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Private Notes
A profile of Jack Ruby (1911-1967), the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald two days after the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Included: a discussion of his possible motives for the murder.
Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana (1908-75) is profiled.
Profiling Louis "Lepke" Buchalter (1897-1944), who became a crime boss in the New York City underworld by controlling the garment industry. He was convicted of murder in 1941 and died in the electric chair.
A profile of Sammy "the Bull" Gravano, the admitted mob underboss who testified against John Gotti, the head of the Gambino crime family in New York City, in the early 1990s.
A profile of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-47) chronicles his rise to fame, including his role in building Las Vegas.
A profile of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa, who disappeared in 1975. Included: remarks by his daughter Barbara Crancer and biographer Arthur Sloane.
The Genovese crime family is the subject.
A profile of Frank Costello includes an interview with Anthony Quinn. Frank Costello sees himself as a businessman, preferring diplomacy to violence.
Joseph Valachi is the first syndicate member to testify against the Cosa Nostra and reveal its inner workings.
Financial wizard Meyer Lansky survives some 50 years in organized crime.
A profile of Al Capone, who was Chicago's gangland kingpin in the '20s but was cut down by the IRS in 1931 and spent eight years in Alcatraz.
Vincent Gigante attempts to convince the world that he is legally insane.
Mafia crime boss Joseph Bonanno outlives enemies and publishes his memoirs.
A profile of New York's Gambino crime family examines the rise of its founder, Carlo Gambino, and that of his successors, Paul Castellano and John Gotti.
Mobster Henry Hill's testimony brings down some of New York's most feared criminals. The mobster-turned-informant Henry Hill, who was portrayed by actor Ray Liotta in the 1990 film "Goodfellas."
A profile of Charles "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962), a mob figure in 1930s New York. Salvatore "Lucky" Luciano creates Murder Inc. and makes millions in racketeering and prostitution.
Fugitive James "Whitey" Bulger is profiled. He rose to become a gangster in South Boston, became an informant for the FBI to end the Italian mob in, distract them from his own criminal activities and ended in the largest informant scandal in FBI history.
The story of Murder, Inc., a 1930s organized-crime group whose members were mob enforcers. Murder, Inc. was a ruthless gang that carried out an estimate 1,000 mob hits. founded by Meyer Lansky and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, they were assassins that carried out contract killings for the Itailian American, Jewish American mafia, and others
Gaetano 'Tommy' Lucchese, a mob figure in 1930s New York, is profiled. He was one of the most successful and notorious members of the Italian-American Mafia. During Tommy's tenure as underboss and boss of what would come to be known as the Lucchese crime family, he pioneered and perfected labor rackets in New York City's kosher chicken industry, the garment district, and the world of professional boxing which generated millions of dollars.
Paul Castellano, a New York mob boss who was murdered in 1985. Disliked, and distrusted by members of his own crime family, the Gambino crime family, he still rose to be the head of that crime family, however under controversial and disagreeable circumstances.
The fifth child of 13 children, John Joseph Gotti Jr was born on 27th October 1940 in the South Bronx. From a very young age, Gotti made a name for himself in the neighbourhood as the leader of the Fulton-Rockaway Boys, a group of young thugs. Gotti soon became 'capo' of the East New York Crew. After a violent coup he went on to take the leadership position of the Gambino Crime family. All of these events would set Gotti on the path to becoming one of the most well-known figures in Mafia history. Gotti's legendary fashion flair made him an interesting character. His rough cunning made his fellow mafiosi respect him. Gotti's volatile temper made them and others fear him.
Carlos Marcello grew up in the mysterious milieu of New Orleans in the early 20th Century to become the city's mafia boss for almost four decades. Despite his modest beginnings, Carlos joined the mafia at age 26 and quickly climbed in the ranks, aided by success in illegal gambling ventures and a talent for making effective payoffs to public officials. In 1947, Marcello became the longtime boss of New Orleans in a reign marked by absolute power, corruption, and antagonism of the U.S. government. At his height he would be revered as possibly the most powerful mob leader in the nation. One day Congress would even suspect Marcello of participating in a conspiracy to kill the President to of the United States.
