Crimetown

For over 20 years, Ken Tekiela was a celebrated firefighter, husband, and father of two —but he led a secret, double life as a hitman for the Chicago mob. When the truth came out, it destroyed his family. Now, his son Kyle, host of Crook County, is left to pick up the pieces. Crook County is the shocking true crime podcast about Kenny “The Kid” Tekiela’s rise through the ranks of the legendary organized crime syndicate, the Chicago Outfit, and the lasting impact this has on a family. From iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, welcome to Crook County. Follow the show here. To binge the full season, subscribe to Tenderfoot+. Click here for more details: https://tenderfoot.tv/plus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2025

Marc heads to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to meet a 70-year old gangster and hear him confess to the murder of Pope John Paul I. What he learns is that there’s a lot more to Anthony Raimondi than meets the eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2024

A new 10-part true-crime podcast, Executive Produced and Edited by Zac Stuart-Pontier, co-creator of Crimetown. Imagine if, one day, you are accused of something. Something horrible, violent, heinous. Something you swear you did not do, and nothing you say can convince anyone otherwise — even the people closest to you. That’s Sophia Johnson’s story. Sophia was starting fresh: A new life, a new husband, a baby on the way. But it all unraveled on January 10, 2002, when her mother-in-law Marlyne Johnson was found bludgeoned to death in her home. Days later, Sophia was charged with the murder. To this day, Sophia swears she didn’t do it. But someone says they witnessed it — her own brother. When family betrays family, who do you believe? In this story of a sibling rivalry beyond compare, WBUR’s Amory Sivertson turns the clock back. She reexamines an unsolved case, a family torn apart, and a woman who wasn’t believed. From WBUR and ZSP Media, Beyond All Repair is a 10-part true crime investigation into a cold case. The series ends with an answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2024

Everybody remembers the morning of September 11, 2001, when two passenger jets flew into the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan. But the idea of toppling the towers was not new. Thirty years ago, a group of men set off a bomb in the garage beneath the North Tower, hoping it would tumble into the South Tower. At the time, this was the largest improvised explosive device ever ignited on American soil. It killed six people and injured thousands, leaving behind a 100-foot crater five stories deep. Investigators from New York City’s Joint Terrorism Task Force—a ragtag team of FBI paper-pushers and NYPD detectives—found themselves conducting a new type of international investigation, called Operation: Tradebom. It became their job to find the bombers and bring them to justice before something even worse happened. Operation: Tradebom is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Truth Media in partnership with Brillstein Entertainment Partners. All episodes are available now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2023

From the co-creator of Crimetown and The Ballad of Billy Balls comes Not Past It, a new weekly series from Gimlet. In each episode, host Simone Polanen will pick a moment from that very same week in history — and tell you how it shaped our lives today. Today we are sharing an episode about the notorious crime boss Ma Barker. On July 26, 1932, Ma Barker's alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 August 2021

From the creator of Crimetown and Morally Indefensible comes a new podcast, Firebug. In the early 1990s, a manuscript for a novel called “Points of Origin” lands at literary agencies across the country. It tells the story of a fictional serial arsonist who lights up southern California. The thing is… the fires described in the novel may actually be real. Was Points of Origin a work of fiction, or the confessions of a prolific arsonist and murderer? Host Kary Antholis goes on a journey to figure out where fiction meets reality. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2021

1979 is the year that Ex-Green Beret Doctor Jeffrey MacDonald is convicted of the murders of his pregnant wife and two young daughters. It’s also the year he meets a new friend in famous journalist Joe McGinniss. Joe agrees to write a book about Jeff’s case. That book becomes a smash bestseller and a TV limited series watched by over 65 million people, but the story it tells isn’t quite the story Jeff expected and that sets off a series of events that ruin both men’s lives…Who’s the real bad guy here, the journalist or the murderer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2020

Introducing Mogul, a show about hip-hop's most iconic moments, told by the people who lived them. This season starts with Luke Campbell of the 2 Live Crew getting thrown in jail. Luke wound up in handcuffs because, according to a Florida judge, his music was obscene. To understand how this happened, we have to go back in time to 1980s Miami, to a sweatbox teen disco that birthed a new kind of hip hop: Miami bass. Stream the entire season on Spotify now. Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays everywhere else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2019

