PodcastsDocumentaryThe Hidden Third

The Hidden Third

Mariana van Zeller
The Hidden Third
Latest episode

38 episodes

  • The Hidden Third

    She Was the Crystal Meth Queen of Waikiki. Then She Became a PTA Mom in New Jersey.

    10/06/2026 | 1h 29 mins.
    Nikki Mammano arrived in Hawaii as a college student and, within months, was running crystal meth in Waikiki. She became known as the Crystal Meth Queen of Waikiki — until it all came crashing down. Today, she’s a PTA mom in New Jersey and the author of Breaking Good, a brutally honest memoir about addiction, trauma, and the long road to healing.

    In this episode of The Hidden Third, we trace Nikki’s journey from an abused child and teenage addict to a meth dealer in Hawaii’s underworld, and eventually to a sober life built on therapy, accountability, and telling the truth about her past. She talks candidly about prison, homelessness, sex work, parenting with a criminal record, and what recovery really looks like years after the last high.

    In this conversation, we cover:


    Childhood abuse and the early wounds that shaped her


    Her teenage struggle with addiction


    How a college move to Hawaii spiraled into full‑time meth dealing


    Life as the Crystal Meth Queen of Waikiki and the rules of that underworld


    Violence, paranoia, and the moment everything collapsed


    Prison, shame, and confronting buried trauma


    Homelessness, sex work, and the cost of survival


    Parenting, PTA meetings, and living honestly with your past


    The role of therapy in long‑term recovery


    Why she wrote Breaking Good and what she hopes readers take from it

    If you or someone close to you is dealing with addiction, Nikki’s story is not a neat redemption arc — it’s a raw, hopeful map of relapse, repair, and the possibility of starting over.

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  • The Hidden Third

    Lee Harris Claims to Channel Aliens. Why Do Millions Believe Him?

    03/06/2026 | 2h 8 mins.
    On this episode of The Hidden Third, I interview Lee Harris — a channeler who claims to communicate with 88 intergalactic beings known as “The Z’s.” He reaches over 2 million people each month and leads a global spiritual community built around his teachings on consciousness, aliens, and the future of humanity.

    I’m a journalist, trained to look for evidence — not claims about non-human intelligence. But given Lee’s growing influence, I wanted to understand what’s behind it. For this conversation, I kept an open mind.

    What followed was one of the most unusual interviews I’ve conducted.

    During our conversation, Lee entered a channeling state and began speaking as the Z’s — allowing me to ask questions directly. He also gave me a personal spiritual reading in real time.

    We discuss:


    Who the Z’s are and what they claim


    Lee’s journey from musician to globally known channeler


    What these beings say about the future of humanity


    UFOs, UAPs, and recent government disclosures


    What it feels like to channel non-human intelligence


    A live channeling session during the interview


    A personal reading done on me

    Whether you’re skeptical or curious, this episode explores one of the fastest-growing and most controversial movements in modern spirituality.

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  • The Hidden Third

    He Was a Violent Neo-Nazi Leader. Then He Found Out He Is Jewish.

    27/05/2026 | 2h 25 mins.
    Join The Hidden Third Patreon today! patreon.com/thehiddenthird

    Frank Meeink's life runs parallel in many ways to one of the most powerful films ever made about hate in America — American History X. Except his story is real.

    By 16 he was one of the most notorious skinhead gang leaders on the East Coast. By 17 he had his own cable TV show preaching white supremacy. By 18 he was doing hard time in an Illinois prison for kidnapping and beating a teenager. In prison, a friendship with a Black inmate put the first cracks in his beliefs. After his release, a Jewish furniture dealer hired him — swastika tattoo and all — and treated him with more dignity than anyone ever had. Then the Oklahoma City bombing pushed him the rest of the way. He walked into the FBI and told them everything.

    But the biggest twist came later. A DNA test revealed he had Jewish ancestry. The man who once believed Jews were the root of all evil now keeps kosher and studies Torah.

    In this episode, Mariana sits down with Frank to talk about his time in the neo-Nazi movement, his deradicalization work, his memoir Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead, and his life today — including his marriage to Allison Mack, the Smallville actress who served time for her role in the NXIVM sex cult.

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  • The Hidden Third

    Prophet or Predator: How He Tricked Her and Trafficked Her Mother

    20/05/2026 | 1h 6 mins.
    Join The Hidden Third Patreon today! patreon.com/thehiddenthirdLola Blanc was 12 when a man at an LDS (Mormon) singles dance told her mother he was a prophet receiving direct revelation from God. No compound, no mass following — just a one-on-one system of control that separated Lola from her mom and escalated into coercion and trafficking, all framed as God's will. Lola's mother, Christine Marie, just starred in Netflix's Trust Me: The False Prophet — but this story never made the headlines, and the man was never fully stopped. Today Lola is a cult survivor, musician, filmmaker, actor (American Horror Story, Under the Silver Lake), and co-host of the Trust Me podcast, where she and Meagan Elizabeth dismantle the mechanics of coercion. In this episode, she tells Mariana van Zeller the full story.

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  • The Hidden Third

    Mariana's Interview on The Jordan Harbinger Show

    15/05/2026 | 1h 42 mins.
    Special episode drop! We're excited to share an interview with Mariana on The Jordan Harbinger Show. Mariana talks about her long-running show, Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, her experiences in the field, and what she's taking on now. We hope you enjoy!
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About The Hidden Third
From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. New episodes drop every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. The Hidden Third is a co-production of Muck Media and The Roost Podcast Network.
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