The Gangland History Podcast: An Organized Crime & Mafia History Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with former federal organized-crime prosecutor Edward A. McDonald, whose career placed him at the center of some of the most famous Mafia cases of the late twentieth century—and eventually led to him playing himself in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.McDonald joined the federal Organized Crime Strike Force in Brooklyn in 1977 and later became chief of its Eastern District office. His work brought him into investigations involving the New York Mafia, including the 1978 Lufthansa robbery at JFK Airport, the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, and the cooperation of Lucchese associate Henry Hill.In our conversation, Ed takes us back to his childhood in Brooklyn, his years at Boston College, and his path from law school to the courtroom before explaining what it was actually like to investigate organized crime during an era when New York’s Mafia families remained enormously powerful.We get into the real people behind Goodfellas—Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, and Henry Hill—and discuss the Lufthansa heist, what happened in its bloody aftermath, why Burke was never successfully prosecuted for the robbery itself, and what decades of books and movies have gotten wrong about the case.Ed also tells the remarkable story of the Boston College point-shaving scandal, how Henry Hill became a government witness, the challenges of determining when a cooperating criminal is telling the truth, and his own complicated relationship with Hill, which continued for decades.And, of course, we talk Goodfellas.Ed explains how his real-life involvement with Henry Hill ultimately led to Martin Scorsese casting him as himself in the film, what it was like working with Scorsese, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco, and how accurately Goodfellas portrayed the people and Mafia world he actually knew.We also discuss Ed’s new memoir, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies, written with Jake Brown. The book chronicles his firsthand experiences with Lufthansa, the Boston College case, Henry Hill, and the unlikely journey that eventually put a federal prosecutor in one of the most celebrated organized-crime films ever made.If you know the story of Goodfellas, this is an opportunity to hear it from someone who wasn’t portraying that world.He was actually there.Order Ed's Book:https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMDhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566

In this episode of The Gangland History Podcast’s ongoing History of the Pittsburgh Mob series, we explore the rise of the Monastero brothers—Stefano “Big Steve” Monastero, Salvatore “Sam” Monastero, and their older brother Loreto—as Pittsburgh’s underworld transforms during the violent early years of Prohibition.At the center of the story are Stefano and Sam Monastero, two brothers who rise from immigrant beginnings to become the dominant force in Pittsburgh’s bootlegging empire during the 1920s. While Pittsburgh’s underworld fractures after the deaths of early leaders like Gregorio Conti and Martin M. Burke, Stefano and Sam quietly build something far more organized, powerful, and dangerous—an expanding criminal network rooted in bootlegging, extortion, violence, and control of the city’s illicit liquor trade.But before the Monasteros become Pittsburgh’s closest equivalent to Al Capone, their story begins decades earlier in Sicily and New Orleans. This episode traces the family’s origins in Caccamo, Sicily, the infamous assassination of New Orleans Police Chief David C. Hennessy in 1890, and the shocking lynching of Stefano and Sam’s father, Pietro Monastero, during the Parish Prison mob violence of 1891—one of the largest mass lynchings in American history.From there, we follow the Monastero family’s journey to Pittsburgh, where the brothers become deeply connected to the city’s growing Mafia networks through the fruit and produce trade, the Pittsburgh Fruit Exchange, and the rapidly expanding underground economy created by Prohibition.This episode also explores:The collapse of Pittsburgh’s early Mafia leadership after Gregorio Conti’s murderThe rise of Pittsburgh’s Prohibition bootlegging economyThe Monasteros’ connections to figures like Salvatore Catanzaro, Nicola Gentile, Salvatore Calderone, and Nicasio LandolinaThe growth of the Pittsburgh Fruit Exchange and the brothers’ warehouse operations in the Strip DistrictThe mysterious 1920 bombing near the Monastero organizationLoreto Monastero’s shocking murder case, asylum commitment, and escapeThe emergence of early Mafia hierarchy and initiation rituals in PittsburghThe rise of Stefano Monastero as Pittsburgh’s dominant bootlegging bossThe violent murder of Luigi “The Big Gorilla” Lamendola and the growing underworld war surrounding the MonasterosBy the mid-1920s, Stefano and Sam Monastero are no longer simply participating in Pittsburgh’s underworld—they are reshaping it. What emerges during this period is the foundation of the modern Pittsburgh Mafia.This episode is based on extensive research using immigration records, newspapers, census documents, court records, FBI files, historical archives, and firsthand family accounts to reconstruct one of the most important—and least understood—chapters in organized crime history.Subscribe to The Gangland History Podcast for more deep dives into Prohibition, La Cosa Nostra, Mafia history, and the forgotten underworld history of Pittsburgh.

