Secret Societies

In East LA, a group of deputies named the Banditos stand accused of running the sheriff’s substation like a gang, institutionalizing a culture of fear and retaliation. And while they’re intimidating civilians and colleagues alike, they may be protected by the very top of the department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Compton Executioners allegedly control every aspect of life at the LASD Compton substation. Gang members have been accused of assaulting fellow deputies and even killing civilians, claiming, often without evidence, that they were acting in self-defense. And although they’ve faced several lawsuits, somehow, the Executioners have evaded prosecution — and any accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the 1850s, Los Angeles was one of the most dangerous places to live in the West. Extrajudicial killings, unchecked racial violence, and vigilante groups like the Los Angeles Rangers prevailed. This “Wild West” culture seeped into and was propagated by the Sheriff’s Department — and it hasn't gone away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The community of Lennox in Los Angeles is just one square mile, but it has an enormous problem. Alongside violent gang activity, there’s a secret organization adding terror to the neighborhood. Their symbol? The Grim Reaper. Their ranks? Los Angeles sheriff's deputies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deputy gangs have been embedded in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since 1971. In the first of our five-part collaboration with Parcast series Kingpins, we delve into the earliest of these violent gangs that shaped the current culture within the LASD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The group staged a violent uprising in 1900, determined to rid Imperial China of foreign influence. It later became known as the Boxer Rebellion. Western diplomats and Chinese Christians were forced to defend themselves against the militants, while an international alliance moved to counter-attack… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late 1800s, groups of working-class Chinese citizens became frustrated by their dire economic straits and the rampant Western influence over their country. They formed a revolutionary secret society, and resolved to reclaim China for themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1919, the Thule Society led a revolt against the communist government that had taken control of Munich. In the shaky political aftermath, Thulists joined a new fascist political party, and influenced a burgeoning dictator: Adolph Hitler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before there were the Nazis, the Thule Society sprang up as a secret order dedicated to Aryan superiority. Followers of Thule believed the future of Germany lay in returning to the past and practicing the magic of the old Norse gods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the dawn of the internet, the ONA and it's non-religious counterpart, the Dreccian Way, have exploded across the world. Dozens of white-supremacist groups have adopted the ONA's messages, with deadly results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First founded by a mysterious figure in the 1960s, the O.N.A. has made it their mission to use black magic to create their white supremacist dreamworld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the mid-1800s, the Camorra utilized a time of great political turmoil to raise their stature. But when an Italian minister realizes how much they've infiltrated into Neapolitan society, he begins a war against them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early 1800s, a secret society of criminals known as the Camorra formed in the jails of Naples. Once released, they became pivotal players in the Italian struggle for independence from the Bourbon Regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since they were first founded, the Freemasons' secretive nature gave rise to rumors and conspiracy theories: According to some, Freemasons worship the devil, have a headquarters under the Denver airport, and are planning to rise up and establish a dystopian New World Order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With ties back to the stonemason lodges of the Middle Ages, Freemasons just might be the world's oldest secret society—or as they say, society with secrets. Their arcane rituals, esoteric symbols, and celebrity membership have attracted members—and critics—for hundreds of years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Membership in the Order of the Odd Fellows dwindled after the Great Depression, making it hard for the society to keep their sordid past a secret—like how the Order may have been involved with one of the most notorious murder cases in history. Meanwhile, skeletons are literally falling out of abandoned Lodge closets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dating back as far as 79 C.E., the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows is a society built on charitable efforts. Yet behind closed doors, the Order has dark secrets and rituals that are closely guarded by members to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NYPD Detective Joe Petrosino, an Italian immigrant and master of disguise, led the charge against the Black Hand. When a backlash arose against ALL Italian-Americans, his fight to protect his community transformed into a battle against bigotry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the turn of the 20th century, a criminal group began terrorizing New York’s Italian immigrant population. The Black Hand was insidious, but Detective Joe Petrosino—aka “the Italian Sherlock Holmes”—fought for justice, with a task force known as “the Mysterious Six.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Sicily, the Cosa Nostra acted like a shadow government, controlling local lawmakers, priests, and law enforcement. They ruled the island until the 1980s, when a brave group of magistrates finally put the mafia on trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices