In this episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective, continues his deep dive into organized crime history with prolific Mafia author Jeffrey Sussman. Sussman, the author of eight books on organized crime, joins Jenkins for a wide-ranging conversation that spans the rise, violence, prosecutions, and survival tactics of La Cosa Nostra in America. Drawing from works like Backbeat Gangsters and his latest release Mafia Hits, Misses Wars and Prosecutions, Sussman offers sharp insight into how the Mafia enforced silence, eliminated enemies, and adapted to government pressure.
The discussion opens with omertà, the Mafia’s infamous code of silence, and how mob warfare enforced loyalty through fear. Sussman recounts notorious hits and mob wars that shaped organized crime, then shifts to landmark prosecutions led by Thomas Dewey, whose relentless pursuit of Murder Incorporated dismantled the mob’s most feared execution squad.
The conversation moves through defining moments in Mafia history, including the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the creation of New York’s Five Families, and the uneasy alliance between Italian and Jewish gangsters brokered at the Franconia Hotel. Figures such as Al Capone, Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, and Lepke Buchalter loom large throughout the episode.
Jenkins and Sussman examine the disastrous Appalachian Conference, where Vito Genovese overplayed his hand, drawing national attention to the Mafia and setting the stage for informants like Joe Valachi to break decades of secrecy.
The episode also explores the Mafia’s darkest execution methods, including lupara bianca—murders designed to leave no body and no evidence—along with chilling stories involving Mad Sam DeStefano. The assassination attempt on Joe Colombo, and its ties to Joey Gallo, highlight how ego and publicity often proved fatal in the mob world.
The episode concludes with Sussman previewing his upcoming book on the Garment District, blending personal family history with organized crime’s grip on American industry. Together, Jenkins and Sussman deliver a sweeping, chronological look at how the Mafia rose, fractured, and endured—leaving a permanent mark on American culture. Get his book Mafia Hits, Misses, Wars, and Prosecutions.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 – Introduction and Jeffrey Sussman’s Mafia work
03:45 – Omertà and enforcing silence
07:30 – Mafia hits and internal wars
12:10 – Thomas Dewey and Murder Incorporated
18:40 – St. Valentine’s Day Massacre
23:30 – Formation of the Five Families
28:50 – Italian and Jewish mob alliances
34:20 – Capone, Lansky, and Luciano
39:45 – Appalachian Conference fallout
45:10 – Vito Genovese and Joe Valachi
50:30 – Lupara blanca and body disposal
55:20 – Mad Sam DeStefano’s brutality
59:40 – Joe Colombo assassination
1:05:30 – Betrayal and mob survival
1:10:50 – Sussman’s upcoming Garment District book

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