New Fox Nation special highlights how this ‘wide-open town’ set the stage for organized crime
Fox Nation’s ‘Stories of the American Mafia’ takes a deep dive into iconic mobsters and crime families in America.
Mobsters have undeniably left an infamous mark on American culture. Depicted in numerous films and television shows, interest in the violent and secretive Mafia families has not wavered.
Now, a new streaming series welcomes viewers into the world of organized crime once more.
"Stories of the American Mafia," a five-part episodic series streaming exclusively on Fox Nation, takes a closer look at some of the most defining moments in mob history. Spanning the 20th century, multiple iconic crime families are depicted, including the Colombo and Gambino families.
"The Godfather" is an iconic American film but was almost shut down by mob boss Joe Colombo over fears of the movie's depiction of Italian Americans. (CBS via Getty Images)
EPISODE 1: THE REAL GODFATHER
Episode 1 starts the series in gritty 1970s New York, where mob boss Joe Colombo takes part in civil rights campaigns to help enhance the image of Italian Americans in the public eye. However, the soon-to-be acclaimed movie "The Godfather" is pending release and threatens to upend the secrecy of the Colombo family’s illicit schemes.
He soon begins to realize how leveraging control of how the Corleone family’s portrayal in the film could benefit him and ultimately how Italian Americans are seen across the country.
Charles "Lucky" Luciano was an infamous mobster in the 20th century. (Getty Images)
EPISODE 2: LUCKY’S COMMISSION
Family means everything in the Mafia, and during the time of the young Mafioso named Charles "Lucky" Luciano, that was no different. But he ushered in a new era of criminal collaboration by working alongside non-Italians to enter into a new age of lucrative business for the mob scene, eventually helping develop the National Crime Syndicate.
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EPISODE 3: THE MEETING AT APALACHIN
During the height of Luciano’s power in the criminal underworld, mobster Joe Barbara holds a meeting at his upstate New York estate with other Mafiosos, including from the powerful Genovese Crime Family, in the fall of 1957. However, with the help of one savvy small-top cop, the major meeting between mob bosses became one of the most significant law enforcement apprehensions of Mafia members ever.
EPISODE 4: MURDER WITHIN THE FAMILY
One of the most infamous Mafia-related murders is examined in Episode 4, titled "Murder Within The Family."
John Gotti is an up-and-coming gangster rising in the ranks of the Gambino crime family.
"His reputation was more of a rougher thug than a businessman," former FBI undercover operative Giovanni Rocco said. "He was a guy known for violence. He could do the ultimate deed."
A divide between the members over the current boss, Paul Castellano, threatens to come to a violent apex at Sparks Steak House in New York and would soon change the power dynamics of the American mob scene.
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Chicago Mobster Al Capone. The photograph was taken by the Miami Police Department. (Getty Images)
EPISODE 5: THE RISE OF SCARFACE
Finally, an examination of American Mafia history is incomplete without arguably the most infamous of them all, Alphonse "Scarface" Capone. Capone’s criminal deeds are shown in the context of 1920s culture and Prohibition’s effect on Chicago and wider America — embodying both the glamour and brutality of organized crime.
"Coupled with Chicago being a hard-drinking town, it was a corrupt town," Mob Museum columnist Larry Henry said in the episode. "And so you had the combination of corruption — booze was flowing freely, brothels all over the place, gambling — so it was a wide open town."
But Capone's empire of bootlegging and corruption ultimately collapsed when he was convicted for tax evasion despite being widely believed to have ordered several murders.
For a deeper analysis on the lives of these leaders of the criminal underworld, stream all five episodes now on Fox Nation.
Fox Nation programs are viewable on demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Go to Fox Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite Fox Nation personalities.
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