Tue, Jun 19, 2018
Carmine Galante wanted to be the "Boss of All Bosses," the head of the mafia, and would stop at nothing to reach his goal. He was single-handedly responsible for trafficking enormous amounts of heroin into the United States, raking in millions for himself and leaving streets of addicts in his wake. Until he was nabbed by the new narcotics laws. But even from jail, he ruled the streets.
Tue, Jul 24, 2018
Far from the big-name mob territories of New York and Chicago, the mafia scene in Tampa, Florida was of a smaller scale. That is, until Santo Trafficante used his influence and geographic advantage to turn Cuba in a gambling paradise. His smooth-talking demeanor made him fast friends with powerful officials, making life easy street - until he was betrayed.
Tue, Jul 31, 2018
At the Warren Committee hearings, looking into the deaths of Fidel Castro and JFK, Santo Trafficante kept his lips sealed. And yet the connections kept coming up. Trafficante had every reason to want to kill the man who had shut down his Cuban casinos - but had the CIA really ordered him to assassinate Castro? And what exactly was his connection to Jack Ruby?
Tue, Aug 14, 2018
The mob's merchant of death and family man, Albert Anastasia, continues as head of Murder Inc. But when the Commission decides to shutdown this violent organization how does Albert adjust to his new role in the mob? What are the three cardinal rules of the modern mafia that Anastasia would break?
Tue, Aug 21, 2018
Tony Spilotro, known as the Las Vegas enforcer, was a feared man whose job it was to make sure the mob's law was kept - or else. But when he proved too rough for the job, and went back to his street hustling ways, there came a point when the mafia couldn't get behind him. And the corrupt police force was about to change. Their first target? Tony Spilotro.
Tue, Sep 4, 2018
Joseph Massino was the legendary godfather of the Bonnano crime family, known as 'The Last Don' of a generation. And he absolutely crushed anyone who went against the mafia code of silence or 'Omerta.' But when the family was infiltrated by the legendary undercover agent Donnie Brasco, it spelled the end for the Bonannos and for the Mafia.
Tue, Sep 11, 2018
In the 1980's and 1990's, four of the bosses of the five families had been taken down by the FBI. But one family, the Bonnanos, remained untouched. But after years of the FBI being unable to catch Joe Massino in anything, they had finally bagged his right-hand man, Sal Vitale. And finally were given the edge they had been looking for.
Tue, Sep 18, 2018
Organized crime and street gangs were originally strongly divided along ethnic lines, but into the 1930s, those lines began to blur, especially between the Italian and Jewish gangsters. In this bonus episode, Mafia explores how this change came about, and highlights the prolific Jews who ran the underground world: Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lanksy, and Bugsy Siegel.
Tue, Sep 25, 2018
For years, the mob was able to rule New York, Chicago, and many other cities, free to run gambling rackets, flood the street with drugs, and corrupt officials to their liking. Until the law enforcement got wise and turned up the heat. How Thomas Dewey, RICO, and undercover operations finally took a stand against the mob and ultimately worked to bring it down.
Tue, Oct 2, 2018
There is a long list of people and organizations who were in one way or another in the Mafia's pockets. In this bonus episode, we'll look at the connection between the Mafia and the American establishment. From politicians, law enforcement, the CIA and the unions the mob collaborated with the state and officials on many occasions. And being the Mafia, they always expected something in return.
Tue, Oct 9, 2018
One of the unwritten rules of the Mafia was Omerta, the code of silence. No one was allowed to talk about the existence of the Mafia, reveal how it worked or who the main players were. The Mafia demanded loyalty from its members to the very end. But when the law enforcement started to use modern surveillance techniques and tools to incriminate mobsters, those willing to cooperate with authorities began to grow longer and longer. It turned out mobsters do talk about the Mafia and about others to save their own skin, even bosses.