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

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...

Join me as a make a significant announcement about the future of this show and discuss my plans for 2024 and beyond.

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 Scio...

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 Carl...

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 p...

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 Pr...

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-...

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 ori...

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...

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 t...

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 t...

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 War...

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 league...

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, Pat...

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 w...

In this episode, mob historian and history buff Jacob Stoops delves into the Wedding Scene from the Godfather.    In this scene, which is one of the most important scenes of the movie, you're introduced to the Corleone family at large. He dives into the stories of the iconic characters, the actors, and even real life mafiosi including:   Sonny Corleone (James Caan) Michael Corleone...

In this episode, we cover a mobster who is probably most well-known for enjoying a good shoe shine. That’s right, we’re talking about none other than William “Billy Batts” Bentvena.   “Billy Batts” was a soldier within the Gambino Crime Family from the 1950’s through the early 1970’s, and was one who rubbed elbows with some very famous Cosa Nostra members including of course his good friend,...

In this episode, mob historian and history buff Jacob Stoops delves into the Opening Scene from the Godfather.

We tell the story of the murder of a low-level associate of the Luciano Crime Family, Ferdinand “The Shadow” Boccia.

In this episode we cover one of the most powerful gangsters in New York City during the 1950’s and 1960’s, Michele “Big Mike” Miranda, one who had direct ties to some of the most infamous events in mob history and who was the right-hand man of one “Don Vitone”, aka Vito Genovese.

We cover Vincent “The Executioner” Mangano, the the first “official” head of what eventually becomes known as the modern-day Gambino crime family.

In this episode series, history buff and mob aficionado Jacob Stoops provides a high-level 101-style overview of the origins of the American mob dating back to its beginnings. In this episode we talk about mob-slang, biggest mob events since the 1930's, the process of an actual "making" ceremony, whether mob families have ever been infiltrated, and if the mob is still active.

In this episode series, history buff and mob aficionado Jacob Stoops provides a high-level 101-style overview of the origins of the American mob dating back to its beginnings. We discuss the Castellammarese War, organizational structures, family positions and ranks, as well as basic rules and regulations.

In this episode, history buff and mob aficionado Jacob Stoops provides a high-level 101-style overview of the origins of the American mob dating back to its beginnings.

In our first mobster biography, we profile Tomasso “Tommy” Gagliano, the original boss of what the U.S. Federal authorities would later designate as the Lucchese crime family, one of the “Five Families” of New York City and probably the lowest-profile boss in the history of America Cosa Nostra.