This episode is Part Two of The Gangland History Podcast’s History of the Pittsburgh Mob, focusing on Gregorio Conti, widely regarded as Pittsburgh’s second Mafia boss. Conti matters because he emerges at a turning point, when loose Black Hand extortion and ethnic feuding begin giving way to something more centralized, disciplined, and dangerous. Quiet, calculating, and outwardly respectable, Conti helped shape that transition—and then became one of its earliest casualties.The story opens on September 24, 1919, in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. It’s a mild fall morning, coal smoke hanging low as streetcars rattle over cobblestones. Somewhere along Smallman Street, Conti sits behind the wheel of his automobile, sweating under pressure. He’s in his mid-forties, round-faced, heavyset, horn-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose—the kind of man who could pass for a schoolteacher. But Conti isn’t teaching today. He’s trying to leave Pittsburgh for good.His wife and children are already packed for the 10:10 p.m. train to New York, with plans to sail for Italy on October 15, 1919. He should already be gone. Instead, he delays for one last, unnecessary errand: selling his automobile. The buyers arrive—men Conti knows. Hands are shaken. Pleasantries exchanged. Then they climb inside. As the car rolls down Smallman Street, the conversation fades. A revolver clicks. Four shots tear through the enclosed space. Conti collapses over the steering wheel and dies minutes later. The coroner records the cause as shock and hemorrhage from gunshot wounds to the heart, with the time of death listed as 11:20 a.m.At first, police default to the familiar explanation: the Black Hand. But the killing feels too precise and controlled. There’s no extortion letter, no public threat, no warning meant to terrorize a neighborhood. This looks less like chaotic revenge and more like business.From there, the episode rewinds to trace Conti’s rise. Born in Comitini, Sicily, in 1873, he grows up in a world where authority is local and protection comes from men rather than the state. He immigrates to the United States in 1907, becomes a naturalized citizen in 1910, and settles in Pittsburgh with relatives and trusted associates. He builds a wine and liquor operation that appears legitimate but quietly functions as a hub for influence, credit, and enforcement, eventually anchoring at 801 Wylie Avenue as the Pittsburgh Wine and Liquor Company.The episode explores Conti’s inner circle, including his nephew Giuseppe “Peppino” Cusumano, a trained chemist and pharmacist, and Nicola “Nick” Gentile, a relative and underworld diplomat physically present in Pittsburgh between 1910 and 1920. Family tension, shifting alliances, and questions of respect begin to fracture Conti’s control from within.All of this unfolds under the shadow of Prohibition. The Eighteenth Amendment is ratified in January 1919, Pennsylvania follows weeks later, and the Volstead Act is passed that fall. For a man positioned at the center of alcohol distribution, it should have been an opportunity. Instead, Conti liquidates assets, winds down his business, and prepares to leave the country.After the murder, detectives pursue competing theories, including an alleged $5,500 whiskey swindle and a feud rooted in a clerical error on a $4,000 federal bond involving produce merchants J.C. and Philip Catalano. Arrests come quickly, explanations pile up, but certainty never does.On November 12, 1919, a coroner’s jury exonerates the men held in connection with the killing. No shooter is officially identified. Gregorio Conti’s murder remains unsolved. His funeral is quiet, with burial believed to have taken place at Cavalry Cemetery.Conti’s death doesn’t slow Pittsburgh’s underworld—it clears the way. Into that vacuum steps Stefano “Big Steve” Monastero, ushering in the city’s most violent and profitable Mafia era.But that… is a story for another day.

In this episode of The Gangland History Podcast, host Jacob Stoops interviews acclaimed author and Mafia historian Scott Deitche, one of the nation’s foremost experts on organized crime in Florida and the Trafficante crime family.Together, they trace the full evolution of the Tampa Mafia — from its earliest days under Ignazio Italiano, through decades of bloody rivalries, Cuban connections, and political intrigue, to its quiet decline under the final generation of mob leadership.The conversation begins with the waves of Italian immigration to Tampa’s Ybor City and the cigar industry that built both the economy and the foundation of the underworld. From there, Scott and Jacob explore Tampa’s first crime boss, Ignazio Italiano, and the city’s early reputation as a hotbed of vice, gambling, and corruption.Listeners will hear about the 1928 Hotel Statler Meeting, where Mafia leaders from across the country gathered to define territories and business interests — putting Tampa’s underworld squarely on the national map.From there, the episode dives into the violent Charlie Wall era, when the powerful gambling czar ruled Tampa’s rackets amid a feud that pitted him against Ignazio Antinori and Santo Trafficante, Sr. The bloody power struggle culminated in Antinori’s assassination in 1940, marking a turning point that ushered in the Trafficante dynasty.Under Santo Trafficante, Sr., Tampa’s mob consolidated power — but not without conflict. His clashes with Red Italiano and Jimmy Lumia (whose murder rocked the city) underscored the treacherous nature of Mafia politics in Florida.After Sr.’s death in the 1950's, his son Santo Trafficante, Jr. rose to prominence as Boss of the borgata, leading the family for 30+ years through its golden age. Under Santo Jr.'s his reign, the Tampa Mafia reached international stature, with deep ties to Cuba’s casino industry, relationships with New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello, and a presence at the Apalachin and Kefauver hearings that exposed the Mafia’s nationwide reach.As the decades unfolded, Trafficante Jr. found himself entangled in the web of Kennedy-era politics, CIA intrigue, and allegations surrounding Cuba and the Bay of Pigs, while maintaining his position as one of the most powerful and respected Mafia bosses in America.Scott and Jacob also examine the decline of the Tampa mob as Trafficante Jr. aged — and how figures like Frank “Daddy Frank” Diecidue and Vincent “Vince” LoScalzo carried the torch into the family’s final chapter. By the 1990s, with LoScalzo as the last recognized boss, the once-powerful Tampa Mafia had faded quietly into history.This episode offers a comprehensive, rigorously researched look at the rise, dominance, and fall of the Trafficante family — a story that blends Southern charm, Cuban influence, and old-world Mafia tradition into one of the most fascinating organized crime sagas in America.📚 About Scott Deitche:Scott Deitche is the author of Cigar City Mafia, The Silent Don, and Garden State Gangland, among other acclaimed works on organized crime. His deep research and storytelling have made him one of the leading voices on the history of the American Mafia, particularly in Florida. Learn more at ScottDeitche.com

In late August 1979, the FBI's Brooklyn-Queens Metropolitan Resident Agency (the BQ) received a significant tip from a top-echelon informant within the Genovese crime family. This informant, known as "Bob," reported that Paul Castellano, head of the Gambino crime family, had mentioned an upcoming major meeting at Gurney's Inn in Montauk, New York. The anticipated attendees included prominent figures such as Frank "Funzi" Tieri of the Genovese family, Carmine "The Snake" Persico of the Colombo family, and Tampa's organized crime leader, Santo Trafficante Jr. Recognizing the potential significance of this gathering—the most consequential since the 1957 Apalachin summit—the FBI swiftly mobilized. Agents, including undercover operatives, were dispatched to Gurney's Inn, posing as tourists to monitor arrivals and activities. Specialized personnel were prepared to install surveillance equipment to capture conversations during the meeting. Despite the extensive preparations, the anticipated meeting never occurred. The reasons remain uncertain; possibilities include the informant providing inaccurate information, the mobsters altering their plans, or suspicions about increased surveillance leading to a change in venue. This outcome was reminiscent of the 1957 Apalachin meeting, where law enforcement's unexpected presence led to the mobsters' dispersal. While the immediate operation at Gurney's Inn did not yield the expected results, it underscored the FBI's evolving strategies in combating organized crime. The bureau's readiness to deploy advanced surveillance techniques and