The Black Hand: An Organized Crime History Podcast

Send a text On part 2 of Episode 63 we finish up our look into Frank Hague. Last week, we talked about Hague's rise to power, that saw him literally change the political landscape of not only Jersey City, but the region of Jersey that it occupied as whole. As Hague cemented a nearly autocratic regime as Mayor in the city. But this week, we'll talk about what he did with that power during...

Send a text On part 1 of Episode 63, we delve into the story of Frank Hague. The former mayor of Jersey City, who would form one of the most powerful and corrupt local government regimes in the entire United States. Including how he started out as a constable, with backing from a local political boss, and using his cunning and treachery to rise through the ranks of government. From being the Chief...

Send a text On part 2 of Episode 62, we finish up our look into the history of Organized Crime in Papua New Guinea. By talking about 4 main topics that feed the country's crime problem today. Including human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal logging, and the proliferation or foreign organized crime groups. all of which seem to really feed into each other, causing a cycle of crime. As dru...

Send a text On part 1 of Episode 62 we delve into the history of organized crime in Papua New Guinea. A country that, since gaining it's independence in 1975 has fallen victim to almost all forms of criminality. Becoming one of the most dangerous places in the world at the same time. Specifically, on today's show, we'll talk about the background of the country that led to the crimin...

Send a text On Episode 61, We delve into the story of Bobby Shmurda and GS9. A crew born out of strife in the local underworld, following the death of a gang member who was a close friend of many future GS9 members. Which forced local youths to come together for protection, leading to the formation of GS9. Which would house G Stone 90 crips, 823 G Stone crips, members of 1090, and sets of the Bloo...

Send a text On Episode 60, We delve into the story of the so called Banana War. A conflict that arose in the Bonanno crime family from 1965 until 1969, and would see the murders of at least 14 mobsters, as well as numerous unsuccessful attempts. It split the family into two factions, one led by the incumbent Joe Bonnano and his son Bill. And the other, led by a former top Capo in the Bonnano regim...

Send a text On Episode 59 we delve into the life of Waxey Gordon, one of the biggest and most influential bootleggers of the prohibition era in America. He made his bones as a union buster and racketeer under New York heavyweights like Benny Fein and Jack Zelig. Before he met his mentor, Arnold Rothstein, who would end up giving him and Max Greenburg the loan that put them in business. Giving rise...

Send a text On Part 9 of Episode 57, we finish up our look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Last week, we talked about the complete history of the Compton Executioners. But on today's show we'll be talking about a couple different things. We'll talk about some lesser known groups in the LASD that I haven't touched on so far, due to the fact that t...

Send a text On Part 8 of Episode 57, we continue our look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Last week, we finished up our look into the Banditos, which is likely the most pervasive deputy gang still active today. But on today's show, we'll talk about the complete history of the Compton Executioners, which is one of, if not the biggest deputy gang still opera...

Send a text On Part 7 of Episode 57, we continue our look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Last week, we talked about the rise of the Banditos in the East L.A. Station , their take over of the station, and how it allowed them to abuse their co-workers. But on today's show, we'll talk about their reign of terror over the communities of East Los Angeles, as w...

Send a text On Part 6 of Episode 57, we continue our look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Last time, we talked about the run of 2 incredibly violent gangs, in the Spartans and Jump Out Boys. But on today's show, we once again have to go back to the East Los Angeles Station, the home of the Banditos, the most recent gang to operate out of the station, and easily...

Send a text On Part 5 of Episode 57, we continue our look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, last time, we talked about the takeover of Deputy Gangs within the L.A. County jail system by the 2000 and 3000 Boys. But on today's show, we'll be talking about what i like to call the 3rd generation of deputy gangs, that would succeed the 2nd generation gangs, like...