Growing up, Rob Boyd is ignored by his absent, womanizing father, a well-known local preacher. His mother marries a kindhearted factory worker, who helps raise Rob and his siblings. But after his stepfather is murdered, Rob goes astray, entering a brutal world of drugs and violence. To learn more about Rob's work today, visit thestreetsdontloveyouback.ning.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 September 2019

In the Crimetown Season 2 finale, Kwame Kilpatrick begins his 28-year prison sentence. Although he still maintains his innocence, his chances of a retrial are slim. Meanwhile, Detroit is undergoing a remarkable economic transformation. But who is benefitting from the Motor City miracle? And is the era of crime and corruption really over? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. To make a donation to Auntie Na's House, visit auntienashouse.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 August 2019

After a decade of scandals and a sprawling corruption investigation, Kwame Kilpatrick faces his most daunting challenge yet: a federal trial that could put him in prison for decades. The former mayor is no longer fighting for his political life or his marriage — now, he’s fighting for his freedom. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 August 2019

For years, the FBI has been running a wide-ranging corruption investigation into the Kilpatrick administration. As they dig deeper, the feds uncover a massive pay-to-play enterprise that reaches every level of City Hall. Is Kwame Kilpatrick a crook? Or are his associates just exploiting his name in order to enrich themselves? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2019

After serving 99 days in jail, former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick walks free. He heads to Texas and tries to settle into a new life. But Detroit isn’t quite ready to let him go. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 August 2019

With the mayor behind bars, a crusading lawyer takes up the case of slain exotic dancer Tamara Greene. Could Kwame Kilpatrick have ordered her murder — or is it all an urban legend? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 August 2019

From the same team that brought you Crimetown comes Crimetown Presents: The Ballad of Billy Balls. It’s 1982 in New York City, and a man bursts into an East Village storefront apartment and shoots punk musician Billy Balls. What follows is a mystery of love and loss that examines the tender binds of family, and the stories we tell ourselves just to survive. Learn more at www.theballadofbillyballs.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2019

The revelation that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had an affair with his chief of staff — a romance detailed in thousands of explicit text messages — rocks Detroit. But it’s only the beginning of their troubles. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2019

Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown files a whistleblower suit against City Hall, alleging he was fired for investigating the long-rumored Manoogian Mansion party. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick denies the accusations. But while he’s on the stand, he’s asked a surprising, seemingly unrelated question — one that just might bring him down. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2019

From the partnership that brought you Dirty John, comes Man in the Window. Pulitzer prize winning reporter Paige St. John investigates The Golden State Killer, and traces his path of devastation through the eyes of his victims. Binge the series now at wondery.fm/CT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2019

As rumors about a wild party at the mayor’s mansion continue to spread, Kwame Kilpatrick must fend off an increasingly unsympathetic media. Meanwhile, his opponent in the next election has a double-digit lead. Can the hip hop mayor survive? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 July 2019

To his supporters, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is a new breed of politician: young, cool, and in touch with black culture. To his critics, his flashy appearance and taste for nightlife are evidence of his immaturity. Rumors about Kilpatrick begin to swirl: sky-high spending, an out-of-control entourage, and wild parties at the mayoral mansion. Is Kwame Kilpatrick in over his head? Or is he being targeted because of his race? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 July 2019

When Mayor Coleman Young dies after twenty years in office, he leaves a yawning vacuum in Detroit’s power structure. But a successor quickly arises: a young, ambitious state legislator named Kwame Kilpatrick. He’s charismatic, larger than life, and has an impeccable political pedigree. There’s only one person who can stop Kwame Kilpatrick: himself. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2019

Dimitri Mugianis is a rarity in Detroit: a white kid whose family stayed after everyone like them left. Growing up, he throws himself into the city’s avant-garde underworld, playing in art-punk bands and partying in gay clubs. But when his taste for the nightlife becomes a full-blown heroin addiction, he realizes that he’s in trouble—and, with a hot new drug called crack hitting the streets, it’s only going to get worse. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 June 2019

