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.

#2: Basics of the Mob: A Beginner's Guide (Part 1)

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.

#3: Basics of the Mob: A Beginner's Guide (Part 2)

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.

#4: Basics of the Mob: A Beginner's Guide (Part 3)

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.McDonald joined the federal Organized Crime Strike Force in Brooklyn in 1977 and later became chief of its Eastern District office. His work brought him into investigations involving the New York Mafia, including the 1978 Lufthansa robbery at JFK Airport, the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, and the cooperation of Lucchese associate Henry Hill.In our conversation, Ed takes us back to his childhood in Brooklyn, his years at Boston College, and his path from law school to the courtroom before explaining what it was actually like to investigate organized crime during an era when New York’s Mafia families remained enormously powerful.We get into the real people behind Goodfellas—Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, and Henry Hill—and discuss the Lufthansa heist, what happened in its bloody aftermath, why Burke was never successfully prosecuted for the robbery itself, and what decades of books and movies have gotten wrong about the case.Ed also tells the remarkable story of the Boston College point-shaving scandal, how Henry Hill became a government witness, the challenges of determining when a cooperating criminal is telling the truth, and his own complicated relationship with Hill, which continued for decades.And, of course, we talk Goodfellas.Ed explains how his real-life involvement with Henry Hill ultimately led to Martin Scorsese casting him as himself in the film, what it was like working with Scorsese, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco, and how accurately Goodfellas portrayed the people and Mafia world he actually knew.We also discuss Ed’s new memoir, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies, written with Jake Brown. The book chronicles his firsthand experiences with Lufthansa, the Boston College case, Henry Hill, and the unlikely journey that eventually put a federal prosecutor in one of the most celebrated organized-crime films ever made.If you know the story of Goodfellas, this is an opportunity to hear it from someone who wasn’t portraying that world.He was actually there.Order Ed's Book:<ul><li><a href="https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMD" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMD</a></li><li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504</a></li><li><a href="https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566</a></li></ul>

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. McDonald joined the federal Organized Crime Strike Force in Brooklyn in 1977 and later became chief of its Eastern District office. His work brought him into investigations involving the New York Mafia, including the 1978 Lufthansa robbery at JFK Airport, the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, and the cooperation of Lucchese associate Henry Hill. In our conversation, Ed takes us back to his childhood in Brooklyn, his years at Boston College, and his path from law school to the courtroom before explaining what it was actually like to investigate organized crime during an era when New York’s Mafia families remained enormously powerful. We get into the real people behind Goodfellas—Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, and Henry Hill—and discuss the Lufthansa heist, what happened in its bloody aftermath, why Burke was never successfully prosecuted for the robbery itself, and what decades of books and movies have gotten wrong about the case. Ed also tells the remarkable story of the Boston College point-shaving scandal, how Henry Hill became a government witness, the challenges of determining when a cooperating criminal is telling the truth, and his own complicated relationship with Hill, which continued for decades. And, of course, we talk Goodfellas. Ed explains how his real-life involvement with Henry Hill ultimately led to Martin Scorsese casting him as himself in the film, what it was like working with Scorsese, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco, and how accurately Goodfellas portrayed the people and Mafia world he actually knew. We also discuss Ed’s new memoir, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies, written with Jake Brown. The book chronicles his firsthand experiences with Lufthansa, the Boston College case, Henry Hill, and the unlikely journey that eventually put a federal prosecutor in one of the most celebrated organized-crime films ever made. If you know the story of Goodfellas, this is an opportunity to hear it from someone who wasn’t portraying that world. He was actually there. Order Ed's Book:https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMDhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566