Send a text On Episode 58, I Interview Aiden Gabor, a former associate of the New Jersey Based DeCavalcante Crime Family, police officer, and informant for the Department of Justice, who would bring down numerous corrupt public officials, including a head of detectives, a police commissioner, and even a mayor, but more then that, his story is one of redemption thats incredibly unique. and while we...

Send a text On Part 4 of Episode 57, we continue or look into deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, last week we talked about the rise of the Century Station Regulators, and how they led a new generation of deputy gangs that preceded the fist generation gangs, like the Lynwood Vikings. But on today's show, we're gonna be talking  about an entirely different breed of...

Send a text On Part 3 of Episode 57, we continue our look into the history of deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, last week we talked about Franky Carrillo's fight for justice against the Lynwood Vikings, as well as their deep deeded corruption, that allowed them to abuse and harass department members all the way up and down the chain of command, But this week, we'...

Send a text On Part 2 of Episode 57, we continue our look into the history of Deputy gangs in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, last week we talked about the rise of the first deputy gangs in the department, the culture that this created in the department, and how the Lynwood Vikings rose to prominence and carried it on, leading to a multi million dollar lawsuit being filed by the victims...

Send a text On Part 1 of Episode 57, we delve into the formation and early history of deputy gangs in the L.A County Sheriff's Department, including the culture within the Sheriff's department that allowed the formation of these groups to start, the very first deputy gangs to form up in the 1970's, like the Little Devils and Cavemen, who crafted the idea of what a deputy gang was, a...

Send a text On Episode 56, we delve into the story of gangland involvement in the lives and murders of both Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., we'll talk about their backgrounds, and how they both were put in a position to headline the most notorious rap feud of all time, their rise to the top, that would see Tupac turn into somewhat of a wannabe gangster, catching charges left and right,...

Send a text On Episode 55, we delve into the life of infamous Colombian drug lord, Griselda Blanco, she came up hard on the streets of Medellin, running away from home and allegedly committing her first murder at just 11 years old, eventually moving to Queens New York, where she started building her drug empire, currying favor in what would eventually become the Medellin Cartel, but following an a...

Send a text On Episode 54, We delve into the history of the Giannini Crew, a mob farm team closely connected to the Bonnano family that ran the streets of Queens throughout the 70's, 80's, and to a lesser extent, the 90's, they were a group of young, rough and tumble, Sicilian American youths, most of whom were the sons and nephews of older mobsters who made their name through heroi...

Send a text On Episode 53, we delve into the complete true story behind The Wire, one of the greatest TV shows of all time, let alone in the crime genre, we'll be covering the real life inspiration behind not only the shows famed drug dealers, but also those of the police, the politicians, and one very famous stick up boy, more then that, we'll also talk about how the show came to be in...

Send a text On Part 2 of Episode 52, we finish up our look into the Latin Kings, last week we talked about the formation of the gang, how it came to prominence, and how it evolved under new leadership, but this week, we talk about the spread  of the Latin Kings across the United States, as well as their evolution to a transnational organization, attempted law enforcement crackdowns on the gang, an...

Send a text On Part 1 of Episode 52, we delve into the history of the Latin Kings, one of the largest Latino and Caribbean street gangs in the world, and today we'll be talking about the formation of the gang, including how a group of youth gangs came together in the mid 1950's to create the Kings, how they spread into almost every area of Chicago under their founder Ramon Santos, and ho...

Send a text On Episode 51, we delve into the story of Agha Hasan Abedi and The Bank Of Credit and Commerce International, which has been described as one of the biggest banking scandals in history, including fraud and money laundering. at it's height, BCCI collected more than $20 billion dollars in deposits, and a good case can be made, that in effect, all of that money was collected fraudule...

Send a text On Episode 50, We delve into the History of the Genovese Family's New Jersey faction, a sub-group within the family that would go on to include some of their most powerful members, they were deeply embedded in the family's history from the beginning, getting their start under early boss Joe Masseria, but it was members like Willie Moretti, Richie Boiardo, and Gerardo Catena,...