coordinate large-scale operations marked a shift towards more proactive and sophisticated approaches. This evolution contributed to significant successes in subsequent years, including the Mafia Commission Trial of 1986 and the conviction of John Gotti in 1992. This episode about the FBI’s almost-successful attempt to bug a major mob meeting at Gurney's Inn illustrates the challenges law enforcement faced in infiltrating organized crime and highlights the pivotal role such operations played in modernizing the FBI's methodologies. Joining us in this episode, we have: Daniel Edward Rosen, a staff reporter from the New York Sun, whose work has appeared in Esquire, the New York Observer, City Journal, New York Magazine, and the New York Times. See his original article: https://www.nysun.com/article/how-the-fbis-mad-dash-to-wiretap-the-mob-at-a-montauk-hotel-nearly-50-years-ago-helped-modernize-todays-agencyFrank DiMatteo joins us to provide color commentary based upon his experiences growing up embedded in one of the most infamous mob crews in the history of the American Cosa Nostra. Frank is the son of Ricky DiMatteo, a member of the legendary Gallo Crew of the Colombo Crime Family in New York City. He is also an author of several books in his own right including Growing Up Mafia, Mafia Hit Man, Lord High Executioner, The Cigar, Carmine the Snake, Red Hook, as well as the publisher of Mob Candy.

In Part Two of our deep-dive biography on Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, we chronicle his ascent to the top of the Chicago Outfit from the late 1940s through the early 1970s — a reign that cemented his legacy as one of the most powerful and influential mob bosses in American history.Listen to Part One: https://youtu.be/D2S-22pslCAThis episode picks up with Ricca serving time in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary following his conviction in the infamous Hollywood extortion case — a racket that siphoned millions from the motion picture industry during the 1930s and 1940s. We explore Ricca's brutal prison experience under Warden Joseph Sanford, a notorious white supremacist who cracked down on Italian inmates, and how Ricca's allies on the outside — including Tony Accardo and Murray "The Camel" Humphreys — pulled political strings and greased palms to orchestrate his early transfer to Leavenworth and eventual release after serving only three years.Once back in Chicago, Ricca quietly shared power with Tony Accardo in one of the most successful power-sharing arrangements in Mafia history. While Accardo handled day-to-day operations, Ricca became the Outfit's elder statesman — making high-level decisions, approving hits, and shaping the organization's future from behind the scenes. The two men orchestrated the Outfit's expansion into Las Vegas, using Teamsters pension loans and alliances with Meyer Lansky to finance casinos like The Stardust, Desert Inn, and Riviera — creating a multimillion-dollar pipeline of skimmed cash that flowed directly into Chicago's coffers for decades.Despite his low profile, Ricca remained a prime target for law enforcement. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he fought off tax evasion charges, perjury indictments, and a relentless deportation campaign that sought to return him to Italy — where he had been convicted of two murders in his youth. His decade-long legal battle to avoid deportation became one of the longest-running immigration cases in American history, with Ricca outmaneuvering authorities at every turn.As law enforcement pressure mounted, Ricca and Accardo made the strategic decision to promote Sam "Momo" Giancana as front boss of the Chicago Outfit in the mid-1950s — allowing the brash and flashy Giancana to become the lightning rod for law enforcement while Ricca and Accardo continued pulling the strings from the shadows. But Giancana's high-profile lifestyle, affairs with celebrities, and erratic leadership style caused turmoil within the Outfit. By the mid-1960s, Ricca and Accardo had seen enough, orchestrating Giancana's ouster and restoring order to the organization.During this era, Ricca rubbed shoulders with and mentored some of the Outfit's most notorious figures, including Murray Humphreys, Gus Alex, Ralph Pierce, Sam Battaglia, Willie Daddano, and Felix "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio. He also played a pivotal role in grooming the next generation of Chicago gangsters — including the fearsome enforcer Marshall Caifano and the psychopathic loan shark Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano.Even into his 70s, Ricca's influence never waned. He remained the ultimate consigliere of the Chicago Outfit — a man whose word was law and whose wisdom guided the Outfit's rackets from Chicago to Las Vegas. This episode breaks down how Ricca's strategic brilliance, political connections, and ruthless pragmatism helped him outlast nearly all of his contemporaries and solidified his place as one of the most underrated and powerful mobsters in American history.00:00:00 Start00:00:42 Opening Remarks00:01:37 Cliff-Notes of Part One00:07:24 The Waiter's Time in Prison (Mid-to-Late 1940's)00:28:15 Co-Boss of The Outfit (Late 1940's and 1950's)01:17:20 Running the Chicago Outfit (Keeping Control in the 1960's)02:13:56 Late Career & Legacy (The 1970's)02:23:16 Closing Remarks

