The Gangland History Podcast

#51: Chasing Goodfellas with Ed McDonald, Former NY Federal Prosecutor, Author and Goodfellas Actor

5K views · 3w ago · 2:14:10

Guest: Ed McDonald

In this episode, I sit down with former federal organized-crime prosecutor Edward A. McDonald, whose career placed him at the center of some of the most famous Mafia cases of the late twentieth century—and eventually led to him playing himself in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.

Topics: Episode Intro · Interview, First Half Begins · Episode Midpoint Break · 230 Interview, Second Half Begins · Ed's Scene in Goodfellas

#50: History of the Pittsburgh Mob (Part Five): The Monastero-Pangallo War

4.1K views · 1mo ago · 2:26:06

In this episode, we continue our History of the Pittsburgh Mob series with the Monastero-Pangallo War—a bloody struggle that begins with Stefano and Sam Monastero at the height of their power and ends with nearly every major figure at the center of Pittsburgh’s underworld dead.

Topics: Chapter 1: The Monastero Empire At It's Peak · Chapter 2: Two Lieutenants, Divided Loyalties · Chapter 3: The Hunt for Joe Pangallo · Chapter 5: Killers From Ohio · Chapter 6: Death Comes in Three's · Chapter 7: The Rum Ring Indictments

#49: History of the Pittsburgh Mob (Part Four): The Rise of the Monastero's

10K views · 5mo ago · 2:06:37

In this episode of The Gangland History Podcast’s ongoing History of the Pittsburgh Mob series, we explore the rise of the Monastero brothers—Stefano “Big Steve” Monastero, Salvatore “Sam” Monastero, and their older brother Loreto—as Pittsburgh’s underworld transforms during the violent early years of Prohibition.

Topics: The Shooting of New Orleans Police Chief David C. Hennessy · Episode Theme Song · Episode Intro · The Rise of the Monasteros · The New Orleans Connection · The Death of New Orleans Police Chief David C. Hennessy

#48: History of the Pittsburgh Mob (Part Three): Prohibition, Bootlegging, Bullets & “Bootleg Kings”

9.3K views · 7mo ago · 2:19:29

This video is Part Three of my History of the Pittsburgh Mob series, focusing on Prohibition and the rise of Pittsburgh’s early bootleg kings—men like Martin M. Burke who transformed decades of political influence, saloon ownership, and neighborhood control into large-scale criminal enterprises.

Topics: Prohibition in Pittsburgh · Prohibition Arrives, Pittsburgh Doesn't Change · The Smell of Mash · The Enforcement Problem · The Pennington Effect · The Mellon Contradiction

#47: History of the Pittsburgh Mob (Part Two): The Rise & Fall of Gregorio Conti

17K views · 9mo ago · 1:42:31

This video is Part Two of my History of the Pittsburgh Mob series, focusing on Gregorio Conti, widely regarded as Pittsburgh’s second Mafia boss. Conti matters because he sits at a critical turning point in the city’s underworld—when loose Black Hand extortion begins giving way to something more centralized, disciplined, and ultimately more dangerous.

Topics: Theme Music · Gregorio Conti's Early Life & Rise · The Quiet War with the Camorra · The Valentine Piazza Hit · The Death of Gregorio Conti

#46: History of the Pittsburgh Mob (Part One): Immigration, the Black Hand, and Salvatore Catanzaro

61K views · 10mo ago · 1:04:42

Pittsburgh isn’t usually the first city people associate with the Mafia. There are no neon-lit speakeasies in the popular imagination—no Valentino suits or roaring Tommy guns. But long before Prohibition transformed America’s underworld, something darker was already taking shape beneath the steel smoke.

Topics: The Great Migration & The Black Hand · Early Signs of the Mafia in Pittsburgh · The Black Hand Kidnaps Antonio Mannnino · The Black Hand Murders John Pete · The Black Hand Terrorizes the Kaylor Mining Camp · The Arrest of Black Hand Leader Orazio Runfola

#45: History of the Tampa Mob: A Discussion with Author, Scott Deitche

56K views · 1y ago · 1:14:20

In this episode of The Gangland History Podcast, host Jacob Stoops interviews acclaimed author and Mafia historian Scott Deitche, one of the nation’s foremost experts on organized crime in Florida and the Trafficante crime family.

Topics: Early Italian Immigration and the Cigar Industry · Ignazio Italiano and Tampa’s First Mafia Roots · The 1928 Hotel Statler Meeting and Tampa’s National Recognition · The Charlie Wall Era · The Feud: Wall, Antinori, and Trafficante Sr. · The Murder of Ignazio Antinori and Rise of Trafficante Sr.

