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Organized Crime and Punishment

Organized crime has been a part of human society for centuries, and Organized Crime and Punishment: A History and Crime Podcast takes a deep dive into its roots, evolution, and impact on different cultures and countries. In Organized Crime and Punishment: A History and Crime Podcast, we explore the rise of organized crime in various regions of the world. Throughout different seasons of the show, we will examine the different types of organized crime, from the American Mafia to modern-day cartels, and how they have adapted to changes in society and law enforcement. We also delve into the lives of notorious gangsters and their criminal empires, revealing the inner workings of these secretive organizations. We will explore the political, economic, and social factors that have fueled the growth of organized crime, as well as the efforts of governments and law enforcement agencies to combat it. Join us as we take a journey through the shadowy world of organized crime, exploring its history, impact, and ongoing influence on our societies today. Whether you're a history buff, true crime aficionado, or simply curious about this fascinating topic, Organized Crime and Punishment: A History and Crime Podcast is sure to entertain and inform.

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The Italian Squad: Unmasking New York's Crimefighters

October 4, 2023 - 47 min

Title: The Italian Squad: Unmasking New York's Crimefighters Original Publication Date: 10/4/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/gYDhPsotOyw Description: In this episode of "Organized Crime and Punishment," we are joined by author Paul Moses to dive deep into the pages of his latest work, "The Italian Squad." This gripping narrative explores the fascinating history of law enforcement's battle against organized crime, specifically focusing on the dedicated officers of the Italian Squad. The Italian Squad, formed in the early 20th century, played a pivotal role in dismantling powerful criminal syndicates in New York City. Moses' book sheds light on their relentless pursuit of justice, often at great personal risk. Key takeaways include the Squad's innovative investigative techniques, their impact on organized crime, and the enduring legacy of these courageous officers. We also discuss the broader implications of their work in the context of today's criminal justice system. #OrganizedCrime #TheItalianSquad #LawEnforcement #TrueCrime #PodcastDiscussion You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page email: crime@atozhistorypage.com www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Parthenon Podcast Network Home: parthenonpodcast.com On Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistory https://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypage https://facebook.com/atozhistorypage https://twitter.com/atozhistorypage https://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/ Music Provided by: Music from "5/8 Socket" by Rico's Gruv Used by permission. © 2021 All Rights Reserved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=210vQJ4-Ns0 https://open.spotify.com/album/32EOkwDG1YdZwfm8pFOzUu Begin Transcript: [00:00:00] Welcome to Organized Crime and Punishment, the best spot in town to hang out and talk about history and crime with your hosts, Steve and Mustache Chris. Welcome back to Organized Crime and Punishment. Steve here, uh, with a special interview with a really fascinating topic, and it's a topic that, uh, Mustache Chris and I will definitely dive into more, but this was just the perfect opportunity to talk with Paul Moses, who is the author of The Italian Squad. The true story of the immigrant cops who fought the rise [00:01:00] of the mafia. And this is a really fascinating story because it falls outside of what most people traditionally think of the mafia in the timeline of generally the later part of the 20th century. And this is going way back. So Paul, maybe you can tell us, um, what got you interested in this topic of the Italian squad? Sure. Well, I had done a previous book called an unlikely union, the love hate story of New York's Irish and Italians. And in that book, I focused, uh, I had one chapter on what it was like for people within the Italian immigrants in the NYPD, uh, to try to advance in a department that was really, uh, very much controlled by the Irish, uh, either immigrants or later generations. And they, they had a rough time of it, and the Italian community itself had, had pretty, um, rough relations with the, uh, NYPD in, in that, in that [00:02:00] era. Uh, there was a lot of ethnic friction. So, in doing that, I included a chapter that told the story of, uh, Joseph Petrosino, who was the founding detective of the, uh, NYPD's Italian squad in 1904. And from the, mostly from the point of view of what it was like for him as an Italian immigrant to try to be the go between between the Italian community and the NYPD so. His story is really interesting. It's, it's been told quite a bit, but I saw that he's after Petrosino. He's, he's murdered while on a mission to Sicily in 1909. Um, and generally stories about the Italian squad, uh, kind of stopped there, but the squad went on to 1922 and I saw that that. Part of the story really wasn't told that much. And it was just as fascinating as the better known story of Joseph Petruzzino's service. It's a fascinating story because Petruzzino goes, [00:03:00] maybe we can, before we even get into Petruzzino and the whole story of the Italian squad, they're fighting against Organized Italian organized crime, and it's referred to at that time as period as the Black Hand. What was the Black Hand? Yeah, the Black Hand

Coming Soon: Crime 100 Years Ahead of Time

October 2, 2023 - 2 min

Eyewitnessing History with Columbine Survivors, Secret Agents and Adam Curry!