We talk with Nicholas "Nick" Parisi, award-winning author and Springfield, Massachusetts mob expert. Nick has written two books on the Springfield mob including: City of Betrayal: The Genovese Family's Springfield Crew Mafia Confession: King of Bootleggers Murder Why should you trust Nick? First, Nick is the grandson of a man named Giuseppe "Joseph" Parisi, who was deeply involved in one of the most infamous events that became a cornerstone of how the Springfield Mafia came to be Second, Nick grew up around the mob in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He was childhood friends with notable figures such as Ty and Freddy Geas, Anthony "Bingy" Arillotta, and others. He is widely considered to be a local subject matter expert when it comes to the Springfield mob. 100 Years of Springfield mob history This episode covers over a century of mob history in Springfield including the early formation of the mob and the eventual alignment with the Genovese Crime Family in New York. How immigration in the early 1900's led to a rise in Springfield's Italian population The rise of Italian street gangs and the Black Hand The rise of the city's first boss, Carlo Siniscalchi The rise of Nick's grandfather, Joseph Parisi The eventual dispute between Siniscalchi and Parisi that ultimately led to Carlo Siniscalchi's assassination at the hands of Nick's grandfather The murder trial of Joseph Parisi The rise and untimely demise of Antonio Miranda, successor to Siniscalchi and brother of Genovese legend Mike Miranda, and the alignment with the Genovese Crime Family (which still exists today) The subsequent rise and assassinations of Pasqualina (Albano Siniscalchi) Miranda as well as Michael Fiore We then cover the golden era of the Springfield mob between the 1930's into the 1990's: The four decade long career of Salvatore "Big Nose Sam" Cufari, long-time boss of Springfield and Capo within the Genovese Crime Family Cufari's successor, Francesco "Frankie Skyball" Scibelli in the 1980's and early 1990's as Springfield's boss and Capo Scibelli's successor, Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno in the 1990's as the new boss of Springfield We then shift gears to cover the rise of a new generation of Springfield mobsters, who would ultimately be responsible for the downfall of the Springfield Mafia: The rise of the "Young Turks" including Anthony "Bingy" Arillotta, Ty and Freddy Geas, as well as Emilio Fusco The coup against Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno that ultimately led to his assassination in 2003 The rise of Anthony Arillotta as Springfield's boss and Genovese Crime Family Capo after the death of Al Bruno The downfall of the Springfield mob after several key players decide to testify including Frankie Roche (Bruno's assassin), Felix Tranghese (long-time Springfield made member), and John Bologna (New York mobster and right-hand man to Artie Nigro, Acting Boss of the Genovese Crime Family) The ultimate decision by Anthony Arillotta to flip and the men cooperated against including Ty and Freddy Geas, Arthur "Artie" Nigro, and others. We close the episode by discussing: The book writing and publishing process The 2018 murder of James "Whitey" Bulger by Nick's childhood friend, Freddy Geas Nick's perspective on making judgements about government cooperators This was an epic discussion that I hope you enjoy and share! If you want more exclusive content like this, please sign up for my Patreon channel at https://www.patreon.com/GanglandHistoryPodcast

In this episode, we continue the “State of the Mafia (1967)” series. If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to go back and watch ‘The State of the Mafia: Part One’ “The rules that hold us together” as it will be a very good primer for this episode’s content. I’m calling this show ‘The State of the Mafia (1967): Part Two’ “Life or Death Obligations.” Like the first part of this series, this report will jump around a lot, but in the end I think you’ll still enjoy it, and hopefully it teaches you “a couple of three things.” Okay, so let’s reset the stage here. This 1967 FBI report, which we began to cover in Part One (again, go watch or listen to it first if you haven’t), is a veritable gold-mine of information. The aim at the time of creation was