Still hung up on the unsolved murder of Damion Lucas, FBI agent Herm Groman devises an elaborate sting to ensnare the corrupt cops of the Detroit Police Department. Will it bring down Mayor Coleman Young, too? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2019

A thirteen-year-old boy is murdered in a drive-by shooting. The Detroit police quickly apprehend a suspect. But the FBI is convinced that the wrong man is in jail — and that the real killers are escaping justice thanks to friends in high places. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 June 2019

Coleman Young has more underworld connections than you might expect of a big-city mayor. Sometimes those connections come in handy. But when his favorite niece starts dating an infamous drug dealer, Mayor Young must choose between keeping her out of trouble and keeping his hands clean. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2019

It’s the early eighties, and a new organization is revolutionizing the heroin trade: Young Boys Inc. Unlike other drug operations, YBI recruits juveniles, brands smack as if it were designer clothing, and moves the industry out of the dope houses and onto the corners. As YBI’s relentless expansion causes more and more bloodshed, its foot soldiers must reckon with their impact on Detroit. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 May 2019

When a hungry young DEA agent arrives in Detroit, he picks the perfect case to make his bones: taking down Eddie Jackson and Courtney Brown’s sprawling heroin organization. But if the drug kingpins fall, what will happen to their kids? As the feds close in, Eddie Jr. and Courtney Jr. must face the possibility of growing up without their fathers. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2019

Eddie Jackson and Courtney Brown are childhood friends from a poor neighborhood. Eddie is the troublemaker, drawn to Detroit’s seamier side; Courtney is his quiet, serious sidekick. As they grow older in a city with dwindling job options, they go their separate ways. But when Eddie dives into the heroin trade, Courtney faces a choice: play it safe and stay broke, or join his friend’s burgeoning empire and get rich. For bonus content from this episode, check out crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2019

A police shooting outside a community center leaves two black teenagers dead. Protesters take to the streets, igniting a movement to elect the city’s first black mayor. As election day approaches, the future of a racially polarized city hangs in the balance. For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2019

Detroit, 1971—a city riven by blight, racial strife, and rising crime. In the first episode of Crimetown Season 2, the police form a controversial undercover unit called STRESS—Stop The Robberies, Enjoy Safe Streets. One of the unit’s cops kills so many black men that he earns a nickname: Mr. STRESS. Can anyone stop him? For bonus content from this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2018

In Season 2, Crimetown explores crime and corruption in the heart of the Rust Belt: Detroit, Michigan. Expect stories of police shootings, the drug trade, and political scandal from a city divided by race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 September 2018

In 2003, a couple of Brown University alumni did the unthinkable: they wrote and performed a musical about everyone’s favorite criminal mayor. No recordings of the play exist today. So, as a holiday gift to Crimetown listeners, we’ve asked some friends in the musical-theater business to resurrect this forgotten classic. To listen to the Buddy Cianci: The Musical soundtrack, and for more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2017

Courtney Calenda is a star high school student—until a powerful defense attorney more than three times her age pulls her into a downward spiral of sex and drugs. As her life falls apart, she decides to fight back. For more information about this episode, and a full list of credits, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 December 2017

Jarrod Tillinghast is the son of one of Rhode Island’s most notorious mobsters. Determined to make a name for himself, he turns to boxing and becomes a rising star. But he learns that his father’s legacy isn’t so easy to leave behind. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 November 2017

80-year-old Ralph DeMasi is known throughout New England as both a prolific armored-car robber and a dedicated family man. After decades in prison, he thought he would live out his last years in freedom. Then the police made a break in a cold case, and now Ralph has a new charge on his long rap sheet: murder. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Read Dan Barry’s New York Times article about Ralph DeMasi, “The Holdup: A Mobster, a Family and the Crime That Won’t Let Them Go.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 June 2017

Earlier this month, we brought some of your favorite Crimetown characters to Brooklyn for a night of storytelling. Hear tales of canine escape, gold heists, prison life and more from Bobby Walason, Charles “the Ghost” Kennedy, Brian Andrews, Tony Fiore, and Dr. Barbara Roberts. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2017

