The Black Hand: An Organized Crime History Podcast

Send a text On Episode 49, we delve into the life of Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, one of the most notorious Chinese gangsters in US history, who ran San Francisco's Chinatown, he came up as a member of a juvenile Chinatown gang known as the Hop Sing Boys, evantually becoming a higher up, giving him the platform to become the second in command of the Wo Hop To Triad, and after he serve...

Send a text On Episode 48, we delve into the life of Manuel Noriega, a former Panamanian dictator, politician, and military officer, who served as the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989, more than that however, Noriega would amass a personal fortune through his drug trafficking operations, and even traded arms on behalf of the United States during the Iran-Contra affair, granting him longs...

Send a text On Part 2 of Episode 47, We finish up our dive into the world of organized crime in the Golden Triangle region, last week, we covered the extensive drug cultivation and trafficking that happens in the region, but this week,, we'll delve into the other rackets being carried out in the region that serve to prop up the criminal economy of the Golden Triangle, like the illegal gem tra...

Send a text On Part 1 of Episode 47, We delve into the history of drug production and trafficking in the Southeast Asian Region known as the Golden Triangle, we'll talk about the history of how opium cultivation started in the region, how it became profitable, the rise of militia's in the area's drug trafficking, and even the story of one of the regions most notorious drug lords, Kh...

Send a text On Episode 46, We delve into the life of Carlo Gambino, former boss of the Gambino family for nearly 20 years,  he came up working for both the D'Aquila and Masseria mob organizations, before being made a capo in the Mangano family, following the creation of the 5 families, he continued to garner power, becoming Albert Anastasia's consigliere, then underboss, before Gambino t...

Send a text On Episode 45, we delve into the story of the Pizza Connection, one of the biggest drug trafficking rings to ever hit the US,  but it would really touch almost every part of the globe,  it would see Asian morphine processed into heroin in Italian labs, by French scientists, before being smuggled into the US, while Colombian cocaine was also brought in as part of the connection, and in...

Send a text On Episode 44, we delve into the history of MS-13, really one of the most notorious Latino gangs in the US and possibly even the world,   and though they got their start in Los Angeles in the mid to late 1970's as a group of satanic stoners, they have since been able to foster a considerable presence in the US, and have essentially taken over El Salvador and other parts of Central...

Send a text On Episode 43, we delve into the Rap Feud turned deadly street conflict between Memphis rappers Yo Gotti and Young Dolph, they both came up with connections to the notorious Memphis gang scene, and when they collided at the peak of their careers, it would create a story that culminated in diss tracks, shot up SUV's, attempted hits, and multiple bodies, we also take a look at the l...

Send a text On Episode 42, we delve into the life of Joseph Massino, former boss of the Bonnano family from 1991 until 2004, he rose quickly through the family under the tutelage of Philip "Rusty" Rastelli, and by 1981 was really running the family on his behalf, and over the course of his tenure, Massino would prove to be one of the last great mob bosses of the 20th Century, I hope ever...

Send a text On Part 2 of Episode 41, we talk about the reign of Joseph Zerilli, which would act as a gold age for the family, how the Tocco dynasty retook the throne, and how the Giacolone dynasty finally reached the top, I hope everyone enjoys today's episode and tunes back in next week for Episode 42. PLEASE give us a follow on our socials- Instagram and Twitter: @theblackhandpod Sources: B...

Send a text On Part 1 of Episode 41, we delve into the formation and early history of the Detroit Partnership,  it all started in the late 19th century with a man named Pietro Mirabile, and after about 50 years, multiple gangland conflicts, and  several power shifts in Detroit, the family would gain some organization with the rise of a man named William Tocco, I hope everyone enjoys todays episode...

Send a text On Episode 40, we delve into the story of Sergeant Wayne Jenkins and The Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force, one of the most corrupt police units possibly to ever have run the streets, before being put in charge of the task force, Jenkins regularly engaged in police brutality, the robbing of citizens, and running drugs on the side, and when he was put in charge of the unit, he and his coll...