focused on providing an overall picture of LCN membership and activities throughout the United States as things stood in 1967. The report was declassified in 1996. The originator of the report was a man named Robert G. O’Neil, and the report itself was submitted to the FBI Director at the time, one J. Edgar Hoover. Sometimes in the course of historical research, you just find things that are simply too good not to share. In this case, I found this report by accident, got to reading it, and was very much enthralled by it. And based on the responses in the first episode (a 96% approval rating on YouTube), I think it’s worth continuing. In Part One, I covered the following topics: The historical background of the Mafia and where it came from The ‘Commission,’ its members and purpose Organizational structure, terminology, qualifications and admission to membership Initiation rites and the differences between regions and families in ‘making’ ceremonies In this episode, we’re going to continue along that track and get into: Membership obligations Advantages of La Cosa Nostra membership Security measures Transfers of Members For the sake of time, we’ll stop this episode after transfers of members. The report in its entirety will likely require four parts in total to fully cover, and will be linked in the description of the episode. Again, it contains references to 50+ cities and 196 informants in total. So, it’s a massive dossier and treasure trove of information on the Mafia. Link to full report: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=113324#relPageId=21 There are many different families, individual mobsters, and stories referenced in this episode. The episode bounces from the "who's who" of the American Mafia, to several lesser known characters, citing informant reports that were geared on teaching the FBI about the Mafia back in the 1960's. And now, I'm bringing this information to your doorstep.

In this episode, special guest Tony Taouk and myself discuss the career of infamous Philadelphia mob lawyer, Robert "Bobby" Simone (1933 - 2007). Robert F. Simone was known for winning a string of difficult cases for clients that included members of Philadelphia's organized-crime family such as Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, Philip "Crazy" Phil Leonetti, Frank "The Baracuda" Sindone, union boss John McCullough, and many more. We discuss many topics surrounding the life and times of Simone including: His law studies at Temple University The Pottsville Heist: His first big criminal defense case of Lillian "Tiger Lil" Reis How he began defending mobsters like Frank "The Barracuda" Sindone Meeting and beginning to defend Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo The 1980 defense of Scarfo, Philip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti, and Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino in the Vincent Falcone murder case Simone's defense and association with the Philly mob in the 1980's and 1990's Simone's defense of himself in his 1984 tax evasion case Simone's ability to tear down government informants such as Nick "The Crow" Caramandi The Martorano drug conviction in the mid-to-late 1980's Simone's conviction of racketeering in the early 1990's and his disbarrment from being a lawyer Simone's retirement, autobiography, and ultimate legacy Link to Simone's book, "The Last Mouthpiece: The Man Who Dared to Defend the Mob" https://www.amazon.com/Last-Mouthpiece-Man-Dared-Defend/dp/0940159694 Link to "MOUTHPIECE: VOICE FOR THE ACCUSED" (2002)" * PRODUCED BY THE HISTORY CHANNEL (Used in this video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7hDUNfyRJc

"To the rules that hold us together" In this episode, we discuss a comprehensive 1967 FBI Intelligence Report distributed across all FBI field offices within the United States. This report provided an overall picture of the American Cosa Nostra across the entire country and provided reports, taken from the accounts of 190+ informants, around the following: The Existence of the Organization Historical Background & Origins The Purpose and Role of the "Commission" Communication Between Families Organizational Structure & Terminology Qualifications and Admission to Membership Initiation Rites & Induction Ceremonies The report is comprehensive and touches upon many interesting points such as: Chicago's Role in Communicating "Commission" Orders Los Angeles' Role in Relaying "Commission" Orders The lines of leadership succession in Philadelphia The ways in which each family refers to itself The estimated number of "made" members across the country The vetting process for new members Accounts of 5+ "making" ceremonies As part of this episode, we discuss some myths and facts related to many of the accounts contained within the report from various informants.

