By the early 1990s, Frank Calabrese Sr. had spent decades building a criminal empire fueled by fear, paranoia, and control. He taught his sons the art of survival in the mob—never use house phones, memorize payphone numbers, speak in code, and trust no one. But when Frank let his guard down for an indebted auto shop owner named Matt Russo, the cracks in his armor started to show.

What Frank saw as an opportunity to exploit a failing business, the FBI saw as the perfect way in. Russo, drowning in debt and desperate, became a federal informant and began wearing a wire in Frank’s inner circle. But gathering evidence on a man as cautious—and dangerous—as Frank Calabrese wouldn’t be easy. We go inside the FBI’s high-stakes operation to take Frank down, the meticulous way Frank shielded himself from betrayal, and the moment it all started to unravel.

Binge the entire season of Killing Kurt—along with other gripping Entropy Media shows—completely ad-free by subscribing to Entropy Unlimited on Apple Podcasts. Unlock exclusive access to bonus content and enjoy your favorite stories without interruptions. Click HERE to learn more!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices