Mafia

Dutch Schultz continues his feud with Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll. The reign of violence puts the mafia in a delicate position when it gains the attention of an ambitious new prosecutor named Thomas Dewey. His friends dwindling as he betrays and kills them, and the mob unable to cope with his recklessness, Schultz finds himself into dangerous territory that ultimately leads to his downfall. This episode is sponsored by Hims, Zip Recruiter, and Dollar Shave Club. Music is by Kevin MacLeod and FreeSFX.co.uk.

Prohibition was a time that allowed those outside of the law to thrive, as rival bootlegging businesses were set up by mafia members all over the world. In the heart of New York's gangland was Dutch Schultz, a student of the old world thuggery, and a man with an exceptional taste for violence. Not even his closest friends were safe from his bloodlust. As Dutch tried to make his way up the mafia ladder by muscling into territory, he came up against the likes of Arnold Rothstein, Vincent Coll, and his arch-rival – Charles "Lucky" Luciano – as well as the rest of the mob. And Dutch's preference for outspoken violence would lead to his downfall. This episode is sponsored by The Black Tux, Shipstation, and Dollar Shave Club. Music is by Kevin MacLeod and Kai Engel

From the poor streets of downtown New York, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel worked his way up through the mafia and through Hollywood. And then he set his sights on Las Vegas. Siegel bought what is now the Strip, determined to make a luxurious casino resort where people would have fun as they were parted from their money. The mafia funded the wayward project, and Siegel was ready to bask at the top of the mob with a glamorous lifestyle – until he crossed a line, and the mob had no choice but to take him out. This episode is sponsored by Dollar Shave Club and ZipRecruiter. Music is by Kevin MacLeod, Rafael Archangel, Damiano Baldoni, and Kai Engel

When Charles Luciano organized the mob and decided that money didn't care what your ethnicity was, it was the chance for Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel to prove his worth. With ambition as big as Las Vegas and a temper to boot, Siegel made his way to the top through charm, hustle, and murder. And Sigel's tendency to violence would take him from the poor streets of Downtown New York City to the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood, and beyond. This episode is sponsored by Hims. Music is by Kai Engel, Kevin Macleod, Chris Zabriskie, Rafael Archangel, and Kosta T.

Joe Pistone continues his story of spending six years undercover as the gangster Donnie Brasco. With the help from the FBI and other undercover agents, Pistone spread his own influence and string operation beyond New York, to Wisconsin and Florida. As Brasco continued to make his way up the mafia hierarchy, he grew increasingly close to Sonny Black Napolitano, gaining his trust and friendship. But things came to a head when Napolitano proposed for Brasco to become a full-fledged mafioso – requiring that he do something that the FBI couldn't condone: murder.

In the 1970s, penetrating the mob hierarchy was considered too difficult and too dangerous. But when the infamous five families became involved in a series of car hijackings, veteran agent Joe Pistone of the FBI volunteered to go undercover. What he didn't know was that he would be undercover for six years. In this episode, hear the story from Joe Pistone himself and all the tools and tricks to survival as he navigated the mob as the most successful mafia undercover agent of all time, under the guise of a diamond thief named Donnie Brasco. This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.

When last we met John Gotti, he had taken the media by storm, posing for the camera as a glamorous mafioso. Meanwhile, he had taken over the Gambino family by treacherous means: lying and murdering his way to the top. In part 2, Gotti earns his nickname, "TheTeflon Don," beating every case brought up against him . . . until the FBI teamed up with a surveillance squad. Hear from squad leaders and historians tell the harrowing tale of danger, betrayal, and sharp detective work, and the mission that finally brought Gotti down.

In the 1980s, one man became the face of the Mafia. The most famous gangster since Al Capone. Through murder, deception, and pure luck, John Gotti worked his way up the mob ladder. But Gotti was best known for flaunting his status, enticing the media, and attracting the attention of the press – the press that gave him the name "The Teflon Don." This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron and Casper.

The story continues about Charles “Lucky” Luciano, who made the Mob a highly sophisticated criminal empire. From night clubs to brothels, Luciano’s Mob spread its tentacles into every part of American society, earning billions . . . and a reputation. Meanwhile, the FBI had declared war on organized crime, and the prosecution took the form of Thomas E. Dewey. In Part 2, we’ll discover how Luciano was finally put behind bars, until the outbreak of World War 2 played a part in his escape from justice. This episode is sponsored by Hims and Casper.

In the 1920s, at the height of prohibition, the intelligent, ruthless, and visionary, Charles “Lucky” Luciano forever transformed the Mob from warring street gangs into a highly sophisticated criminal empire. By the time Luciano was finished, the Mob was bigger than General Motors, and he had fully organized crime into a booming business. In Part 1, we explore the early childhood of Luciano, his making in the mob, and his making of the mob. This episode is sponsored by Audible and Blue Apron.

In the previous episode, we explored the early days of one of the most flamboyant and dangerous mafia bosses of all time, Sam Giancana, and heard from those who strived to bring him to justice. We discovered how he helped get JFK elected to president. hat he made clandestine deals with the CIA to assassinate Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, all in the expectation that his criminal activities would be overlooked by the authorities. But that didn’t happen – far from leaving Giancana alone, Bobby Kennedy was now on a mission to bring down organized crime. So, with Giancana feeling double-crossed by the Kennedy’s, could he have been behind the most infamous assassination in modern history? This episode is sponsored by Hims and Blue Apron.

Welcome to Mafia, a look into America’s criminal underworld. In the debut episode, Fleet Cooper tells the story of one of the most powerful, flamboyant and dangerous mafia bosses of all time, Sam Giancana. Sam Giancana was utterly ruthless and willing to do anything in his pursuit of power. But unlike most mobsters, he didn’t live his life in the shadows. He had a beautiful showbiz girlfriend. He was even pals with singer Frank Sinatra. Sam Giancana’s influence reached the highest echelons of American politics from helping John F. Kennedy to defeat Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential election to assisting in the CIA’s darkest operations in Cuba. Under his reign, the mob and politics were combined with deadly results. This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron and Empty Frames.

Launching February 7th is a new podcast that explores the underworld of American organized crime and the stories behind the rise and fall of the most notorious mobsters in history.