Ross Kemp: Mafia & US TV - American Godfathers: The Five Families TV -
Over two centuries its influence has spread across the globe. Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain I: The British Connection, History 2024
On 18th June 1982 a corpse was found under this bridge in central London. Details made the death suspicious. The body was identified as Roberto Calvi. Up until the death of Roberto Calvi it was assumed the Mafia had no business here. ibid.
Just how far does the Mafia’s tentacles spread throughout Britian? ibid.
[Gennaro] Panzuto only stayed at the caravan park for a few months. He soon upgraded to a three-bedroomed house on the outskirts of Preston … The armed police turned up. ibid.
‘An Aberdeen businessman has been accused of being the godfather of a Mafia crime gang and a catalogue of crimes including racketeering, extortion and violence.’ ibid. TV news
Charles Darby Sabini: ‘Blood and guts and brutal street smart’ … He wasn’t strictly Mafia … and his mother was Scottish. ibid.
On 21st March 1980 a major Philadelphia Mafia boss was assassinated. The motive for this brutal killing was unclear. Would Angelo Bruno’s death change the American Mob’s relationship with gangland Britain? Ross Kemp: Mafia & Britain s1e2: US, History TV
With a link between the Mob and London casinos. How did the Mob’s operation in London work? And where did it lead? ibid.
‘They made billions of dollar on both sides of the ocean.’ ibid. Professor Nicaso
Woking, Surrey: An unlikely place for the Contrara-Caruana Mafia family to base its operation. ibid.
Francesco di Carlo, Franky ‘The Strangler’: A Mafia hitman originally suspected of the brutal and very public murder of Vatican banker Robert Calvi under Blackfriars Bridge. Iibid.
From the 1970s Britain was a vital part of the Mafia trafficking and money-laundering operation. Pushing heroin and illegal money in the United States. ibid.
‘For 30 years, the 5 families, the heart of the Mafia, had a free run in America. Loan sharking, prostitution, taking over unions, they had their hands on politics. They could do whatever they wanted.’ American Godfathers: The Five Families s1e1: Death of the Old Rules, Selwyn Raab, History 2024
For half a century the Mafia stuck to this sacred oath and pillaged New York City and the greater American economy. ibid. narrator
Sicily: ‘This is when we start to name them Mafia which is a society composed of ex-criminals but they assume themselves to now be honorable. Because they don’t use violence to steal but to defend property.’ ibid. Palermo historian
These men would soon venture to New York City in search of opportunity. ibid. narrator
In the early 20th century these local criminal groups ruled across New York City. Then in 1919 they were presented with a new revenue stream, and it was bigger than any racket they had: Prohibition. ibid.
Masseria, murdered 1931; Maranzano, murdered, 1931. With the old guard out of the way and a clean slate in front of them, a younger generation of Mafioso led by Lucky Luciano established a new thing, with new rules. [Joseph Profaci, Vincent Mangano, Tommy Gagliano, Joe Bonanno]. ibid.
‘Costello like the night life in New York and so he was often seen at nightclubs.’ ibid. comment
In 1954 Frank Costello was sentenced to 5 years in prison for tax evasion. ibid. narrator
Investment in the drug trade over the next several decades would ultimately become a tremendous burden. Members would chose to overlook the threat of law enforcement in favour of increased profits. ibid.
With the death of Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese seized even more power. ibid.
1957 was quite a year: Bonanno went big on the drug trade, Frank was forced into retirement, Al Anastasia had his last shave, and then Appalachia. The Mafia was now Public Enemy Number One. ibid.
‘The ideas of omerta are inevitably going to get lost in the American culture landscape.’ ibid. comment
Back in Brooklyn, the Gallos were starting to get a reputation. ibid. narrator
The Gallos had failed to overthrow Joe Profaci. ibid.
1962: Five years of turmoil for the five families. ibid.
‘Valachi is going to commit the greatest sin of a mobster.’ ibid. comment
Joe Valachi would die in federal custody in 1971. ibid. narrator
In the 1950s a new generation began to challenge the old guard. American Godfathers: The Five Families s1e2: Rise of the New Dons
Joe Valachi’s decision to testify marked a time of change for the five families. A change in the way they were chased were investigators, a change in the way they were viewed by outsiders, and a change in the way they operated. ibid.
John Colombo: He was a guest on a late-night talk show. ibid.
By 1963, 4 of the 5 original bosses were dead. ibid.
Carlo Gambino was an old-school don, a valuable mentor and a vital ally for Joe Colombo. ibid.
In 1971 things were tense in the Colombo family … Joey Gallo was released from prison. ibid.
Underworld Figures Questioned In Shooting of Colombo at Rally. ibid. newspaper headline
Carlos Gambino, the most revered godfather of the time, died in 1976 of natural causes. ibid.
Bonanno Family: With little local support in New York City, after a decade behind bars, Galante needed reinforcements … A problem that sooner or later would have to be dealt with ibid.
In public Mafia figures fiercely denied any involvement in the drug trade. ibid.
Through the 1970s the Mafia made a fortune moving massive amounts of heroin into New York City. At the top of the list of earners was Carmine Galante. ibid.
The murder of Carmine Galante temporarily restored order to the Bonanno. ibid.
A new generation of mobsters rose to power by breaking the rules. American Godfathers: The Five Families s1e3: The Last Don
With blood in the streets and its leadership in disarray, the families struggled to survive. ibid.
It was true all right. Pistone [Donny Brasco] would go on to tell all testifying publicly in court for the first time in August 1982. ibid.
RICO: Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organisations: ‘You could face a life in prison.’ ibid. Raab
The RICO statute was signed into law in 1970. ibid.
The Pizza connection case resulted in the convicted of 18 Mafia players.
‘The Commission case in 1985 involved federal prosecutors bringing Rico charges against the five heads of New York’s crime families.’ ibid. journalist
‘All these cooperators gave the Feds an enormous amount of evidence.’ ibid.
‘Massino is on trial for seven counts of murder and racketeering.’ ibid. TV news
The Massino recordings shocked the underworld. ibid.