In this episode, the second of this series, we cover several mob hits that occurred in and around Philadelphia's Bruno Crime Family of LCN during the 1960's. Our goal of these episodes is to dispel the myth that Angelo Bruno—"The Docile Don"—was a non-violent Boss. In fact, evidence will show that he likely handed down many hit contracts, which we will go over in detail over the course of Volumes I and beyond. For Cosa Nostra Bosses in this era, ordering hits was standard operating procedure and could not be avoided. While we will cover many during the "Hits" episodes, in this particular video we talk about the following gangland murders: 1) "Whispers" DiTullio prior to 1966 (from the movie "The Irishman" (2019) and the book "I Heard You Paint Houses" by Charles Brandt) 2) Alberto Galante in 1964 3) William "Willie" Sears in 1964 4) Robert "Bobby" Bennett in 1964 The next episode will detail two hits that took place during the 1960's over control of Teamsters Local 107 in what was considered to be the Philadelphia mob's "Golden Era."

In this episode, featuring myself and Australian lawyer Tony Taouk, we discuss the life and times of George Remus who was famously dubbed, "The King of the Bootleggers" in the 1920's. George Remus, born in 1878, was a German-born American lawyer who was probably most famously well-known as a bootlegger during the early days of Prohibition, and who later became even more infamous for the murder his wife Imogene, for which he was acquitted. In popular culture, many believed that George Remus served as the inspiration for The Great Gatsby, and he was even famously portrayed on the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. In this episode, we discuss: Remus birth in Landsberg, Germany in the 1870's and his arrival in the United States in the 1880's The Remus family's beginnings in Chicago, Illinois Remus' early experience working at his uncle's pharmacy, as well as his attendance of the Chicago College of Pharmacy, where he became a certified pharmacist George Remus' collegiate attendance of the Illinois College of Law in which he gained admittance to the Illinois Bar, specializing as a defense attorney Remus' involvement in the 1914 murder trial of William Cheny Ellis, and the first successful use of the "transitory insanity" defense in the history of the United States Remus' beginnings as a bootlegger after he was able to exploit a loophole in the Volstead Act, allowing him to grow his bootlegging business on a technicality Remus' move from Chicago, Illinois to Cincinnati, Ohio and the growth of his bootlegging empire in the 1920's, run from his sprawling property on the west side of Cincinnati, dubbed "Death Valley" Remus' divorce from his first wife, and marriage to socialite Imogene Holmes (later Remus), as well as the extravagant mansion, "The Marble Palace" The eventual arrest of Remus for violations of the Volstead Act and his prison sentence The collapse of Remus' marriage to Imogene after a cheating scandal with a Bureau of Investigation agent, Franklin Dodge The murder of his wife Imogene in October of 1927, the subsequent trial in which Remus again pleaded "temporary insanity," and his acquittal after just 19 minutes of jury deliberations The remainder of Remus' life and his ultimate legacy in the annals of the underworld The truth of Remus' peculiar tendency to talk about himself in the third-person Remus' death in 1952 of natural causes in Covington, Kentucky

We sat down to talk with Gary Jenkins, who is a retired Kansas City Police Detective, lawyer, as well as the host of the extremely popular mob podcast, Gangland Wire. In this episode, we discuss the following topics: His early years, family, and upbringing What made him want to join the Kansas City Police Department His promotion to Detective within the KCPD The composition of the Kansas City Mafia in the 1970's The key players in the Kansas City Mafia including Nick Civella, Carl "Cork" Civella, and Carl "Tuffy" De Luna His many stories of surveilling the Kansas City Cosa Nostra family Kansas City's involvement in the Las Vegas skim His work surveilling and the wiretaps related to the Las Vegas skim Comparisons of real life versus the movie Casino Bringing down the Kansas City mob The Spero-Civella war in the late 1970's and early 1980's Retiring and becoming a lawyer for 20 years Starting and running his popular podcast, Gangland Wire Links to Gary's documentaries, podcast, website, and YouTube channel: 1) Brothers Against Brothers: The Spero-Civella War: https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-against-Civella-Spero-War/dp/B081ZHB17X 2) Gary's Website: https://ganglandwire.com/ 3) Gary's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gangland-wire/id984020877 https://open.spotify.com/show/1kGMUAUanWOv3UAbW4RVPk 4) Gary's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdoYdPBGwXdsQGkvX4yovvQ