September 30, 2023 - 45 min

In this special compilation episode, Josh Cohen of Eyewitness History shares his favorite interview moments and stories from people who witnessed some of history’s most extraordinary events. First up, revisit his conversation with Frank DeAngelis, former principal of Columbine High School, recounting the harrowing events of the 1999 massacre. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Ow8UF0 / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMr Next, dive into the world of podcasting with the podfather himself, Adam Curry. Discover the fascinating tale of his MTV days and presenting an award to Michael Jackson. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Df7jgn / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMt CIA Agent Valerie Plame takes the spotlight in the next segment, shedding light on the notorious 'Plame Affair' of 2003. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/48gSyYx / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMw Sports enthusiasts, get ready! HBO Boxing legend Jim Lampley shares his experiences covering the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, including the unforgettable 'Miracle on Ice.' Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YeyxNZ / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMx Jonestown cult survivor and writer Eugene Smith takes a solemn turn as he revisits his journey through tragedy and survival. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/451VIgu / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMz Rock music lovers, stay tuned for insights from Ken Caillat, the record producer behind Fleetwood Mac's iconic albums, including the Emmy-winning 'Rumors.' Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3rhuyEb / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMB Hear from DEA Agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, the real-life heroes who took down Pablo Escobar, inspiring the hit Netflix series 'Narcos.' Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3r5Cf0h / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMD Podcasting sensation Jordan Harbinger shares his adventures and observations in North Korea. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3JXYmfe / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMF And finally, wrap up with a legendary performance – an interview with Queen's keyboardist, Spike Edney, discussing their iconic set at Live Aid in 1985. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Roxxp6 / Spotify: https://sptfy.com/OWMH See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New True Crime

September 27, 2023 - 44 min

The New True Crime Original Publication Date: Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/QWoFx383Nq0 Description: In this episode of Organized Crime and Punishment, we had the pleasure of interviewing Diana Rickard, the brilliant author behind the groundbreaking book, "The New True Crime: How the Rise of Serialized Storytelling Is Transforming Innocence." Diana took us on a captivating journey through the world of true crime narratives and how they have evolved with the advent of serialized storytelling. Diana shared her deep insights into the impact of these gripping narratives on our perception of innocence, drawing from her extensive research and expertise. We delved into the ethical considerations surrounding the portrayal of real-life criminal cases in serial formats, exploring the blurred lines between entertainment and journalism. #TrueCrimeEvolution #SerializedStorytelling #InnocenceInFocus #CrimeNarratives #AuthorInterview You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page email: crime@atozhistorypage.com www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Parthenon Podcast Network Home: parthenonpodcast.com On Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistory https://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypage https://facebook.com/atozhistorypage https://twitter.com/atozhistorypage https://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/ Music Provided by: Music from "5/8 Socket" by Rico's Gruv Used by permission. © 2021 All Rights Reserved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=210vQJ4-Ns0 https://open.spotify.com/album/32EOkwDG1YdZwfm8pFOzUu Begin Transcript: [00:00:00] Welcome to Organized Crime and Punishment, the best spot in town to hang out and talk about history and crime with your hosts, Steve and Mustache Chris. I want to welcome everyone back to Organized Crime and Punishment. This time it is just me, Steve, uh, here. Uh, we don't have Mustache Chris, but I am very excited to be joined by Professor Diana Ricard, who is an associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences, Human Services, and Criminal Justice at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, which is a [00:01:00] part of CUNY. And she is the author of another book, Sex Offenders, Stigma, and Social Control. But in particular today, we are going to talk about her latest book. The New True Crime, How the Rise of Serialized Storytelling is Transforming Innocence. It's a fascinating book, and I think maybe the, uh, how we can start this out is maybe you can tell us a little bit about yourself and maybe where the genesis of this book came from. Oh, I'm... Very actually excited to talk about that because, um, it came from my interest in wrongful conviction, which actually came from a personal connection of a family member of a friend of mine and an interest in where wrongful conviction fits into different. Concerns in criminal justice or criminal justice reform or criminal justice issues, and I kind of had [00:02:00] trouble as a researcher finding where my place was in the conversation, in part, because there's so much good journalism, like, as an academic and a scholar, it was hard for me to find what I could contribute when there's, you know, the innocence project has so Um, offered so many important case studies and analysis, and there's so much really good stuff out there if you, if you look and in that search, um, I just became aware of these amazing documentaries and I, and more and more people were mentioning them to me, um, in my introduction to the book, I, I talk about how people kept telling me I should listen to cereal. I should listen to cereal. And when I saw Making a Murderer in December of 2015, so quickly, there was a huge outcry in response to that. I knew I had something [00:03:00] here about the synergies between entertainment, wrongful conviction, true crime, journalism, news. You know, popular culture and, um, that's how I got started in this podcast. We're really trying to not follow the standard true crime genre that we're trying to inject it with looking at it historically and maybe trying to be a little bit more objective. And I wonder. Uh, is it possible, this is one of the things that you brought up and it's, it's always been in the back of my mind is it, can you be entertaining and objectiv

