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S11 E9 - The Black Hand - Michigan's Original Shadow
The Black Hand was America’s first wave of organized crime—and it reached Michigan. In this episode of Malice in the Mitten, we uncover the hidden history of Black Hand extortion, threat letters, bombings, and the immigrant communities caught in the crosshairs. From Detroit to Saginaw, this forgotten chapter reveals how fear spread long before the Mafia had a name.
Historical Note:
Due to limited documentation and underreporting of Black Hand activity in early 20th-century Michigan, some narrative elements in this episode are reconstructed based on documented patterns, known tactics, and historical context.
#TrueCrimePodcast #MichiganTrueCrime #MaliceInTheMitten #BlackHand #CrimeHistory
Hosted and Produced by Tracy Preston
Researched and Written by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan
Original artwork by Todd Preston
Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston
Sources:
“Black Hand (Extortion).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hand_(extortion). Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“Black Hand.” Encyclopaedia Britannica,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Hand-American-criminal-organization. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“Joseph Petrosino.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Petrosino. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“100 Years Later: NYPD Legend Is Remembered.” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund,
https://nleomf.org/100-years-later-nypd-legend-is/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“The Inspiring Rise and Tragic Fall of the Italian Sherlock Holmes.” The Mob Museum,
https://themobmuseum.org/blog/the-inspiring-rise-and-tragic-fall-of-the-italian-sherlock-holmes/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Delaware, Michael. “Some History of the Black Hand in Michigan.”
michaeldelaware.com,
https://michaeldelaware.com/some-history-of-the-black-hand-in-michigan/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Talty, Stephan. The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.
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By Tracy Preston
4.6
1414 ratings
The Black Hand was America’s first wave of organized crime—and it reached Michigan. In this episode of Malice in the Mitten, we uncover the hidden history of Black Hand extortion, threat letters, bombings, and the immigrant communities caught in the crosshairs. From Detroit to Saginaw, this forgotten chapter reveals how fear spread long before the Mafia had a name.
Historical Note:
Due to limited documentation and underreporting of Black Hand activity in early 20th-century Michigan, some narrative elements in this episode are reconstructed based on documented patterns, known tactics, and historical context.
#TrueCrimePodcast #MichiganTrueCrime #MaliceInTheMitten #BlackHand #CrimeHistory
Hosted and Produced by Tracy Preston
Researched and Written by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan
Original artwork by Todd Preston
Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston
Sources:
“Black Hand (Extortion).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hand_(extortion). Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“Black Hand.” Encyclopaedia Britannica,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Hand-American-criminal-organization. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“Joseph Petrosino.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Petrosino. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“100 Years Later: NYPD Legend Is Remembered.” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund,
https://nleomf.org/100-years-later-nypd-legend-is/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
“The Inspiring Rise and Tragic Fall of the Italian Sherlock Holmes.” The Mob Museum,
https://themobmuseum.org/blog/the-inspiring-rise-and-tragic-fall-of-the-italian-sherlock-holmes/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Delaware, Michael. “Some History of the Black Hand in Michigan.”
michaeldelaware.com,
https://michaeldelaware.com/some-history-of-the-black-hand-in-michigan/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Talty, Stephan. The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.
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