Mafia - The History of the Mob in America
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DVD details
Artist: Collector's ChoiceBrand: A and E Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 250 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-04-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product features:
- Mafia: The History of the Mob in America is a cold-blooded examination of organized crime in the twentieth century. Starting with the prohibition years, this groundbreaking investigation traces the origins of th ethnic gangs that capitalized on criminal activities by turning them into family enterprises. With men like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Lepke Buchalter at its heart, and bootleging, rack
DVD Reviews of Mafia - The History of the Mob in America
DVD Review: Thorough, historical, meticulous in telling the XXth century
Summary: 5 Stars
Mafia - The History Of The Mob In America (1993) is essential for
anyone wanting to get a historical grasp of gangsterism in the
USA, without turning to a book. This series aired originally on
the HISTORY channel (digital TV), with Bill Kurtis as host.
The first DVD comprises 3 episodes, running over 45 minutes each,
with professors and book authors commenting on various historical
turning points. There's a modest amount of rare, vintage footage,
mostly assisted by Hollywood movies of the past.
The film is sympathetic to gangsters Jewish, Italian or Irish, for
the simple reason that historically, each group had an axe to
grind, whether it were Gentiles, the Italian central government on
the mainland or the British Orangemen.
It also suggests viewers accept the phenomenon, or at least, be
neutral to it, the argument being that all those gangs did was
meet a demand of the general public for entertainment, alcohol,
narcotics, showgirls, prostitution and gambling. Those are the
ends that the public demanded, and justified the means used to
achieve them (contraband, mayhem, murder, corruption, payoffs,
etc.)
Booze operations are explained, centering around the independent
but nearby island St Pierre Miquelon, with numerous swift boats
importing goods into the USA under various circumstances. The
Canadian arm of those operations (Sam Bronfman) is also mentioned,
with a higher quality of merchandise. The Bahamas and Cuba were
further supply hubs.
Since those operations were more sophisticated than simple petty
theft, financiers such as Arnold Rothstein got involved, fronting
money around 1919. He also was involved in gambling, bets (perhaps
even, on the World Series.) Meyer Lansky was a close associate.
Owney Madden was involved in the transportation of goods from the
marshes in Delaware to Philadelphia, mainly by truck, although
sustaining losses from ambuses to cargo, etc.
A long stretch of film centers around that city - the
manufacturing center of the USA, machinery, assembly lines,
products, with a long tradition of a wealthy social class and
influential Republican party- that partied as hard as it worked.
Max Boo Boo Hoff - originally involved in boxing competitions and
the bookie business - diversified into liquor distribution, from
his pre-existing influence in saloons, political circles,
prostitution, eventually completing the vertical integration
between producer and consumer.
The bullying sustained by renowned performers, dancers, comedians
and musicians was the case in playing for specific nightclubs as
opposed to others (Joey Lewis at the Cotton Club, Milton Berle) in
that, the most famous, notorious and prestigious clubs were all
mob operated and owned and fought for the best attractions.
Task forces created to deal with the problem often ended in
failure, such as from the leadership of Gen Smedley Butler, or
Mabel Willebrandt. This stemmde from the overall indifference of
the population to Prohibition, despite a few successes, such as
the arrest of dozens of high-ranking law administrators taking
money, or 138 officers fired, the destruction of barrels of booze
or raiding hideouts. Perhaps 8% of agents turned to the other
side, joining gangs for more pay.
Originally intended by Protestants to control other ethnic
groups' behavior, it failed despite increasing liquor prices by a
factor of 15.
The birth of modern-day gangsterism centered around the 60
unloading docks in Brooklyn in 1920-25, controlled originally by
Irish ethnic workers that extorted money for cargo and ships to
operate safely, without interference or destruction. Wild Bill
Lovett oversaw the ops, but soon after, Peg Leg Lonergan succeeded
him. The latter was overtaken by Frankie Yale, and the Italian
groups. The lack of entitlements from the State by the population,
allowed those groups to earn the gratitude of the destitute and
poor from soup kitchens, vigilantism, and a helpdesk for various
injustices. Al Capone earned his chops at this time, with Yale,
later moving to Chicago.
