Singer Russ Columbo, a rising star of the 1930s often called a rival to Bing Crosby, died tragically in 1934 after a freak accident involving an antique firearm. But because his mother was gravely ill with a heart condition, his family feared the truth would ki*ll her. To protect her, they staged an incredible deception: for a full decade, relatives wrote fake letters as if from Columbo, claiming he was touring Europe, and replayed his old radio broadcasts to keep his presence alive. Friends hel