Inside The New Jersey Mafia That Inspired The Sopranos
About this episode
Jimmy “Easy” Saracco shares his experiences in the Mafia, including his feud with John Gotti Jr. and his decision to cooperate with authorities.
Jimmy “Easy” Saracco lived the kind of Mafia life most people only know from movies. In this episode, the former DeCavalcante associate opens up about coming up in New York’s underworld, making serious money through bookmaking and loansharking, carrying out violent orders, and operating around the New Jersey crime family often associated with the real-life inspiration behind The Sopranos. Jimmy also tells the story of his explosive feud with John Gotti Jr., including his claim that Gotti Jr. was involved in a plot to have him killed. After surviving a brutal attack that left him stabbed and in a coma, Jimmy says he wanted revenge—but Mafia politics made Gotti Jr. untouchable. Years later, the world Jimmy had lived by began collapsing from the inside. Bosses, captains, and associates started cooperating with the federal government, leaving Jimmy facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. Eventually, he made the decision he once thought was unthinkable: he cooperated too. Jimmy explains why he flipped, what it felt like walking out of his first proffer session, the murders and rackets he admitted involvement in, his time in witness protection, and why he…
People in this episode
Host: Johnny Mitchell
Guest: Jimmy “Easy” Saracco
Topics covered
- Mafia life
- organized crime
- loyalty and betrayal
- witness protection
- New Jersey crime family
- feuds
- cooperation with authorities
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Sopranos, federal government
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