Inside the Life

In the final episode of Season 3, Giovanni and Dutch sit down with former Drug Enforcement Administration Associate Special Agent in Charge Bob Palombo. In a rare media appearance, Palombo details his impressive four-decade-long career with the DEA. From New York City street cases to multi-agency investigations like Operation Banshee, Palombo explains how relentless surveillance helped piece together a sprawling Colombian cocaine conspiracy — until one name on the indictment stood out: Griselda Blanco.  About Bob Palombo: Bob Palombo was working as a substitute teacher in the early 1970s when he was hired and sworn in as a Bureau of Customs agent in New York City. In 1973, just as the Drug Enforcement Administration was created, Palombo was on the front lines. New York's Operation Banshee, was the start of Palombo’s decade-long hunt for the Cocaine Godmother Griselda Blanco. But just as quickly as Blanco had come onto his radar, she had escaped to Miami. Nine years later, as Palombo was reassigned to the Miami office, he caught his second chance at Blanco. He and his dedicated team tracked Blanco through her sons, who were living in California, and in 1985 successfully apprehended her. After the Blanco case, Palombo continued to serve his country, first as the special agent in charge of the Cleveland DEA office, then deputy special agent in charge of the New York DEA office and later as the DEA’s attaché in Australia. Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].   

In this week’s episode of Inside the Life, Giovanni and Dutch are joined by Pete Chin, the former leader of the Ghost Shadows street gang. In this gripping conversation, Pete recounts his journey from a troubled childhood as a young Chinese immigrant in an abusive home to his violent rise as the leader of the most feared street gang in New York City’s Chinatown. Pete reflects on the brutal turf wars, the allure and cost of power, the RICO case that brought his world crashing down and the decades he spent in prison confronting the consequences of his past. Now seeking redemption, he offers an unflinching look at the forces that shaped him and the price of escaping the life he once led.  About Pete Chin: Pete Chin, aka “Kid Jai,” was the leader of the Ghost Shadows, a gang in New York City’s Chinatown, in the 1970s and ‘80s. For six years, he led the Ghost Shadows to become the most powerful gang in Chinatown, ordering beatdowns and hits, running gambling houses and starting an entertainment company. In 1985, he was indicted as part of a massive RICO case against the gang, the very first case of its kind against an Asian organized crime group. After spending 20 years in prison, he has now gone legit and authored “In the Ghost Shadows: The Untold Story of Chinatown’s Most Powerful Crime Boss.”  To purchase a copy of Pete’s book visit, https://a.co/d/gmwam1Q  Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].

Undercover FBI agent Terry Rankhorn returns to Inside the Life to reveal the harrowing details of his three-year infiltration into one of the most dangerous al-Qaida cells operating after 9/11. In this episode, Terry recounts the moment a routine three-day assignment turned into a life-altering mission that demanded a new identity, a new religion and constant proximity to violent extremists. Terry, Giovanni and Dutch explore the training and mindset needed to survive deep undercover work.   About Terry Rankhorn: Terry Rankhorn spent over 20 years working for the FBI in cybercrime and counterterrorism operations. He operated undercover in more than 20 operations. In addition to his fieldwork, Terry was a certified FBI instructor, having trained many of the next generation of covert operatives. Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].

This week on Inside the Life, Giovanni and Dutch face corruption in law enforcement head-on as they sit down with disgraced former NYPD officer Michael Dowd. An officer for the now notorious 75th precinct in Brooklyn, New York, Dowd owns up to his crimes and mistakes and shares how he went from a motivated young officer to a narcotics dealer during an era of scandal for the NYPD. Through a tense episode, Giovanni and Dutch express the dangers of working alongside corrupt officers, while Michael shares the pivotal moments that helped him take control of his life after his time in prison. About Michael Dowd: Michael Dowd was an NYPD police officer who was a “dirty cop” during the 1980s and early ‘90s. He and his partner, Kenny Eurell, began with extorting and robbing drug dealers and by the late ‘80s had escalated to being on a drug kingpin’s payroll and trafficking drugs themselves. After they were arrested in 1992, Eurell became an informant against Dowd, resulting in Dowd serving more than 12 years in prison. Out of prison and regaining control of his life, Dowd now hosts the Good Cop Bad Cop podcast and was the focus of the 2015 documentary “The Seven Five,” available on streaming networks like Netflix and Apple TV. Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].

For the first time on Inside the Life, Giovanni and Dutch speak with a member of the news media, investigative journalist Jake Adelstein. Living and working in Japan for more than 30 years, including on the crime beat for Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Adelstein details the unique relationship he fostered with law enforcement and the many yakuza syndicates he covered as a journalist. Depicted in HBO’s 2022 “Tokyo Vice” series, Adelstein also shares the real story of his groundbreaking Washington Post exposé on the FBI’s role in a yakuza boss Tadamasa Goto’s life-saving liver transplant at UCLA. About Jake Adelstein: Jake Adelstein is an American expat and investigative journalist who specialized in organized crime and corruption during his 12 years as the first foreign journalist at Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. Known for his fearless exposés, he famously revealed yakuza boss Tadamasa Goto's FBI-assisted liver transplant, resulting in threats against his life. Adelstein's groundbreaking memoir, "Tokyo Vice," chronicling his gripping experiences amidst the Japanese underworld, has been adapted into an HBO series. His reporting continues to offer rare insights into the shadowy ties between crime, law enforcement and politics in Japan.   To purchase a copy of Jake’s newest book, “Tokyo Noir,” visit https://a.co/d/c3a2dzG Produced by The Mob Museum. To watch episodes of this podcast, visit YouTube For behind-the-scenes photos, merchandise and exclusive content, visit insidethelife.org For more on the Museum visit themobmuseum.org This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum. This program has been made available by The Mob Museum for the private, non-commercial use of its audience. Such private use is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This program is subject to copyright protection, and those seeking to utilize the program or portions thereof, for anything other than private use should contact The Mob Museum at [email protected].