Heroin kingpin Frank Lucas dominated the Harlem drug market from 1968 to 1975, before being busted for conspiracy to distribute heroin and serving 5 year of his 70-year sentence.
In this shocking episode of mobsters, we deal with the brutal drug trade which flourished during the 1950s and 1960s, typified by the violent yet hugely interesting figure of the 'Santo Traficante'; literally, the saintly or sacred drug dealer.
Mickey Cohen became the king of West Coast mob rackets in 1947, following Bugsy Siegel's death.
Las Vegas mobster Tony Spilotro is profiled. Tony Spilotro made his name in Chicago's most powerful organized crime family and was given control of the gang's casino interests in Las Vegas.
Women with mob ties are profiled. Recounts the roles female mobsters Virginia Hill, Arlyne Brickman, and Karen Hill all played in their mafia lifestyles.
Philadelphia mob boss Nicodemo Scarfo, known as "Little Nicky." His paranoia, volatility and treachery ultimately lead to his demise.
After Roy Albert DeMeo was brought into the Gambino family as an associate, he became the mastermind behind a gang thought to be responsible for up to 200 murders.
Profile of New York gangster Joey Gallo, who was a member of the Colombian crime family, and initiated one of the bloodiest Mob conflicts in history
A group of ruthless Irish punks called the ``Westies'' terrorize Hell's Kitchen in New York City in the the 1970s.
Notorious, heroin kingpin, Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, went from organizing one of the most powerful African-American heroin rings in New York to a government informant. Out of spite, Barnes turned on his fellow associates and destroyed the drug trafficking empire he took so long to build.
Exploring the crimes of Frank Nitti, who ran Al Capone's crime syndicate when the Mob boss was incarcerated
This mobster rose from a foot soldier in Al Capone's Chicago "Outfit" to eventual boss of the notorious gang. Under Tony Accardo's leadership, off-and-on for nearly fifty years, the "Outfit" prospered through numerous illegal rackets including gambling, prostitution and extortion.
This episode explores six of the most notorious mafia killings of all time and the everlasting effects these murders had on organized crime. From the Castellammarese War in the late 1920's to the assassination of the Boss of Bosses, Paul Castellano, in 1985, we'll go deep inside the most infamous mafia power struggles in American history. The program delves into the relationships of greedy, power hungry Mafiosi, exploring their conflicts, and illustrating their bloody resolutions. From Maranzano to Masseria, Dutch Shultz to Bugsy Siegel, the outcome is always the same... murder.
In the 1980s, New York City cops Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were secretly working as hired guns for the Mafia in a scheme that would go down as the worst case of police corruption in NYPD history.
Fashioning himself a modern-day Celtic warrior, 1970's Irish mobster Danny Greene clashed with the Cleveland mafia, resulting in a bombing war that would eventually destroy them both.
As leader of Murder, Inc., Albert Anastasia was one of the most vicious and feared mob bosses of the twentieth century.
Tommy Pitera became one of the most violent men of all time in the 1980's; betrayal brought the mob killer to justice.
During the 1970s, Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso rose through the ranks of the New York Mafia to become underboss of the Lucchese family, raking in millions of dollars through elaborate scams and killing anyone who got in his way.
After New York's Bonanno mob family was nearly destroyed by an undercover FBI agent, Joseph "Big Joey" Massino brought them back to prominence and became the only major Mafia boss left on the streets...the "Last Don."
Gun-for-hire Joe "Mad Dog" Sullivan tries to hide his criminal activities from his family.
Frank Calabrese Jr., son of mobster Frank Calabrese, flipped against his father, and nearly brought down the vaunted Chicago Outfit.
One of the most violent and outrageous characters in mob history, "Mad Sam" DeStefano lived up to his moniker throughout a three-decade reign as a juice loan lender and sadistic enforcer with the notorious Chicago Outfit.
Dutch Schultz ruled the numbers rackets until mob bosses ordered his murder.
Richard Kuklinski lived a shocking double life; suburban husband and father at home, and brutal contract killer on the streets.
Carmine Persico stands as one of most enduring Godfathers in mafia history.
Gregory Scarpa lived a charmed triple life; mafia hit man, loving father and husband, and secret FBI informant.
Jimmy Burke was one of the most prolific mob earners in New York history.
