NOIR BY NECESSITY: A SON'S TIRELESS SEARCH FOR HIS FATHER'S KILLER

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

Society & Culture, History

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"The murder of Joseph Gatto captivated Los Angeles. Many veteran journalists still wonder how and why it happened. The details of this horrible crime and those affected by it continue to fascinate." –Robert Kovacik, Anchor and Reporter, NBC Los Angeles

Mike Gatto was an up-and-coming young lawmaker when his father was brutally murdered.

The act sucked him into the world of noir: wild theories, intransigent detectives, and unimaginable violence.

This true crime story reads like a thriller, offering insight into the world of politics and the seedy underbelly of crime investigation in modern Los Angeles.

Gatto shares his experiences with incredible candor and raw emotion, detailing every clue, and how he came to learn every tragic detail of his father's murder. With the case still unsolved, see if you can piece together the clues to solve the mystery.

You can contact Mike at [email protected] with any serious theories. Mention 1001 Heroes Podcast in emails so he knows it is referred.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Welcome back, everyone to 1001 Heroes, Legends, histories, and mysteries podcast.
0:38.2	This is your host and storyteller, John Haggardorn.
0:41.0	Today, a special guest, author Mike Gatto, bringing us a Los Angeles political murder mystery,
0:48.1	and it's titled Noire by Necessity.
0:50.7	How My Father's Unsolved Murder took me to dark places.
0:56.4	Here was the introductory letter that they sent me.
0:58.5	Mike Gatto.
1:03.8	John, your latest episode exploring the human element behind missing persons' cases really struck a chord with me, especially how you highlighted the organizations that give
1:08.9	families hope reminded me just how powerful
1:11.5	courage and perseverance can be, not only for investigators, but for loved ones searching for
1:16.7	answers. That spirit resonates deeply in Mike Gatto's story, so I'm suggesting him as a guest
1:22.7	for 1001 heroes, legends, histories and mysteries. Mike is a former California State Assemblyman and problem-solving attorney
1:30.3	who's navigated some of society's toughest challenges,
1:33.4	both in politics and in his own life.
1:36.9	Most relevant is Mike's memoir, Noir by Neur, How My Father's Unsolved Murder took me to Dark
1:43.3	Places, chronicles his real-life journey seeking justice after my father's unsolved murder took me to dark places.
1:48.7	Chronicles his real life journey, seeking justice after his father's unsolved murder,
1:54.6	giving a perspective on advocacy, family, and dealing with unresolved loss,
2:00.0	lines up perfectly with your focus on unsolved mysteries and resilient shown by those left behind.
2:01.4	Mike's background on high-profile legislative work
2:04.1	and his hands-on role in cases involving criminal justice,
2:07.7	giving unique context on both the systemic and deeply personal sides.
	...

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