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True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers

FOR MEMBERS ONLY-Jerry Vairo

True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers

Dan Zupansky

True Crime, News Commentary, Documentary, News, Society & Culture

42.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2013

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Seldom, if ever, has a writer been given access to a former major drug dealer in the Mafia underworld and three generations of legitimate family members that followed. After nearly two years of interviews and subsequent research, it has been discovered that a close relative of the family was one of the most powerful figures in the Mafia from the 1940s Thru the mid 1980s, yet his identity until now has never been revealed to the public. He was the successor to Charles "Lucky" Luciano and became the conduit between Sicily and the United States as well as the Advisor for all five New York families for four (4) decades. The book tells in detail the life and times of a family who escaped the threat of Fascism in Sicily at the turn of the century and the rise of one of the children to a major figure in the Mob. Another sibling returned from a tragic life in an orphanage only to become an adept criminal. He ultimately spent twenty years off and on in prison with the Who's Who of the Mafia, men who became friends and had secret stories to tell. After prison, he became one of the pioneers of Off Off Broadway in NYC. The book details the influence and protection afforded later generations of the family to this day. It offers a unique insight into the real life of people during this 100 year period. Myths about the Mob are disclosed and inaccuracies in the history of the Mafia are corrected. FOR MEMBERS ONLY-THE STORY OFTHE MOB'S SECRET JUDGE -(G.T. Harrell) JERRY VAIRO

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Lot's of radiance.

0:11.0

You are now listening to True Murder, the most shocking killers in true crime history,

0:16.0

and the authors that have written about them.

0:19.0

Gacy, Bundy, Dahmer, The Night Stalker, DTK,

0:24.0

every week, another fascinating author talking about the most shocking and infamous killers in true crime history.

0:31.0

True Murder, with your host, journalist and author, Dan Zupansky.

0:45.0

Good evening. This is your host, Dan Zupansky, for the program True Murder,

0:49.0

the most shocking killers in true crime history, and the authors that have written about them.

0:54.0

In October 2006, G.T. Harrell received a phone call from a man who identified himself as the great nephew of a high-ranking member of the Mafia,

1:05.0

from the 40s until his death in the mid-90s.

1:08.0

He told him that three generations of his family members had a wealth of stories about the mob that needed to be told.

1:15.0

He said he would like to commission him to write a book detailing the life and times of his great uncles.

1:20.0

He was invited to travel in New York City to meet him.

1:24.0

His great-uncle, Sonny Della University, the last living sibling of Polly Lefty Della University,

1:31.0

as well as a former criminal attorney and his brother.

1:35.0

The following week, he was introduced to everyone in Little Italy, New York City,

1:39.0

in videotape 17 hours of interviews with Sonny.

1:43.0

He told compelling stories about many of his life experiences with well-known gangsters and associates of his brother, Polly,

1:49.0

many of whom were the who's who of the Mafia.

1:53.0

After he returned home from his fascinating and very productive tape sessions,

1:56.0

he looked up Sonny's brother's name on the internet,

1:59.0

as well as sought confirmation on his identity in history books and documents about the Mafia.

...

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