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 fa...
Jun 25, 2025•51 min
In today's episode, we wrap up one of the most detailed and historically rich series we’ve ever done. In Part Three of our special deep dive into the FBI’s 1967 report on La Cosa Nostra, we close the book on an era where the mob’s influence was at its peak across the United States.This final installment takes us beyond New York’s Five Families and paints a broader picture of organized crime’s national footprint — from the power struggles within familiar crime families to lesser-known but highly ...
Apr 24, 2025•2 hr 32 min
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-22pslCA This episode picks up with Ricca serving time in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary following his conviction in the infamous Hollywood extortion case — a racket that siphoned mil...
Mar 06, 2025•2 hr 25 min
We’re diving deep into the life and legacy of one of the most notorious figures in the history of the Genovese Crime Family—Thomas “Tommy Ryan” Eboli. And who better to tell that story than his own son, Xavier Eboli? Xavier Eboli, a Marine Corps veteran and author of The Boss in the Shadows: The Life and Death of Thomas ‘Tommy Ryan’ Eboli , joins me for an incredible two-hour conversation. Together, we explore what it was like growing up as the son of a powerful mob boss, tracing his father’s jo...
Feb 11, 2025•2 hr 10 min
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 gr...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 48 min
In this episode, we talk with Ray Franze author of ‘The Heights.’ The Heights is a historical mob fiction novel based upon the early days a very real and powerful crew of Italians in Chicago Heights, Illinois that became one of the most powerful, but least well-known, crews in the Chicago Outfit (as well as nationally). Fox News Chicago has called The Heights “A masterful dive into mob history.” Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Heights-Ray-Franze/dp/1955058083 Blue Handle Publishing: https:/...
Nov 14, 2024•1 hr 7 min
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 tea...
Oct 24, 2024•53 min
We talk with Giovanni Rocco, a former deep cover agent for the FBI, is responsible for taking down the American Mob organization commonly referred to by the media as “The Real Sopranos.” During Operation Charlie Horse, Giovanni infiltrated the DeCavalcante crime family based in New Jersey and personally gathered enough evidence to prosecute and convict several high-ranking members and associates of the crime family. This action, while bolstering his legend in the undercover world, ultimately led...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 42 min
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 inclu...
Aug 21, 2024•40 min
In this episode, the first of a two-part series, we discuss the life and times of Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, who was born Felice De Lucia in Apricena, Italy in 1898. Paul Ricca was one of the most powerful underworld figures in the history of Cosa Nostra in this country, his career spanning from the Capone Era into the 1970's. For over 30 years, Ricca co-ran The Chicago Outfit with his friend and contemporary, Anthony "Tony" Accardo. In Part One, we cover: (1) De Lucia's birth in Apricena, Italy i...
Jul 19, 2024•1 hr 16 min
"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...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, the third of this series, we cover several mob hits that occurred in and around Philadelphia's Bruno Crime Family of LCN during the 1960's. This video focuses on the battle that occurred for control of Philadelphia's Teamsters Local 107, between the Mafia and law-abiding members of the union. 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 ...
Jun 09, 2024•58 min
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...
May 24, 2024•1 hr
In this episode, 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. Whil...
May 10, 2024•48 min
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 serve...
Mar 31, 2024•44 min
In this episode, we again discuss Joseph Barbara Sr., the mobster who famously hosted the ill-fated Apalachin Mob Meeting in Apalachin, New York. Part Three covers the events leading up to the disastrous Apalachin meeting in 1957 and the fallout. Part One: https://youtu.be/NGHgoGlYOgw Part Two: https://youtu.be/2h1ERPB0sCU In this final installment of a three-part series, we discuss: 00:00 Start 01:27 Opening Remarks 05:38 Events directly preceding the Apalachin meeting 13:12 Who ordered the Apa...
Feb 20, 2024•59 min
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...
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 31 min
In this episode, we again discuss Joseph Barbara Sr., the mobster who famously hosted the ill-fated Apalachin Mob Meeting in Apalachin, New York. In this second of a three-part series, we discuss: Barbara's move towards legitimate business and establishment of several bottling companies including the Endicott Beverage Company, the Mission Beverage Company, and the Canada Dry Bottling Company Barbara's ascension within the Northeaster Pennsylvania and Southern New York mob The changes in leadersh...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In this episode, we discuss Roy Marcus Cohn (1927-1986) with professional attorney, Tony Taouk of Magna Carta Lawyers in Sydney, Australia. Tony and I walk through Roy Cohn's history, and Tony brings an attorney's perspective to some of Cohn's vicious tactics, personal life, as well as areas where he displayed both pure brilliance and borderline diabolical evil. We cover: Cohn's upbringing and early life Cohn's involvement in the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trial in the early 1950's Cohn's involv...
Jan 19, 2024•38 min
In this episode, we discuss Joseph Barbara Sr., the mobster who famously hosted the ill-fated Apalachin Mob Meeting in Apalachin, New York. In this first of a two-part series, we discuss the beginning of Barbara's mob career including: His birth in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Italy His immigration to the United States in 1921 His first jobs in and around Endicott, New York as well as Old Forge, Pennsylvania His introduction to the Pittston mob of Northeastern Pennsylvania (more famously cal...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Join me as a make a significant announcement about the future of this show and discuss my plans for 2024 and beyond.
Jan 08, 2024•18 min
In this episode, we finish the series on the Cerrito Crime Family of the American Cosa Nostra who operated in and around San Jose, California, and who were a significant entity controlling organized crime in the San Jose area for many decades beginning around the 1940’s and were in existence until at least the 1990’s or early 2000’s. While we covered the family's first two bosses, Onofrio Sciortino and Joe Cerrito in Part One, in this episode we'll focus the majority of our time on the man who a...
Nov 30, 2023•2 hr 3 min
In the second episode of this multi-part series, we cover Angelo Bruno, Boss of the Philadelphia Mafia during the "Golden Age" of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra from the years 1960-1969. We recap Bruno's ascension to Boss of the Philly Mob during 1959 when a dispute between himself and Acting Boss Antonio "Mr. Mig" Pollina, along with support from Bruno's good friend Carlo Gambino, resulting in Bruno taking the top chair in the Philadelphia underworld and joining The Commission as the first boss f...
Sep 16, 2023•2 hr 27 min
We cover instances of FBI wiretaps picking up mobster conversations related to both the FBI in the early 1960's and the Kennedy brothers pre-and-post JFK's assassination. We share and help you interpret excerpts from the 1978-1979 Senate report entitled, "House Select Committee on Assassinations: Investigation of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy" which breaks down possible mob-involvement in the 1963 assassination of the 35th President John F. Kennedy, as well as other potential pl...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 6 min
In today’s episode, we’ve recorded an amazing interview with Jeff Canarsie, the host of Mob Talk Radio. I’m really excited and honestly very appreciative that this guest was able to take time out of their busy life to sit and talk with me for a few hours to talk about his life, his show, and much more. In the interview, we discuss a range of topics including: Jeff's early life growing up in Providence, Rhode Island Jeff's mother and father, as well as his "extended" family What life was like gro...
Jul 17, 2023•2 hr 17 min
In this episode, we cover the Cerrito Crime Family of the American Cosa Nostra who operated in and around San Jose, California, and who were a significant entity controlling organized crime in the San Jose area for many decades beginning around the 1940’s and were in existence until at least the 1990’s or early 2000’s. My research will show that this particular LCN family was likely the most risk-averse and least-aggressive family of all 20+ families across the country during the Mafia's hey-dey...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 49 min
In this video, we cover Angelo Bruno, the man known as the "Docile Don" and/or "Gentle Don" who ruled over the Philadelphia underworld as the city's Cosa Nostra don from around 1959 until his murder in 1980. Bruno presided over one of the most, relatively speaking, peaceful eras of the Philly mafia. In this video, we cover: Bruno's birth in Villalba, Sicily (and his original surname of Annaloro) The Bruno's immigration to the United States His early family life and eventual move to Philadelphia ...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 50 min
In today's episode, I do my first-ever interview with author Sam Carlino, who is is in fact the Grandson of the infamous Colorado gangster Pete Carlino, dubbed in the late 1920's as the "The Al Capone of Southern Colorado" by the local media. The Carlino brothers (Pete and Sam) established a bootlegging empire beginning around 1916 until 1931 when they were murdered by rivals. We discuss the following: Introduction to who Sam is and his family background Background on Sam's grandfather Pete and ...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min
We cover the era of the Smaldone brothers including Clyde Smaldone, Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone, and Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone. We dive into the history behind this family which ran most of the rackets in and around Denver, Colorado throughout the 1930’s through the 1980’s. We’re also going to touch on their connection to the Mafia in Pueblo, Colorado, and discuss some of the players in that family as well. Topics that we dive into: The Smaldones involvement in the Joe Roma murder The family b...
Mar 09, 2023•2 hr 7 min
The first episode of a two-part series on the organization that would later become known as the Smaldone Crime Family, which ran organized crime in Denver and much of Colorado during the 20th century. We tell the story of the early days of organized crime in Colorado, how the area’s Mafia got its start, the bloody strife during the 1920’s and early 30’s, and how that strife ultimately led to what became known as the Smaldone organization. If the violence in New York and on the East Coast at the ...
Jan 14, 2023•49 min