Send a text On Episode 39 we delve into life of "Cadillac" Frank Salemme, former boss of the Patriarca Family, who came up as a high end enforcer and evantually wager war on the family's old guard, but his true claim to fame is that despite the fact that he was only half Italian, he still managed to rise to the upper echelons of organized crime, I hope everybody enjoys today's...

Send a text On Episode 38 we delve into the life of John "White Devil" Willis, a white guy from Dorchester Massachusetts that became a high ranking member of Boston's Chinese mob, before building a drug trafficking network that would be his downfall, i hope everybody enjoys today's episode and tunes back in next week for Episode 39 PLEASE give us a follow on our socials-  Insta...

Send a text On Episode 37, we delve into the history of The Philadelphia Black mafia, one of/ if not the most successful African American crime syndicate of it's time, and possibly ever, and even though they started as a small criminal collective, by their height of operations in the early 70's until the early 80's, they managed to consolidate power in a huge portion of Philadelphia...

Send a text On Episode 36, we delve into the life of former Gambino family boss Albert Anastasia, by his 20's he had hooked up with Lucky Luciano, which would lead to him becoming one of the preeminent waterfront bosses of his time, as well as the architect behind Murder Inc, the enforcement wing of Luciano's National Crime syndicate, which boosted his rise to eventual boss of what would...

Send a text On Episode 35, we delve into the life of Paul Le Roux, one of few true crime bosses of the 2000's, and really one of the most diverse of all time, he got his start selling porn, and before long started a semi-legal online drug trafficking network, launching his career in arms trafficking, money laundering, and full scale illegal drug trafficking, I hope everybody enjoys today&apos...

Send a text On Episode 34, we delve into the story of the Cowboy Mafia, a group of marijuana traffickers who operated one of the most successful smuggling rings in Texas during the 1970's while being bankrolled by a multi-millionaire named Rex Cauble, I hope everybody enjoys today's episode and tunes back in next week for Episode 35 PLEASE follow us a follow on our socials- Instagram and...

Send a text On Episode 33, the first show of Season 2,  i wanted to take a break from the biographies and and just take a stab at an interesting concept, and essentially build my Mafia dream team, I'll be picking one boss, underboss, and consigliere, as well as a collection of 4 capos, 8 soldiers, and 6 associates, plus some honorable mentions, i hope everybody enjoys today's show and tu...

Send a text on Episode 32 we delve into the life of former Gambino family mobster Roy DeMeo who is without a doubt the most prolific hitman in the history of the American mafia with he and his crew being suspected of killing up to 200 people just throughout the 70's and early 80's. but with Episode 32 come the end of season 1 of the Black Hand, ill be taking a short hiatus from the show...

Send a text On Episode 31 we delve into the life of former Lucchese family Consigliere and Underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso who is one of the most violent mobsters to ever hit the streets, with he himself evantually admitting to playing a role in at least 36 murders, he was also the second in command to one of the most violent regimes in American mafia history as Casso would order the m...

Send a text On Episode 30 we delve into the complete history of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, one of the most infamous criminal organization of it's kind to ever exist, because although they started out as free spirited bikers with a strong position in the hippie movement of the 1960's, they have become one of the most violent, succesful, expansive, and profitable biker gangs in the...

Send a text On Episode 29 we delve into the complete history of the Black Disciples street gang, and even though the Disciples werent the first gang in Chicago nor the most powerful, they did play the most active role in forming what Chicago's gang landscape looks like today and have been able to survive for 65 years, I hope everyone enjoys today's episode and tunes back in next Wednesda...

Send a text On Episode 28 we delve into the life of former New York mob boss Carmine Persico, not only did Persico have at least some level of involvement in all three Colombo wars but he also ran the family for nearly 50 years, most of which he spent in prison, i hope everybody enjoys today's episode and tunes back in next Wednesday for Episode 29 PLEASE give us a follow on our socials- Inst...

Send a text On Episode 27 we delve into the life of corrupt cop Rafael Perez, a key player in the LAPD Rampart Corruption Scandal, he started his career just like any other cop but it was just a matter of time before he fell into the wayside, and by the mid to late 90's, Perez was framing gangbangers, murdering and attempting to murder criminals, and even selling the very drugs he stole from...