for Bigfoot in Ohio.
2005 hoax
On July 14, 2005, Biscardi appeared on the radio program Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
and claimed he was "98% sure" his group would be able to capture a Bigfoot near Happy Camp, California
Happy Camp, California
Happy Camp is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2010 census....
. On August 19, he returned to say he knew of the location of a captured Bigfoot specimen, and that he would air footage of the creature through a $14 web-cam service. However, on the day the footage was to be distributed, Biscardi claimed he was "hoodwinked" by a woman in Stagecoach, Nevada
Stagecoach, Nevada
Stagecoach is an unincorporated community in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno. Its name is likely derived from its place as the Overland Stagecoach station at Desert Well. Typically, the mail that was heading towards California was delivered on a steamship through Panama...
, and that the specimen did not exist. Coast to Coast AM host George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
demanded that Biscardi refund the money to people who had paid for the web-cam subscription. Biscardi then offered a refund on his website to those who had subscribed for the service after August 19.
2008 hoax
In August 2008, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
announced that they had discovered the carcass of a 7-foot-7-inch, 500-pound Bigfoot-like creature while hiking through the northern mountains of their state. They said they had placed the body in a freezer in an undisclosed location. They also claimed to have seen three similar creatures when they found the body.
Tom Biscardi teamed up with Whitton and Dyer to promote the claim that they had a Bigfoot corpse, and promised the media DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
evidence. The three held a press conference in Palo Alto, California, where they showed photographs of the alleged creature. Whitton boasted, “Everyone who has talked down to us is going to eat their words." Biscardi also tried to reassure the media of the corpse's authenticity, saying, "Last weekend, I touched it, I measured its feet, I felt its intestines."
Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer have since admitted that it was a rubber costume.
Matthew Whitton, a police officer in Clayton County, Georgia
Clayton County, Georgia
Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 236,517. The 2008 Census estimate placed the population at 273,718. The county seat is Jonesboro...
, put his career into jeopardy after participating in the hoax. Clayton County Police Chief Jeff Turner said, "Once he perpetrated a fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, that goes into his credibility and integrity. He has violated the duty of a police officer." Biscardi claimed that he was deceived, and that he was seeking justice.