#44: Frank Costello to Alto Knights | Historical Fiction and the Mob with Author Ron K. Fried

4.7K views · 1y ago · 1:33:21

Guest: Author Ron K. Fried

In this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by author Ron K. Fried to take an in-depth look at one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in organized crime history: Frank Costello, the mob boss who rose to power during the Prohibition era and later became known as the “Prime Minister of the Underworld.” Our conversation centers around Ron’s novel Frank Costello: A Novel, a meticulously researched work of historical fiction that brings Costello’s complex character to…

#43: The Gurney's Inn Operation: Roundtable Discussion with Daniel Edward Rosen & Frank DiMatteo

2.3K views · 1y ago · 51:09

Guest: Daniel Edward Rosen

In late August 1979, the FBI's Brooklyn-Queens Metropolitan Resident Agency (the BQ) received a significant tip from a top-echelon informant within the Genovese crime family. This informant, known as "Bob," reported that Paul Castellano, head of the Gambino crime family, had mentioned an upcoming major meeting at Gurney's Inn in Montauk, New York.

#42: The State of the Mafia (1967): Part Three, A Deep-Dive On All Mafia Families Around the Country

19K views · 1y ago · 2:31:39

In today's episode, we wrap up one of the most detailed and historically rich series we’ve ever done. In Part Three of our special deep dive into the FBI’s 1967 report on La Cosa Nostra, we close the book on an era where the mob’s influence was at its peak across the United States.

Topics: New York City: Colombo Family · New York City: Bonanno Family · New York City: Gambino Family · New York City: Genovese Family · New York City: Lucchese Family · Albany, NY

#41: Paul "The Waiter" Ricca (Part Two)

25K views · 1y ago · 2:25:05

In Part Two of our deep-dive biography on Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, we chronicle his ascent to the top of the Chicago Outfit from the late 1940s through the early 1970s — a reign that cemented his legacy as one of the most powerful and influential mob bosses in American history.

Topics: Cliff-Notes of Part One · The Waiter's Time in Prison (Mid-to-Late 1940's) · Co-Boss of The Outfit (Late 1940's and 1950's) · Running the Chicago Outfit (Keeping Control in the 1960's) · Late Career & Legacy (The 1970's)

#40: Interview with Xavier Eboli, Son of Thomas "Tommy Ryan" Eboli

6.8K views · 1y ago · 2:09:42

Guest: Xavier Eboli

We’re diving deep into the life and legacy of one of the most notorious figures in the history of the Genovese Crime Family—Thomas “Tommy Ryan” Eboli. And who better to tell that story than his own son, Xavier Eboli? Xavier Eboli, a Marine Corps veteran and author of⁠ "The Boss in the Shadows: The Life and Death of Thomas ‘Tommy Ryan’ Eboli⁠", joins me for an incredible two-hour conversation.

Topics: Interview Begins · Xavier's upbringing and relationship with his father · Early life of Thomas “Tommy Ryan” Eboli in Chicago and New York · Eboli's boxing career as “Tommy Ryan” · Thomas Eboli's legitimate business interests · Xavier's chance meeting with Charles “Lucky” Luciano

#39: Interview with Nick Parisi: Author of 'City of Betrayal' and Springfield Mafia Expert

6.2K views · 1y ago · 1:47:39

Guest: Nick Parisi

We talk with Nicholas "Nick" Parisi, award-winning author and Springfield, Massachusetts mob expert. Nick has written two books on the Springfield mob including ⁠(1) City of Betrayal: The Genovese Family's Springfield Crew⁠

#38: Interview with Ray Franze, Author of ‘The Heights,’ A Historical-Fiction Mob Novel

2.2K views · 1y ago · 1:06:53

Guest: Ray Franze

In this episode, we talk with Ray Franze author of ‘The Heights.’ The Heights is a historical mob fiction novel based upon the early days a very real and powerful crew of Italians in Chicago Heights, Illinois that became one of the most powerful, but least well-known, crews in the Chicago Outfit (as well as nationally).

Topics: Interview Begins · Ray's Background · Familial Mob Experiences and Book Inspirations · Writing a Historical-Fiction Novel · Main Character Real-Life and Movie Comparisons · Real Mobsters Appearing in the Book

#37: The State of the Mafia: A 1967 FBI Report (Part Two)

6.5K views · 2y ago · 52:48

I’m calling this show ‘The State of the Mafia (1967): Part Two’ “Life or Death Obligations.” Like the first part of this series, this report will jump around a lot, but in the end I think you’ll still enjoy it, and hopefully it teaches you “a couple of three things.”

Topics: The State of the Mafia (1967): Part Two · Security Measures · Transfers of Members