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.McDonald joined the federal Organized Crime Strike Force in Brooklyn in 1977 and later became chief of its Eastern District office. His work brought him into investigations involving the New York Mafia, including the 1978 Lufthansa robbery at JFK Airport, the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal, and the cooperation of Lucchese associate Henry Hill.In our conversation, Ed takes us back to his childhood in Brooklyn, his years at Boston College, and his path from law school to the courtroom before explaining what it was actually like to investigate organized crime during an era when New York’s Mafia families remained enormously powerful.We get into the real people behind Goodfellas—Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, and Henry Hill—and discuss the Lufthansa heist, what happened in its bloody aftermath, why Burke was never successfully prosecuted for the robbery itself, and what decades of books and movies have gotten wrong about the case.Ed also tells the remarkable story of the Boston College point-shaving scandal, how Henry Hill became a government witness, the challenges of determining when a cooperating criminal is telling the truth, and his own complicated relationship with Hill, which continued for decades.And, of course, we talk Goodfellas.Ed explains how his real-life involvement with Henry Hill ultimately led to Martin Scorsese casting him as himself in the film, what it was like working with Scorsese, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco, and how accurately Goodfellas portrayed the people and Mafia world he actually knew.We also discuss Ed’s new memoir, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies, written with Jake Brown. The book chronicles his firsthand experiences with Lufthansa, the Boston College case, Henry Hill, and the unlikely journey that eventually put a federal prosecutor in one of the most celebrated organized-crime films ever made.If you know the story of Goodfellas, this is an opportunity to hear it from someone who wasn’t portraying that world.He was actually there.Order Ed's Book:<ul><li><a href="https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chasing-Goodfellas/Edward-McDonald/9798895655504</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMD" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0GVZ6SYMD</a></li><li><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-goodfellas-edward-mcdonald/1149827357?ean=9798895655504</a></li><li><a href="https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.target.com/p/chasing-goodfellas-by-edward-mcdonald-paperback/-/A-1011260566</a></li></ul>

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

In this episode, we cover several mob hits that occurred in and around Philadelphia's Bruno Crime Family of LCN during the 1960's. 
Our goal of these episodes is to dispel the myth that Angelo Bruno—"The Docile Don"—was a non-violent Boss. In fact, evidence will show that he likely handed down many hit contracts, which we will go over in detail over the course of Volumes I and beyond. 
For Cosa Nostra Bosses in this era, ordering hits was standard operating procedure and could not be avoided. 
While we will cover many during the "Hits" episodes, in this particular video we talk about the following gangland murders:
1 & 2) Vincent and Richie Blaney in 1960 and 1961
3) Dominick "Reds" Caruso in 1962
4) Ferdinand “Blackie” Iacono in 1963
Future episodes will detail at least 7 additional hits that took place during the 1960's in what was considered to be the Philadelphia mob's "Golden Era."

In this episode, we cover several mob hits that occurred in and around Philadelphia's Bruno Crime Family of LCN during the 1960's. Our goal of these episodes is to dispel the myth that Angelo Bruno—"The Docile Don"—was a non-violent Boss. In fact, evidence will show that he likely handed down many hit contracts, which we will go over in detail over the course of Volumes I and beyond. For Cosa Nostra Bosses in this era, ordering hits was standard operating procedure and could not be avoided. While we will cover many during the "Hits" episodes, in this particular video we talk about the following gangland murders: 1 & 2) Vincent and Richie Blaney in 1960 and 1961 3) Dominick "Reds" Caruso in 1962 4) Ferdinand “Blackie” Iacono in 1963 Future episodes will detail at least 7 additional hits that took place during the 1960's in what was considered to be the Philadelphia mob's "Golden Era."

In this episode, we cover several mob hits that occurred in and around Philadelphia's Bruno Crime Family of LCN during the 1960's. 
Our goal of these episodes is to dispel the myth that Angelo Bruno—"The Docile Don"—was a non-violent Boss. In fact, evidence will show that he likely handed down many hit contracts, which we will go over in detail over the course of Volumes I and beyond. 
For Cosa Nostra Bosses in this era, ordering hits was standard operating procedure and could not be avoided. 
While we will cover many during the "Hits" episodes, in this particular video we talk about the following gangland murders:
1 &amp; 2) Vincent and Richie Blaney in 1960 and 1961
3) Dominick "Reds" Caruso in 1962
4) Ferdinand “Blackie” Iacono in 1963
Future episodes will detail at least 7 additional hits that took place during the 1960's in what was considered to be the Philadelphia mob's "Golden Era."

#30: Philadelphia Mob Hits: Volume I

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.

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.

#1: Tommaso “Tommy” Gagliano, The Original Lucchese Crime Family Boss

The Gangland History Podcast, hosted by history buff and mob aficionado, Jacob Stoops. He tells the true crime biographies of real life mobsters and dives deep into the plots, sub-plots, and real facts behind Cosa Nostra as well as popular mob films and television shows. Formerly called The Members-Only Podcast.

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