Coming Soon Fighting Corruption with True Crime

September 25, 2023 - 2 min

Game of Crimes: Mafia Hitman or Serial Killer

September 20, 2023 - 61 min

Title: Game of Crimes: Mafia Hitman or Serial Killer Original Publication Date: 9/20/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/ryW2CowG6ow Description: Join Mustache Chris and Steve are joined today by veteran police officer and crime fiction author Frank (https://www.frankzafiro.com) to play the game: Mafia Hitman or Serial Killer. You can play at home and see if you can beat us! Send us your score and thoughts on the fuzzy line between two different kinds of mass murders. #TrueCrime #MafiaMysteries #SerialKillers #CrimePsychology #CriminalProfiling You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page email: crime@atozhistorypage.com www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Parthenon Podcast Network Home: parthenonpodcast.com On Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@atozhistory https://www.facebook.com/groups/atozhistorypage https://facebook.com/atozhistorypage https://twitter.com/atozhistorypage https://www.instagram.com/atozhistorypage/ Music Provided by: Music from "5/8 Socket" by Rico's Gruv Used by permission. © 2021 All Rights Reserved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=210vQJ4-Ns0 https://open.spotify.com/album/32EOkwDG1YdZwfm8pFOzUu Begin Transcript: [00:00:00] Welcome back to a really special episode of Organized Crime and Punishment. This episode, we are going to wrap up Season 1 of Organized Crime and Punishment, where we really talked a lot about the murder involved with the Mafia. And the way we're going to wrap it up is with a little... We're going to play the in show style of Serial Killer or Mafia Member. So we're joined by our crew member, Frank Scalise. I believe this is, we've recorded other episodes with Frank, but this is the first time you're actually meeting Frank. It's kind of weird the way that lined up. But this is our first introduction to Frank, you're going to learn a lot more about Frank in future series. We are also joined by none other than our very own Mustache Chris. And Mustache Chris is going to take the hosting duties today, and he is going to be our host in our game show [00:01:00] of Mafia Member or Serial Killer. Yeah, we, we'd been, we thought about coming, we came up with this idea and we thought it'd be a little bit fun and then, uh, we got in touch with Frank and figured, you know, this would be a good episode to have Frank come on for, and this is one of those tougher questions when it comes to the mob, but I suppose, but I suppose crime in general, like the difference between, say, a mafia hitman and a serial killer can become pretty blurry. Like, Many mob hitmen, uh, have a much higher body count than most serial killers, like, um, you know, mob hitmen also, like, are notorious for, like, cutting up the bodies after the fact to help. You know, with the help, uh, have them not get caught, obviously, right? You know, throwing the body parts in dumps and stuff like that. Uh, but, uh, the truth of the matter is, uh, many of the mob hitmen, they enjoyed killing people. And some of them... Some of them it comes across like they just kind of saw it as a [00:02:00] job like, uh, you know, if you look at the likes of, say, Harry Strauss or Roy DeMaio, we were looking at, you know, body counts that go high above even the Green River Killer, who I believe still in American history is, has the highest, uh, body count. You know, the typical argument that I, uh, find is people say, like, well, serial killers enjoy, like, sadistically killing their victims, whereas mob hitmen tend to just get the job done as quickly as possible. And I think, for the most part, that generalization is, uh, Is correct, but there there's examples where it doesn't entirely fit. What do you guys think? Well, uh, this is Frank here, uh, saying hello to your audience for the 1st time. We'll chat some more in future episodes. And, uh, but for this 1, I, I think I would say that the difference between a serial killer and a mob hitman. Is a matter of compulsion. I think that most [00:03:00] people that and let me back up a step. I think you could clearly label a mob hit man as a serial killer by the letter of the definition. I mean, they meet the criteria, but I think in popular parlance when we say serial killer. We're not talking about a mob hit m

Coming Soon: Antisocial Behavior and Hoosier Hating

September 18, 2023 - 2 min

Parthenon Roundtable: Which Person From History Deserves a Movie?

September 13, 2023 - 51 min

Coming Soon When Woodrow Met Edith

September 11, 2023 - 2 min

Coming Soon Fighting Corruption with True Crime

September 10, 2023 - 2 min

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Meet Your Hosts

Steve Guerra is a historian and podcaster who hosts three different shows. He started with the History of the Papacy Podcast in 2013. In 2017, Steve began Beyond the Big Screen, a podcast that delves into the fascinating stories behind films through lively interviews. His newest show, Organized Crime and Punishment, takes a deep dive into the roots, evolution, and impact of organized crime across different cultures and countries.

Mustache Chris is the co-host of Organized Crime and Punishment. He is from the True North, born and bred in Toronto, Canada. Some say he bears a striking resemblance to Gambino Crime Family associate Chris Rosenberg, but we'll leave that up to you.