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

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://www.bluehandlepublishing.com/ray-franze Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theheightsnovel/ Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@writerrayfranze Here is a brief synopsis of the book: “FALL IN LINE, OR FALL IN A GRAVE After 30 years of research and scouring 5,000 pages of FBI files, The Heights was born. Inspired by true events and racketeers who ruthlessly fought their way into Al Capone's inner circle and expanded organized crime across the American West. It's hard to believe Sal Liparello has survived long enough to enjoy a midday scotch on his California tomato farm. The sixty-something crime boss from Chicago Heights helped take out Sicilian gangs, advised Al Capone on some of his biggest moves, and rubbed elbows with the Kennedys, Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe - all while avoiding the likes of Eliot Ness and J. Edgar Hoover. But as he surveys the fruits of his labor, Sal also remembers the cost of staying above ground and out of prison. And all those decisions are about to catch up with him.” In the episode, we dive deep into the book and talk about: The characters and their backgrounds The process of mixing real history within a fictional novel following a single character The question of historical fiction versus non-fiction writing The writing process and getting published Weaving in real characters such as Al Capone, Tony Accardo, and even Eliot Ness Additionally, we dig deep into the real history behind ‘The Heights’ to discuss the real-life counterparts of some of the characters within the books. We discuss the origins of the Chicago Heights crew and how they eventually joined forces with Al Capone to become a part of the larger Chicago Outfit in the 1920's and beyond. We also discuss their exploits and their potential part in planning the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Mentioned in this episode are: Francesco Lipperatti (also known by the name “Frank LaPorte”) Vincenzo Ameratti (also known by the name “Jimmy Emery”) Dominico Roberto (also known by the name “Dominic Roberto”) These three men were the core leaders of the Chicago Heights crew in the 1920's that murdered their way to the top of Chicago Heights, formed partnerships with Al Capone and eventually were brought into the Chicago Outfit under Capone. They ran bootlegging in what Eliot Ness dubbed “the second wettest city in America” behind Cicero, Illinois, and provided shooters and brains whenever Capone needed them. These three men ran Chicago Heights for the Outfit from the 1920's into the early 1970's before the crew was taken over by younger (and more violent) elements of the family. Yet, their history and relative importance in the national crime syndicate is relatively unknown. Additional source: https://www.myalcaponemuseum.com/id193.htm

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.

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 to early retirement and the relocation of his family.  During his decades-long career as an undercover for the federal government, he successfully infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs, domestic and international terror organizations and the Mafia. Drawing from his service in law enforcement in various positions, Giovanni now shares his expertise with law enforcement, military and intelligence units worldwide. More recently, he has become the host of the show, “Inside the Life” along with co-host Dutch McAlpin, produced by The Mob Museum, where they give listeners a one-of-a-kind look into the inner world of organized crime, featuring guests who have lived on both sides of the law. In addition to his work as a subject matter expert and host of a successful YouTube show, Giovanni is also an author. He released his autobiography entitled, “Giovanni’s Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos” released in February of 2021. I’ll leave the link in the description of the episode, and if you’d like, you can get a signed copy from Giovanni himself. Definitely a must have book for your collection. Giovanni’s experiences have been featured in The Washington Times, the New York Post, and more.  This is his story in his own words. Episode chapters and timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:27 Opening Remarks 03:36 Interview Begins 04:38 Growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey 06:40 Influence of the Mafia in Bayonne 08:32 Giovanni's family and upbringing 12:09 The influence of violence and the draw of the streets 16:03 Going from "Black Sheep" to becoming a police officer 18:28 The importance of the law enforcement oath 21:06 Giovanni's early law enforcement career 24:09 Working in extremely violent areas of New Jersey 27:35 Dealing with fear on the job 29:56 Were neighborhoods safer when the mob was in control? 31:47 Becoming an undercover operative 33:26 Undercover work and the element of truth 37:10 Physical tells and how they may betray an undercover operative 39:38 Balancing relationships and family life with undercover work 45:55 Introducing Giovanni Gatto (the alter ego) 48:50 The art of evasiveness 50:45 'Operation Charlie Horse' begins 55:19 Meeting Luigi 'Lui the Dog' Oliveri, alleged made member of the DeCavalcante Crime Family 55:52 Getting an introduction to Charlie 'The Hat' Stango, Capo in the DeCavalcante Crime Family 57:08 Getting to know Charlie 'The Hat' Stango 59:06 How 'Operation Charlie Horse' progressed 01:00:00 The Mafia's approach to vetting Giovanni 01:04:35 Walking the legal line as an undercover 01:06:09 Facing dangerous situations as an undercover 01:08:20 Nearly getting caught by The DeCav's 01:13:10 Nearly getting caught, the infamous bridge story 01:16: 15 Nearly getting caught, the soccer game 01:17:12 The end of 'Operation Charlie Horse' 01:18:41 Giovanni gets a contract to kill 01:20:40 The leadership of the DeCavalcante Family during Giovanni's undercover work 01:21:58 The possibility of faking a 'hit' 01:24:40 Early retirement and beginning work with training and development for law enforcement and military personnel 01:32:45 Doing the 'Inside the Life' podcast for The Mob Museum 01:39:25 Closing remarks

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

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 in 1898 and the mystery surrounding both his real birthdate as well as the true names of his parents (2) De Lucia's involvement and conviction of multiple murders in Italy as part of an ongoing family feud, and his immigration to the United States in 1920 (while still a fugitive in Italy) (3) His original connections with key underworld players including Joseph "Diamond Joe" Esposito and Johnny "The Fox" Torrio, which led to his arrival in Chicago in the early 1920's (4) His introduction to major Chicago underworld figures including Frank Nitti and Al Capone as a manager at the Bella Napoli Restaurant (where he got his nickname) (5) His admission to the Al Capone organization and his subsequent rise through the ranks (6) His ascension to leadership of The Chicago Outfit after Capone was convicted of tax evasion in 1931 (7) Ricca's many arrests in the early 1930's with famous national syndicate figures including Meyer Lansky and Charles "Lucky" Luciano (8) Ricca's involvement in labor racketeering and his extortion of local Chicago unions (9) The infamous 1943 Hollywood Extortion trial, which led to Ricca's first major conviction and prison time (10) Ricca and The Outfit's possible involvement in the Frank Nitti suicide I hope you enjoy this episode!

"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 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 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 slayings during the "Hits" episodes, in this particular video we talk about the following gangland murders, related specifically to Teamsters Local 107: 1) John Gorey & Rita Yanda (1966) 2) Robert DeGeorge (1967) The murders of the three individuals above were among the most heinous and saddest that I've covered as part of this series, and shows the level of influence and control that the mob had in Local 107 at the time.

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, 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 & 2) Vincent and Richie Blaney in 1960 and 1961 3) Dominick "Reds" Caruso in 1962 4) Ferdinand “Blackie” Iacono in 1963 Future episodes will detail at least 7 additional hits that took place during the 1960's 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

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 Apalachin meeting 13:58 The Apalachin meeting gets raided by police 19:27 Law enforcement's previous suspicions of Barbara 26:32 The history behind Edgar Croswell's initial interest in Barbara 34:09 The "sick friend" excuse and real reasons for the meeting 38:18 Barbara's ill health and becoming a recluse 40:12 The law catches up with Barbara and his company 41:15 Barbara sells Canada Dry Bottling Company 41:55 Barbara sells famous estate 42:50 Barbara subpoenaed to testify in front of grand jury 43:40 Barbara indicted for tax evasion 44:34 Barbara's last public appearance 45:32 Barbara's death and funeral 51:10 Joseph Barbara's mob legacy 54:27 Closing remarks

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

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 leadership of what would become the Bufalino Crime Family Barbara's relationship to top Pittston mob leaders Santo Volpe, Russell Bufalino, Anthony F. Guarnieri, Emanuel Zicari, as well Pat and Sam Monachino Barbara's issues with the State Liquor Authority (SLA) that nearly drove him out of business in the early 1950's The 1956 meeting between Barbara, Joe Bonanno, Frank Garofolo, John Bonventre, and Carmine Galante in Binghamton, New York Part Three will cover the events leading up to the disastrous Apalachin meeting in 1957 and the fallout. Part One: https://youtu.be/NGHgoGlYOgw

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 involvement in the McCarthy investigations of the 1950's during the Cold War and Communism scares Cohn's eventual fall from grace after his misconduct was discovered and re-emergence as a private practice attorney Cohn's legal representation of various mobsters including John Gotti, Tony Salerno, and Carmine Galante Cohn's representation of various celebrities including Donald Trump Some of Cohn's brilliant and vicious tactics We debate Cohn's legacy and a top mob lawyer

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 called the Bufalino Crime Family) How we gets started in the rackets during the 1920s His relationship to top Pittston mob leaders Santo Volpe, Charles Bufalino (the uncle of Russell Bufalino), Angelo Polizzi, and more His involvement in up to four murders in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area in the early 1930s Additionally, we located a long-buried photo of a young Barbara that we do not believe has been widely surfaced. Part Two will cover his ascension to leadership within the Northeastern Pennsylvania & Southern New York Mafia, and of course the events leading up to and after the Apalachin meeting in 1957.

Join me as a make a significant announcement about the future of this show and discuss my plans for 2024 and beyond.

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 allegedly became Boss after Joseph Cerrito's death in 1978, that being Angelo Marino. We discuss: Recap of Cerrito era Angelo Marino's early years Salvatore Marino, Angelo's father The Marino's connection to the Pittsburgh LCN (John LaRocca) The Marino's connection to the Philadelphia LCN (The Maggio family) Angelo Marino's entry into the LCN and rise to Capo The founding of the California Cheese Company Angelo Marino's dissatisfaction with Joe Cerrito's leadership Angelo Marino's supposed rise to Boss The Marino vs. Figlia as Boss theory The 1977 Murder of Peter Catelli and the fallout Salvatore Marino Jr.'s involvement in the Catelli murder Angelo Marino's death in the early 1980's The decline of the Cerrito Crime Family Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMtMn1NTK3A

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 from Philadelphia to do so. From there, we also recap Bruno's underworld dealings leading up to his time as boss and his involvement as the top numbers man in Philadelphia during the 1950's and 1960's, as well as his illegitimate and legitimate business interests in several vending companies, the Maggio Cheese Company, and even companies down in Florida as well as an amusement park in the Dominican Republic. In the early 1960's, we cover the hierarchy of the family as well as a 1962 dispute between Bruno and his Underboss, Ignazio Denaro, which led to a major Commission beef. We also cover various arrests throughout the 1960's, some of which Bruno handled with great ease, and an extortion case from 1963 that caused Bruno to go on the lam to Italy and landed his trusted advisor Phil Testa in jail for over a year in the early 1960's. Once Bruno deals with the 1963 extortion case, which was taking place at the same time as the infamous Valachi Hearings, we walk you through the key members of the Philadelphia underworld and the various goings-on in the mid-to-late 1960's, including the death of Felix "Skinny Razor" DeTullio and the rise in Atlantic City of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo. Bruno closes out the 1960's hitting his stride in the Philly underworld, batting away cases with ease as the Bruno Crime Family significantly expands it's influence and wealth. By the end of the decade, Angel Bruno is ranked as one of the Top 6 Costa Nostra bosses nationally by a Justice Department report. We cover all of this, with a lot of details and amazing stories in between. Watch Part One: https://youtu.be/7CpCcc2e_Ls

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 players and scenarios. We briefly cover the mob's involvement in the election of the 35th president, and discuss his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, who was named Attorney General in the early 1960's, and who'd launched an all-out war on the American Mafia, spear-headed by advancements within the FBI focused on the outing Cosa Nostra in this country. Robert F. Kennedy's efforts led to significant increases in legal action against the Mafia across the United States, and put immense pressure on many of the mob's key players. We briefly touch on the findings of the 1964 Warren Commission, and then dive into the wiretaps, first sharing more well-known stories, but then sharing lesser-known conversations. Mobsters mentioned in this episode include: Carlos Marcello Santo Trafficante, Jr. Sam Giancana Charles "Chuckie" English Tony Accardo Jackie Cerone Dominic "Butch" Blasi Stefano Magaddino Peter Magaddino Antonio Magaddino Sam Rangatore Fred Randaccio Anthony DeStafano Carlo Gambino Carmine Lombardozzi Mike Scandifia Peter "Petey Pumps" Ferrara Michelino "Big Mike" Clemente Angelo Bruno Charles "Pinky" Costello Salvatore Maggio Peter Maggio Mario Maggio Willie Weisburg Morris Schlitten Joe Magliocco Sal Profaci Joe Biondo Joseph Riccobono Joseph Valachi Russell Bufalino Others mentioned: Ed Becker Frank Ragano James Riddle Hoffa Jack Ruby Lee Harvey Oswald Frank Sinatra Michael Fiorito John D'Arco Anthony DeTolve Madeline Costello Selwyn Raab Ben Golub Harry Zimand So it’s clear that they, the Mafia, had the means and the motive to commit the crime. But did they actually play a part in it? My personal opinion is that maybe they were the primary executioners, but we’d be naïve to believe that they played no part at all. That being said, we may never actually know the truth until the government releases every single record, many of which are still classified to this day, about the plot. Until then, I’ll let you decide.

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 growing up within a mob-connected family Stories about Jeff's grandfather including the infamous beach story, the story of his mom borrowing his grandfather's car, and much more When he realized his family was a part of the mob in Providence His cousin, Joseph "Joe" Badway, who was an alleged associate of the Patriarca family What is was like growing up Providence during the turbulent 1980's and early 1990's How the darker side of the mob lifestyle affected his family We also cover: Jeff's initial entry into crime and how things escalated for him When Jeff was arrested, informed on by several of his counterparts, and nearly sent to a long prison stretch The background of Jeff's personal stance on government informants (aka "rats") Turning his life around and starting Mob Talk Radio, which is now a decade old Turning Mob Talk Radio into a success and a viable business -How Jeff developed relationships with alleged wiseguys in Philadelphia and New York How he became a member of several social clubs What's coming next for Jeff and the future of Mob Talk Radio