HEAD CASE: One of the re-enactments in Nat Geo’s six-part series, “Inside the American Mob,” is this scene of mobster Phil Leonetti dispatching Louie DeMarco. Inset: Carlo Gambino, who headed one of New York’s “Five Families.” (
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The mob and the mobsters of what Nat Geo calls “the golden age of the Mafia” might be dead — but like Billy the Kid and other psycho killers of the American West, these guys still hold a great fascination for us all.
On Sunday night, National Geographic Channel begins a six part series called “Inside The American Mob,” which goes from the organization of the “Five Families” of the American Mafia by Lucky Luciano to the rise and fall of John Gotti to the fall of the mob itself.
This quite interesting series incorporates archival footage of the American Mafia in all its gory and includes first-time interviews with killers, capos, feds and informants.
“Inside the American Mob” doesn’t skimp on the horrible, bloody details — nor do some of the people interviewed, such as Michael Franzese, who freely discusses murder.
Others talk — with great fondness — of murder and mayhem as though they were reminiscing about the good old days of theater.
The disconnect is shocking.
“Crazy Phil” Leonetti, for example, talks about how, when he was 8 years old, his uncle, capo Nicky Scarpo, took him to his first murder. “You come with me so it doesn’t look bad,” he told the boy.
Leonetti says he was later ordered by his uncle to kill two men ( instead of just one) to show how worthy he’d be as a “made” man.
Other mobsters talk about killing, loan sharking, shakedowns and, yes, drugs.
Drugs, probably the most important factor in the dissolution of the mob, were forbidden by the Mafia code.
They couldn’t be sold and certainly couldn’t be used by members. However, the 1970s proved to be too much of a temptation and offered too quick and too large a profit.
Those who went rogue paid with their lives — or got paid with power, in the case of Gotti.
One of my favorite episodes, “The Rise and Fall of Gotti” (Aug. 18), features Bruce Cutler, (Gotti’s lawyer) and Mafia- hunter Rudy Guiliani, who both talk about the Dapper Don.
Guiliani seethes, “I always thought that the ‘Dapper Don’ was a basic moron. This guy liked to show up to watch murders!”
Cutler, on the other hand — still enamored all these years later — waxes euphoric. “John was always on! He was bullet on!”
Even the notorious Ravenite Social Club, where Gotti held court, is mythologized by Cutler who says, “It was a serious place for serious-minded men and John loved it!”
If you are a serious-minded man (or woman) who loves mob lore, you’ll be all over this like a really bad smell.