To celebrate the end of our first season, Crimetown is releasing a soundtrack featuring many of the songs from the show. In this special bonus episode, co-host Zac Stuart-Pontier and composer/sound designer Matthew Boll take you behind the scenes to discuss their favorite moments from the season and how music helped bring Crimetown to life. You can find the soundtrack on: iTunes | Apple Music | Spotify | Google Play | Bandcamp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2017

Buddy Cianci was once a crusading prosecutor who took on the mob. Now, he’s behind bars. For the mayor of any other city, this would be the end of the road. But Buddy isn’t any other mayor. And Providence isn’t any other city. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2017

Buddy Cianci faces justice. His lawyers say he’s the Renaissance Mayor, too busy rebuilding Providence to notice a few bad apples in his administration. The prosecution says he’s just another crooked politician, running a massive corruption ring out of City Hall. Which story will the jury believe? For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2017

Dennis Aiken is an FBI agent from Mississippi. Anthony Freitas is a businessman from Portugal. Together, they’re Providence’s best hope in the war on corruption—and they just might take down Buddy Cianci once and for all. For a full list of credits, and for more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2017

Nicole Ouimette always knew her father was different. He was in and out of prison for most of her childhood. He had a lot of money but no job. And then, one night, the FBI showed up. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2017

Charles “the Ghost” Kennedy and his sister Gloria took very different paths in life. She became a state senator. He became a drug smuggler. And as his empire starts to crumble, the people close to him suffer the consequences. For a full list of credits, and for more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2017

Buddy Cianci left City Hall in disgrace after torturing a man in his living room. Now, he attempts the impossible: running for mayor of Providence again. For a full list of credits, and for more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2017

When master burglar Tony Fiore gets out of prison, he decides to try something different: robbing armored cars at gunpoint. His new hobby will bring him head to head with an old adversary one last time. For more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2017

A shadowy group of political insiders tries to cover up a crisis. A mobbed-up banker vanishes after embezzling millions of dollars. And one renegade ex-nun saw the whole thing coming. For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com. Our Sponsors Mailchimp – More than 12 million people use MailChimp to connect with their customers, market their products, and grow their businesses every day. Squarespace – For 10% off your first purchase go to Squarespace.com and use the offer code "CRIME" at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2017

A mob lawyer rises to become Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He promises to leave his past associations behind. But it's hard to part with old friends. For more information about this episode, and a full list of credits, visit crimetownshow.com. Our Sponsors Mailchimp – More than 12 million people use MailChimp to connect with their customers, market their products, and grow their businesses every day. Squarespace – For 10% off your first purchase go to Squarespace.com and use the offer code "CRIME" at checkout. Trunk Club - To get paired with a stylist and receive a personalized trunk of your own, visit trunkclub.com/crimetown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2017

A young doctor suddenly finds herself caring for a sickly old man named Raymond Patriarca. As she grows closer to her new patient, she’s drawn into the underworld in more ways than one. For more information about this episode, and a full list of credits, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2017

After a lucrative career as a thief, Charles Kennedy has an important realization: the real money is in drugs. He rises to become one of the East Coast’s biggest traffickers, throwing coke-fuelled parties and amassing a strange menagerie of pets. But his success attracts the wrong kind of attention. For more information about this episode, and for a full list of credits, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2017

One night in 1982, a 20-year-old man is senselessly murdered at an abandoned gas station. A mobster is taken into witness protection after he pins the murder on his boss. This brutal crime will push three wiseguys out of the mafia in very different ways. For a full list of credits, and for more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2017

A master thief keeps getting away with big heists. A cop spends years tailing him, tapping his phone, and practically moving in across the street. Their epic tug-of-war will revolutionize the fight against organized crime. For a full list of credits, and for more information about this episode, visit crimetownshow.com. Our Sponsors Blue Apron – To get your first three meals free with free shipping, go to blueapron.com/crimetown. Mailchimp – More than 12 million people use MailChimp to connect with their customers, market their products, and grow their businesses every day. Squarespace – For 10% off your first purchase go to Squarespace.com and use the offer code "CRIME" at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2017