In Chicago, Capone joined "Mustache Pete" John Torrio (meaning,
who a pre-existing gangster from in Sicily, who moved to the USA
as an adult, to carry on his business ops) and Jim Colosimo. Time
is spent explaining the rivalry and lethal nature of gang warfare
between them and the Dean O'banyon and Bugs Moran North Side
gang.
Capone uniquely enjoyed the mass media notoriety, honing a public
relations image as a benefactor of the destitute and poor. Control
over 10,000 nightclubs in the area was key, as was superior
firepower and a ruthless monopoly in the underworld. Jake Guzik
acted as Capone's advisor. Events culminated in the St Valentine
Day's massacre, with members impersonating police officers, led by
Anselme and Scolese, later bludgeoned by Capone at a dinner with a
baseball bat. A horse-track operator, O'Hare, cooperated with the
IRS about Capone, but later paid the price with his life. Despite
1.2 million cash being offered to close the investigation, the IRS
pursued it even more.
An analysis of Sicily is made, in terms of many well known
criminals on that Island, showing up suddenly in New York in the
rackets, as recognized by Lieutenant Joe Petrosino. The latter was
assassinated on that island on field research. At the same time,
the Island had its own masterminds and head honchos, deciding on
rules, justice, marriages, judges, law officers, loans, enforcing
contracts, independently of mainland Italy or the central
government's delegates, who not rarely were taken out. The poverty
of the land was an issue, with a sulfur mine one of the few local
job creators.
The New Orleans story is briefly touched upon, as well of arrivees
hired on the docks and fruit and vegetable open markets. The
lamented incident of the population's attack on a dozen Italian
immigrants in jail, pending a trial is told, as well as top cop
Hennessey's fate.
The modus operandi of the underground is illustrated by
Metropolitan Opera House tenor Enric Caruso being extorted
$1,000's of dollars - not an empty threat, in some cases targets
turning up dead.
Joe Masseria with his young turks Lucciano (Lucenia), Costello and
Genovese controlled much of the operations, for a time, when a
rival - Maranzano - arrived from Castellammare. He began looting
trucks and cargo through superior firepower. This culminated with
Joe Adonis, Al Anastasia, Bugsy Siegel and Vito Genovese rubbing
out Masseria in a restaurant, after Ciro Terranova had left early.
A commission of 5 families was setup, but Maranzano ultimately
himself was rubbed out, as Lucciano acted early vs waiting to be
hit (perceived still as a lethal rival). This was done by Jewish
gangsters impersonating government agents.
Some time is spent discussing Murder inc., and Frank Costello's
close relationship with Joe Kennedy, the latter seen daily at mob
operated restaurants, running up high horse race bet tabs, in
between participating in liquor running and wall street investing.
Key to Roosevelt as a fundraiser, Kennedy was pro-Wall St, and as
such, actively invested in pre-WW2 Germany, later compromising him
in the mind of the voters. Frank Costello maintained close ties
with Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel.
Further, the episode discusses Carlos Marcelo, the JFK election
and downfall, Hoffa and the teamsters, Sinatra, Paul D'Amato
(Skinny) and vote rigging, Sam Giancana's influence and power in
the nightclub scene, Fidel Castro arrival at power, resulting in
losses for former gambling bosses on that Island (Rosselini,
Traficante). More is said about the Bay of Pigs failed invasion,
the CIA, wire-tapping operations, etc.
It clarifies how Jack Ruby, who operated nightclubs in Dallas,
hailed from New York, and had hung with Capone and Frankie Yale as
a youth, who was also a cash and gun courier between Cuba and the
mainland. He was a man on a mission to terminate Oswald before the
latter could convincingly state his case that he was a red herring
as alleged hitman in Dallas - Hoffa and Traficante both nodding in
approval of the tragedy at the time.
Description of Mafia - The History of the Mob in America
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