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

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 Event...

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
• ...

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 withi...

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
• Co...

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 int...

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 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 taki...

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 196...

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&#...

In this episode, we cover 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.

My research will show that this particular LCN family was likely the most risk-averse and least-aggressive family...

In this video, we cover Angelo Bruno, the man known as the "Docile Don" and/or "Gentle Don" who ruled over the Philadelphia underworld as the city's Cosa Nostra don from around 1959 until his murder in 1980. Bruno presided over one of the most, relatively speaking, peaceful eras of the Philly mafia.

In this video, we cover:

• Bruno's birth in Villalba, Sicily (and his original surname of Annaloro)
• T...

In today's episode, I do my first-ever interview with author Sam Carlino, who is is in fact the Grandson of the infamous Colorado gangster Pete Carlino, dubbed in the late 1920's as the "The Al Capone of Southern Colorado" by the local media. The Carlino brothers (Pete and Sam) established a bootlegging empire beginning around 1916 until 1931 when they were murdered by rivals. We discuss the following:

• In...

We cover the era of the Smaldone brothers including Clyde Smaldone, Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone, and Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone. 

We dive into the history behind this family which ran most of the rackets in and around Denver, Colorado throughout the 1930’s through the 1980’s. 

We’re also going to touch on their connection to the Mafia in Pueblo, Colorado, and discuss some of the players in that family as well.

...

The first episode of a two-part series on the organization that would later become known as the Smaldone Crime Family, which ran organized crime in Denver and much of Colorado during the 20th century.  

We tell the story of the early days of organized crime in Colorado, how the area’s Mafia got its start, the bloody strife during the 1920’s and early 30’s, and how that strife ultimately led to what became known as the Smaldone...

In this episode, we explore the first and second Gallo Wars (also dubbed the Profaci and Colombo family wars) in an effort to solve the question of whether the alleged incident in which Aniello "Mr. Neil" Dellacroce was severely beaten by Joey Gallo during the original Profaci-Gallo conflict in 1961.  

Additionally, we provide a blow-by-blow of some of the key events related to both Gallo Wars, as well as analysis related to t...

In this episode, we tell the story of a man who once had a blossoming career as a professional ballplayer, and how he became a vicious and respected hitman for the Patriarca Crime Family.  

Maurice "Pro" Lerner grew up in Massachusetts and at just 18 years old, he signed his first professional baseball contract with the Washington Senators. He would go on to spend 10 years in the minor leagues, compiling a career batting avera...

In today’s episode, the second of a two-part series, we’re finally branching outside of New York to cover Raymond L.S. Patriarca, one of the most feared and respected bosses in the history of the American Cosa Nostra.  

Raimondo "Raymond" Loredo Salvatore Patriarca was boss over the New England area for over 30 years (1952-1984). Basing his family's operations in Providence, Rhode Island, Patriarca was one of the most feared a...

In today’s episode, the first of a two-part series, we’re finally branching outside of New York to cover Raymond L.S. Patriarca, one of the most feared and respected bosses in the history of the American Cosa Nostra.

Raimondo "Raymond" Loredo Salvatore Patriarca was boss over the New England area for over 30 years (1952-1984). Basing his family's operations in Providence, Rhode Island, Patriarca was one of the most feared and respe...